Last updated: August 10, 2026
Few factions in AEW have had as much impact on the show as the Death Riders. What started as a small group built around hard-hitting, no-nonsense wrestling has grown into one of the most consistently featured factions in the promotion, with championship wins, major rivalries, and a story that has evolved over the years. Honestly, I think that evolution is what makes the Death Riders so interesting to follow. They don’t feel exactly the same as they did when the story first started, and that’s a big reason fans are still talking about them. Here’s a full breakdown of who the Death Riders are, where they came from, and where they stand heading into the fall of 2026.
Quick answer: The AEW Death Riders are a faction led by Jon Moxley and featuring Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, Daniel Garcia, PAC, and Marina Shafir. The group evolved from the Blackpool Combat Club in 2024, after Moxley turned on Bryan Danielson and reshaped the stable around himself.
Blackpool Combat Club vs. Death Riders: What’s the Difference?
New fans often get confused because the group has gone by two names. Here’s the quick version:
- Blackpool Combat Club (BCC) – The original name, formed in March 2022. It was built around Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson, with William Regal as manager.
- Regal – Left AEW at the end of 2022 and returned to WWE. He is no longer involved with the group.
- Danielson – The group’s other founding member. He was turned on by his own stablemates in September 2024 and is no longer part of the faction.
- Death Riders – The current name, officially unveiled on the November 6, 2024 episode of Dynamite, after Moxley turned against Danielson and reshaped the group around himself.
- Moxley – The current leader and the only founding member still with the group.
In short: BCC was the 2022–2024 version built around Moxley and Danielson’s partnership. The Death Riders are the 2024–present version built around Moxley’s leadership, after Danielson’s exit.
How the Death Riders Formed
The Blackpool Combat Club started small. Moxley and Danielson, two longtime friends with a history dating back over a decade on the independent scene, joined forces with Regal as their manager. Wheeler Yuta joined not long after, followed by Claudio Castagnoli, who made his AEW debut at the first Forbidden Door event.
For most of 2022 through 2024, the group operated as a tight-knit unit respected for in-ring ability rather than storyline manipulation. That changed in September 2024, when the group turned on Danielson at AEW All Out, effectively kicking him out of the faction he had helped build.
The following month, at WrestleDream on October 12, 2024, Moxley defeated Danielson to win his fourth AEW World Championship — a record at the time. After the match, Moxley and the rest of the group brutally attacked Danielson, with Yuta turning on Darby Allin’s attempt to help Danielson and joining the assault instead. It was one of the most talked-about angles of the year, effectively ending Danielson’s full-time in-ring career on his home turf in Washington state.
A few weeks later, on November 6, 2024, the group’s new name and entrance theme were revealed on Dynamite: the Death Riders.
Who Are the Current Death Riders Members?
The group’s core roster has stayed fairly stable since the 2024 rebrand:
Jon Moxley (Leader) – The former WWE star, who wrestled as Dean Ambrose (and was part of The Shield) before returning to his independent-scene name, has led the group since turning on Danielson in 2024. He’s a multiple-time AEW World Champion, and as of this update, he is currently the AEW Continental Champion. Fans still debate how his AEW run compares to his WWE days as Dean Ambrose.
Claudio Castagnoli – Known to WWE fans as Cesaro, Castagnoli brings size and technical credibility to the group. He regularly competes for CMLL in Mexico as part of AEW’s working relationship with the promotion, including a shot at the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship.
Wheeler Yuta – One of two members, alongside Garcia, who came up mostly through the American independent scene rather than a WWE run. Yuta has held tag and trios gold as part of the group.
Daniel Garcia – A key figure in several of the group’s 2025 storylines, including an arc where he appeared to be feuding with Moxley while secretly working with him.
PAC – The British high-flyer adds a faster, more unpredictable style to a group otherwise built around grinding offense. PAC missed several months of action in 2025 after an ankle injury suffered in a match against Swerve Strickland. He returned in September 2025, making his comeback during the Death Riders’ feud with Darby Allin.
Marina Shafir – A former MMA competitor who handles ringside enforcer duties and has taken on a larger in-ring role over time, frequently teaming with Yuta and Garcia.
Death Riders Members at a Glance
| Member | Role |
|---|---|
| Jon Moxley | Leader |
| Claudio Castagnoli | Powerhouse / technical wrestler |
| Wheeler Yuta | Technical wrestler |
| Daniel Garcia | Technical wrestler |
| PAC | High-flyer |
| Marina Shafir | Enforcer |
Championships and Accomplishments
The Death Riders have collected real championship gold during their run, though their title picture has shifted over time:
- Moxley has held the AEW World Championship four times, most recently from October 2024 to July 2025, when he lost the title to Hangman Page in a Texas Death Match at AEW All In: Texas. For the full title history, see our breakdown of every AEW World Champion from 2019 to 2026.
- Moxley currently holds the AEW Continental Championship, which he won by defeating Kazuchika Okada in the 2025 Continental Classic tournament final at Worlds End on December 27, 2025.
- Castagnoli, Yuta, and PAC previously held the AEW World Trios Championship as a team, though the title has since changed hands to a different trio.
The Storyline That Redefined the Group
The Death Riders’ biggest storyline arc through 2025 centered on their feud with Darby Allin. The conflict traced back to Allin trying to help Danielson during the WrestleDream attack, which made him a target of the group. Months later, the Death Riders jumped Allin and threw him down a stairwell, keeping him off AEW television for nearly seven months.
Allin returned at All In: Texas in July 2025 and was part of the group that helped Hangman Page dethrone Moxley as AEW World Champion, ending his 273-day reign — a match that ranks among the promotion’s most significant in our ranking of every AEW All In main event. Their rivalry eventually led to a Coffin Match at AEW All Out in September 2025, one of the most brutal matches of the year. Allin appeared to have the match won until PAC — making his surprise return from injury — interfered, allowing Moxley to seal the win.
Around the same period, Moxley’s dynamic with Hangman Page during their Texas Death Match feud pushed his character in a different direction. Rather than remaining a pure villain, Moxley began drawing mixed reactions from crowds — cheered in some arenas, booed in others — a shift that has carried over into the group’s current presentation.
Death Riders in 2026: Still Active, Still Dangerous
The Death Riders remain a fixture on AEW programming heading into the fall of 2026. On August 5, 2026, at AEW’s Grand Slam Mexico event in Arena México, Moxley, PAC, Yuta, and Garcia took on AEW World Tag Team Champions Adam Copeland and Christian Cage alongside the Young Bucks — a lineup that includes several names from our list of the highest-paid AEW wrestlers in 2026 — in an eight-man tag match. The Death Riders won after Moxley rolled up Copeland using a handful of tights during a moment of confusion between Copeland and Matt Jackson.
Moxley is also competing in the inaugural AEW Continental Cup tournament, where he is defending his Continental Championship in every round. His first-round opponent is Jack Perry, with the tournament set to build toward AEW All In: London at Wembley Stadium on August 30, 2026.
Honestly, I find this version of the Death Riders more interesting than their earlier pure-heel run. They don’t feel like straightforward bad guys anymore. Sometimes the crowd cheers them, sometimes they boo them, and a lot of it depends on who they’re facing. Moxley and his crew are still aggressive and dangerous, but I think this gray area makes the group much more unpredictable and interesting to watch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who leads the AEW Death Riders? Jon Moxley leads the group and has served as its central figure since taking over from Bryan Danielson in 2024.
When did the Death Riders form? The group started in March 2022 as the Blackpool Combat Club. The Death Riders name and rebrand were revealed on the November 6, 2024 episode of Dynamite, following Danielson’s exit that fall.
How many members does the group have? Six wrestlers make up the core group: Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, Daniel Garcia, PAC, and Marina Shafir.
What titles have the Death Riders held? Moxley has held the AEW World Championship four times and currently holds the AEW Continental Championship. Castagnoli, Yuta, and PAC previously held the AEW World Trios Championship as a team.
Are the Death Riders still a heel faction? Not entirely. Since Moxley’s feud with Hangman Page in 2025, the group has drawn more mixed crowd reactions rather than being written as clear-cut villains in every match.
Final Thoughts
From the Blackpool Combat Club to the Death Riders, Moxley and his allies have been through betrayals, title fights, brutal rivalries, and plenty of changes along the way. Personally, I think what makes the Death Riders interesting is that AEW never let them stay the same for too long. Their presentation has changed as the story moved forward, which has helped keep the group feeling fresh. Whether AEW eventually breaks them up or continues to evolve the faction, I think the Death Riders have already earned their place as one of the defining factions of AEW’s modern era.
This article will be updated as the Death Riders’ roster, championships, and storylines continue to evolve.
Gaurav Sharma
Founder & Lead Writer, Wrestling Nightmare
I’ve been hooked on wrestling since childhood—from the Attitude Era to today’s Bloodline saga, plus AEW and TNA. My favorite match of all time is The Rock vs. Brock Lesnar (SummerSlam 2002), and I’ll always stand by Bray Wyatt’s untapped potential.
At Wrestling Nightmare, I break down news, analyze matches, and drop verified recaps. Got a correction or wanna debate? Hit me up at contact@wrestlingnightmare.com
