When you look back at some of MJF’s best matches in AEW, you realize that the guy can absolutely go in the squared circle. His arrogance, dishonor and despicable nature as a heel overshadow that he has had some of the most underrated and best matches in the short history of AEW.
MJF has become one of, if not the most compelling characters in AEW. You may think of him as strictly a master on the microphone. Yet MJF is also one of the best in-ring performers on a roster that is stocked full of them.
MJF has an opportunity this Saturday night at the Full Gear pay-per-view to win the AEW World Championship as he goes head-to-head with current champion Jon Moxley. In the process of that, he also can add on to his rolodex of best matches in the promotion.
That being said, we are going to take a look back at MJF’s best matches thus far in AEW.
MJF vs. Jungle Boy (Double Or Nothing 2020)
A pandemic era, AEW in-ring beauty. MJF and Jungle Boy had one match prior to this encounter at a Dynamite event on February 12, 2020. Just three months later, two of the four proclaimed “Pillars” of AEW would square off once again in front of their peers in the audience on pay-per-view.
MJF had just broken through with an upset win over his mentor, Cody Rhodes, at AEW Revolution. The feud itself was designed to catapult Maxwell Jacob Friedman to a new level, which indeed it did. His follow up feud with Jungle Boy offered up a different dynamic.
You witnessed a glimpse of the bright future that MJF and Jungle Boy both have in front of them. A clash between a more methodical, heel style performer and an electric, vibrant babyface. The two young men put on a more modern style wrestling clinic which brought out MJF’s underrated in-ring skills. He would emerge victorious in this wonderful pro wrestling match.
Something tells me this will be a featured rivalry moving down the line for AEW in the distant future.
MJF vs. Sammy Guevara (Dynamite, June 30, 2021)
We move from one match between two of AEW’s four pillars to another exciting contest. The feud between MJF and Sammy Guevara had started long before this bout came to be. When MJF had Chris Jericho at AEW Full Gear 2020, the stipulation was he would become a member of The Inner Circle.
Sammy Guevara was skeptical of MJF and his motives as a new member of the group, and rightfully so. When The Inner Circle were about to kick MJF out of the group, he flipped the switch and formed The Pinnacle in one of the best segments in AEW Dynamite history.
This match was almost four months after MJF formed his new group, and you got to see a fantastic story told in the ring. Much like Jungle Boy before him, Guevara’s athleticism was a perfect contrast in style to MJF’s technical and grappling approach.
A magnificent display of one upmanship between the two rivals as MJF would prevail without outside interference from The Pinnacle.
MJF vs. Darby Allin (Full Gear 2021)
It’s a testament to AEW that the first three matches on this list involve all four pillars of the young company. In this bout, MJF would go head-to-head with the most unorthodox pillar of the bunch in Darby Allin.
Darby and his reckless style mix incredibly well with the aforementioned skills of MJF, as this match opened up the 2021 rendition of Full Gear. The two men put on a performance that was very difficult to top on this night in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The mind games that the two men played throughout their feud played a significant role in how well the story in the ring on this night was told. The car crash style that Darby Allin brought to the table turned into an incredible wrestling match, which suits MJF’s liking.
Max called his shot saying he would win this bout with a headlock takeover (aided by his Dynamite diamond ring, which he used to knock Darby out beforehand). None the less, this match arguably stole the show on a night where Hangman Page finally won the AEW World title.
MJF vs. CM Punk (Dynamite, February 2, 2022)
MJF and CM Punk are two of the most polarizing figures in the pro wrestling world over the last 20 years.
The psychological warfare and mic battles that took place between the two men were the most incredible storytelling and entertaining television in AEW’s short company history.
The story arc started with MJF attempting to throw-around his microphone superiority and all-around prowess in AEW. He once idolized CM Punk as a teenager. Now, he said that he saw Punk as a threat to his territory at the top of the card.
Punk meanwhile has been a professor of psychology throughout his career and combatted MJF’s nooks and crannies better than any opponent before him.
This match took place in Punk’s hometown of Chicago, Illinois, giving him a distinct advantage over the younger prodigy. MJF on this night wasn’t rattled. He pinned Punk not once, but twice, after referee Bryce Remsburg found a piece of tape which MJF used to help put Punk to sleep the first time.
The storytelling was masterful once again as MJF cheated both times to defeat Punk. It warranted a rematch where CM Punk would have the opportunity to get a measure of revenge against his hated rival.
MJF vs. CM Punk (Revolution 2022)
The follow up to MJF vs CM Punk’s TV thriller was another month of fantastic promos and psychological warfare which led to Punk demanding a stipulation in their next encounter on pay-per-view.
MJF threw one more log into the metaphorical fire to create a barricade to avoid giving Punk a rematch. He gave Punk the option to choose any partner of his choosing outside of Darby Allin and Sting to defeat FTR, the other two members of the Pinnacle.
Punk chose Jon Moxley and they defeated FTR in a phenomenal tag team match on Dynamite. Punk tapped into wrestling history to choose the stakes for this bout at AEW Revolution. Channeling “Roddy Piper in Portland,” he made the match a dog collar affair, one that Piper (another of MJF’s heroes) had taken part in against Greg Valentine at Starrcade 1983.
Wrestling fans were treated to a brutal affair. The stage was set minutes before as MJF came out to Punk’s “Cult Of Personality” theme music. Punk would follow up with his Ring Of Honor theme, “Miseria Cantare.” A homage to his previous dog collar match in ROH with Raven.
MJF and CM Punk would go on to have one of the most memorable PPV matches in AEW history. The blood shed, emotions and hatred were at a fever pitch on this night.
Wardlow would play a part in this bout as well. He finally turned on MJF as he left his Dynamite diamond ring for Punk to use as he knocked out MJF with it. Add a GTS to the blow and Punk gained a measure of revenge on his fallen opponent.
Jesse Velasquez is the host of the Wrestling Unplugged and Undeniable podcast, available on Apple and Spotify.