The recent controversy surrounding Britt Baker and MJF was an isolated incident that doesn’t reflect AEW at large, Deonna Purrazzo has claimed. Speaking to Stephanie Chase, the Virtuosa reflected on the situation that resulted in Baker’s recent suspension from the company.

“I think this was an isolated incident because everything else that I’ve experienced in this locker room is supportive, encouraging, and full of camaraderie. We just recently celebrated people’s birthdays, had birthday cakes, and sang. I feel this locker room doesn’t get as much credit as it deserves for that type of camaraderie.”

The incident in question involved Baker, MJF, and the latter’s girlfriend Alicia Atout. It’s alleged that Baker made comments about MJF in the women’s locker-room that Atout overheard. MJF was not suspended by AEW as the company’s investigation reportedly led to the belief that he was defending his partner.

On AEW programming, Baker’s absence has been explained as a kayfabe suspension by the Young Bucks at the request of Mercedes Mone. The AEW TBS Champion demanded Baker’s suspension following a (planned) altercation between the pair at San Diego Comic-Con. Baker appeared on this week’s Dynamite and shared that this storyline suspension had been lifted by Tony Khan. Mone and Baker will collide for the TBS Championship at AEW All In on August 25.

AEW’s Backstage Issues

This is unfortunately not the first time an incident behind the scenes in AEW has leaked to the outside world. Backstage altercations at AEW All Out 2022 and AEW All In 2023 would cast a dark shadow over both events and result in some of the company’s top names being suspended. Mere weeks after All Out 2022, Sammy Guevara and Andrade reportedly had a fight backstage which resulted in a Career Vs. Mask match between Andrade and Rush being canceled. Andrade would leave AEW in 2023 and has since returned to WWE.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF), former AEW World Champion, is known for his larger-than-life personality both inside and outside the ring. Recently, MJF’s relationship with Alicia Atout has garnered significant attention. Here’s everything you need to know about Alicia Atout and her relationship with MJF.

Who is Alicia Atout?

Background and Career

Alicia Atout is a prominent figure in the wrestling world, primarily known for her work as a backstage interviewer.

She has made significant contributions to various wrestling promotions, including IMPACT Wrestling, AEW, and MLW. Her charm, wit, and deep knowledge of wrestling have earned her a substantial following on social media.

Rise to Fame

Alicia initially gained fame through her YouTube channel, “A Music Blog, Yea?” where she interviewed numerous musicians and wrestlers.

Her engaging interview style and charisma quickly caught the attention of wrestling fans and promotions, leading to her prominent roles in the industry.

The Relationship with MJF

Confirmation of the Relationship

In November 2023, Alicia Atout confirmed her relationship with MJF during a Q&A session on her YouTube channel.

MJF had previously hinted at the relationship, but Alicia’s confirmation provided clarity for fans.

She shared, “There was a plethora, a cornucopia, an entire bag full of questions asking about my dating life… The answer… is yes.”

This confirmation came after MJF referred to her affectionately yet controversially during a media scrum, a nod to their unique dynamic.

A Unique Bond

Their relationship, while surprising to many, highlights a unique bond formed through shared experiences in the wrestling world.

Alicia humorously mentioned how MJF’s initial nickname for her, “Tits McGee,” evolved into a deeper connection.

“Life has a really interesting, weird way of working out,” she remarked, underscoring the unexpected nature of their relationship.

Challenges and Public Attention

Recent Incidents

Recently, their relationship was brought into the spotlight again due to a backstage incident involving Britt Baker in AEW. According to reports, Britt Baker was suspended following a confrontation that also involved Alicia Atout. The incident fueled public interest and added another layer of complexity to the dynamics backstage in AEW.

mRead More – AEW Suspends Britt Baker Over Backstage

AEW American Champion MJF didn’t hold back when a fan opted to bring up Vince McMahon in a discussion about appropriate words in wrestling. To promote his upcoming match with Kyle Fletcher, MJF suggested that Fletcher cut his hair as he looks like “MGK [Machine Gun Kelly] and Ellen Degeneres’s dumpster baby.” That line crossed a line for one fan who said that Vince McMahon would never have allowed one of his Superstars to say something like that. MJF fired back, saying what he believes would be a more likely comment from McMahon given the allegations against the former WWE CEO. In a response of his own, FTR’s Dax Harwood shared his support for MJF’s comment.

McMahon has been accused of being sexually abusive and trafficking Janel Grant during a relationship that McMahon’s legal team has said was wholly consensual.

While the case has been postponed due to a federal investigation into McMahon, details around the matter continue to make headlines. Last month, it was reported that Grant had filed a complaint against Peak Wellness and is asking the company to provide receipts and other information for use in discovery in Grant’s case against McMahon, John Laurinaitis, and WWE. In the original civil suit filed by Grant in January, a Peak Wellness employee was accused of participating in an assault against her.

The Future for MJF

As for MJF, he has a busy few weeks ahead of him, including the match with Kyle Fletcher looming. August 2024 will also see MJF compete at Rev Pro’s Summer Sizzler event in the UK, a third-world country in the eyes of the AEW American Champion. MJF will face Michael Oku at the show, who MJF has said he hates because Oku has the respect of Will Ospreay. MJF will face Ospreay with the AEW American title on the line later this month at All In: London 2024.

AEW has been working hard to regain momentum after facing backstage issues in 2022 and 2023. Unfortunately, another backstage incident involving two of the company’s top stars has been brought to public light, posing a challenge for company president Tony Khan.

According to reports from the Wrestling Observer and Fightful Select, former AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker has been suspended by AEW due to a backstage incident last month involving her, current AEW American Champion MJF, and his real-life partner and AEW broadcast talent Alicia Atout. The situation reportedly stems back to previously unresolved issues between the two talents, as the two are said to have had a “falling out” sometime in 2023.

Allegedly, Baker made comments about MJF inside the women’s locker room, which Atout, who was present at the time, overheard. This led to confrontations between Baker and MJF, Atout, and even AEW star Will Ospreay. Per Fightful, Human Resources was brought to investigate the situation, leading to Baker’s eventual suspension.

As of this writing, neither the parties involved nor the company itself have made any public comments on the situation. The suspension is said to have no effect on Britt Baker’s availability for AEW’s biggest pay-per-view of the year in ALL IN, where she is set to take on Mercedes Moné for the self-proclaimed CEO’s TBS Championship.

Britt Baker surprised All Elite Wrestling fans by making her return at the company’s cross-promotional pay-per-view Forbidden Door after a nine-month hiatus. On July 24th, Baker competed in her first match of 2024, taking on Hikaru Shida on AEW Dynamite. She stepped into the ring for the first time since September 2023.

AEW American Champion MJF will be in for a hostile reaction when he defends the star-spangled strap next month in the United Kingdom. On Twitter, MJF shared that he will defend the title at Revolution Pro Wrestling’s Summer Sizzler event against Michael Oku. The show will take place at York Hall in London, England on August 11.

MJF didn’t hold back in his announcement that was aired at Rev Pro’s Live in Coventry event. Michael Oku has MJF’s “undying hatred” given that Oku has the respect of Will Ospreay. The AEW star added that the UK is a “third-world country” a well as the “worst country in the world.” Channeling the spirit of the Boston Tea Party (an event from December 1773 that MJF claimed he remembers,) the AEW mainstay made clear he would fight the British and did not care about being disrespectful.

MJF introduced the American Championship as a replacement for the AEW International Title he won from Will Ospreay during Dynamite: 250. In addition to being as patriotic as it gets, the title includes a dig at the UK with one side plate reading “Better than Will [Ospreay] and the UK knows it.” After their hour-long war on Dynamite, Ospreay and MJF will face off again at AEW All In: London 2024 next month.

Although MJF isn’t interested in being kind to the UK, the UK has been kind to the reigning AEW American Champion. MJF has competed six times in the UK, according to Profight data, and boasts a respected 4-2 win/loss record. Both of MJF’s last two matches in the UK came at All In: London 2023 and saw him win the ROH World Tag Titles with Adam Cole and retain the AEW World Championship against Cole.

MJF will put the AEW International Championship on the line in a rematch against Will Ospreay at All In.

All Elite Wrestling’s upcoming pay-per-view event, All In, is starting to take shape. The show will occur at Wembley Stadium in London, England, on August 25. While the match card is still being finalized, AEW has revealed that AEW International Champion MJF will defend his title in a rematch against Will Ospreay at the PPV.

On the July 17 episode of Dynamite, MJF defeated Ospreay for the title in a nearly sixty-minute match. The finish came when “The Devil” used an object to hit Ospreay in the face to win.

In celebration of his championship win, MJF opened the July 24 episode of Dynamite to boast to the Nashville, Tennesse crowd in attendance. He talked down to the fans for being unpatriotic and that they only liked his championship because it was held by international talent.

In an interesting turn of events, “The Devil” threw the AEW International Championship in the trash. Afterward, he unveiled his new AEW American Championship, which he plans to use moving forward.

Ospreay had enough of MJF and came to the ring to confront him before the “Heel” escaped with his new title. “The Aerial Assassin” would share he spoke with AEW President Tony Khan and interim AEW Executive Vice President Christopher Daniels to get a rematch with the championship on the line at All In.

What Is Next For PAC?

AEW’s decision to have the rematch occur at the upcoming PPV is interesting, as PAC earned the opportunity to challenge for the title. The high-flying superstar defeated Claudio Castagnoli, Kyle Fletcher, and Tomohiro Ishii in a Fatal Four Way match to become the number one contender on the July 10 episode of Dynamite.

After the match, PAC declared that he would win the AEW International Championship and have his moment at All In. It’s worth noting that Khan shared on X before the Fatal Four Way match that the winner would get a future opportunity for the title. The rematch announcement currently puts his involvement in the PPV in uncertainty.

Updated AEW All In Match Card

• AEW World Championship: (C) Swerve Strickland vs. Bryan Danielson
• AEW Women’s Championship: (C) Toni Storm vs. Mariah May
• AEW International Championship: (C) MJF vs. Will Ospreay

MJF couldn’t care less about winning the AEW International Championship against Will Ospreay and made that perfectly clear to kick off this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite.

The new champ did come out with the title around his waist, but it didn’t take him long to take that gold out and literally throw it in the trash. MJF channeled a mid 1990s Madusa when she threw her WWF Women’s Championship in the garbage on WCW Nitro, but then Max had some new hardware to debut.

Underneath a cloth was a new “AEW American Championship” which had a star-spangled strap that would make any belt enthusiast drool. Friedman then disparaged the city of Nashville before Will Ospreay ran down to attack his latest rival. However, ‘Billy Goat’ really got MJF’s gruff when he told him that Tony Khan booked him vs. MJF for the Internatiional gold at AEW ALL IN in Wembley.

RELATED: MJF Reacts To ‘Terrorist’ Girl Attacking Him on Dynamite

While MJF did hearken back to Madusa, he also pulled a page out of the book of a heel Ospreay. While in New Japan, Ospreay became the holder of the IWGP United States Championship in 2023 and redubbed it the IWGP United Kingdom Championship.

MJF did cheat to win the “American” Championship last week on Dynamite when he and Ospreay nearly went the full hour time limit, but it was when MJF popped Will with the Dynamite diamond ring to secure the pinfall victory and the gold.

Ospreay vs. MJF joins an already growing card for ALL IN as Swerve Strickland is set to take on Bryan Danielson, Mariah May challenges Toni Storm and just announced on tonight’s Dynamite was Darby Allin vs. Jack Perry for the TNT Championship.

RELATED: Kamille Debuts In AEW, Attacks Britt Baker

MJF says he’s exasperated at the amount of attention “terrorists” receive in society, and referenced the 7-year old girl who slapped him last week on AEW Dynamite to make his point. During his 60-minute match against Will Ospreay, the action spilled into the crowd, the young fan slapped MJF’s chest. The former AEW World champion and new International Champion appeared on the Casual Conversations podcast and everal days after the incident, he clearly hasn’t moved on.

“She’s a terrorist. Let’s talk about it. I think we need to talk about this immediately. So here’s the deal. I’m wrestling a match, and I think we’re like three minutes in at this point. I’m just about to beat Will in a matter of seconds, and this guy, because he’s scared of me, he hops over the guard rail. He tries to leave the arena. Wild stuff, right?

I couldn’t believe it. So now, to protect the integrity of our sport, I’m chasing after this guy. What a wuss. But I care about our company, right? So now, let me catch up to this guy so we can continue on with this matchup. When I got a hold of him, I’m beating him up, I mean with ease in this crowd, but it was a pretty hostile environment.

Then, out of nowhere, a girl pulls a gun out. I don’t know if you can see the gun when you watch the match back, but she had me at gunpoint and then proceeded to strike me in the chest repeatedly.”

AEW was celebrating the milestone of 250 episodes for Dynamite during the July 17, 2024 episode of their weekly episodic series. As such, the company had loaded the card with many PPV-quality matches.

One such match on the card featured The Salt of The Earth challenging Will Ospreay for the International Championship in a hard hitting affair. The bout went on for almost an hour, with both the stars working hard to give fans many unforgettable moments during their encounter.

The most memorable spot of the night however was something that neither of them could have planned in advance. The action was taken outside the ring at one point in the match and both the stars continued to fight in the middle of the crowd. During this time, Ospreay prompted a little girl who was in attendance to take part in the bout and she went on to hit MJF in the chest.

The moment went viral on the internet after MJF flipped the girl. After the show, Ospreay gifted the young fan a shirt and she was also featured on a local news channel in Arkansas. Despite the brutal attack, the 28-year-old still came out victorious and he defeated Ospreay in the match to win the AEW International title.

MJF on Abortion

MJF later discussed the fan being interviewed by a local news channel and said this is why abortion cannot be outlawed.

“Why would you give such a violent person a platform like that? It’s horrible. Little girls like that is a reminder of why abortion is necessary. I don’t care what your political affiliations are. I think people should be able to abort for at least the first 1000 months of a pregnancy term.”

MJF claimed that he didn’t feel any of the strikes from the girl. Giving an explanation for flipping off the young fan, the Salt of The Earth said that you have to stand up to bullies:

“Now I didn’t feel any of the strikes because I’m jacked. I mean, I have a chest the size of a Dodge Ram truck. So she stops, she puts the gun away. Even though I knew she had the gun on her, I wasn’t fearing for my life at this point because you know, you gotta stand up to bullies no matter what the situation is.

So I flip her off, rightfully so in my opinion, as I think anybody else would. Then Osprey sneak attacks me from behind when all I’m trying to do is react to this vicious terrorist. And proceeded to sneak attack me while we were inside the crowd. Luckily, I stopped him, I threw him in the ring, I gave him a great right-hand punch, and that was all she rode.”

MJF has some choice words to describe his mentor CM Punk.

The current AEW International Champion’s rivalry with the Straight Edge Star remains one of the most memorable feuds in the history of Tony Khan’s promotion to date.

Due to the abrupt end of Punk’s AEW run, the Salt of The Earth never got a proper closure on their feud. He still seems to have learned a lot from the wrestling veteran, to the point where he considers Punk a mentor of his.

The former world champion recently had an interview with Casual Conversations podcast. During a segment on the show, he was asked to describe certain superstars.

The name of Cody Rhodes came up first, who MJF described as a mentor. When asked about CM Punk, the scumbag explained that he was also a mentor, but in a completely opposite way:

“I think I would use the word mentor through hate. So I was mentored by probably two of the most intelligent guys in the business. One was through love and one was through hate.”

– MJF via Casual Conversations

• MJF On The Brawl Between CM Punk & The Elite At AEW All Out: “I Wish Everyone Involved The Best Of Luck”

The History of MJF and CM Punk

MJF started a feud with CM Punk in late 2021, only a few months after Punk’s debut for the company in August. They first encountered each other as opponents in a six-man tag team match at the December 22, 2021 episode of Dynamite.

The two would continue this rivalry for the next few months, leading to some of the most entertaining and memorable promo battles in the history of pro wrestling.

They had two singles matches during this rivalry. MJF won the first one at the February 2, 2022 episode of Dynamite with help from Wardlow. CM Punk would then get his win back at the 2022 Revolution PPV on March 6, when Wardlow turned on Maxwell.

Punk would move on a world title feud with the then-champion Adam Page after this, leading to him winning the AEW title at Double or Nothing in May. He was forced to take a hiatus from the company only 5 days after due to a foot injury.

The rest of Punk’s AEW run was bogged down by injuries and backstage drama. As a result, MJF would never get the chance to renew this rivalry before the former AEW star’s departure in September 2023.

MJF believes he’s the true blue ‘Nature Boy’ while he thinks Will Ospreay watches too much tape of Simone Biles.

MJF just defeated Ospreay in a near 60-minute marathon to kick off last week’s episode of AEW Dynamite to become the new AEW International Champion and Maxwell Jacob Friedman is relishing every single minute of it.

In a new interview with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, MJF had some harsh words for his recent opponent all while putting over his own athletic efforts.

“I’m on the Stairmaster every day for two hours. That’s the difference between me and Will Ospreay. I’m a real athlete. He’s a f—— gymnast.”

RELATED: Will Ospreay Gifted 7-Year-Old Fan Who ‘Attacked’ MJF At AEW Dynamite 250

MJF was far from done as ‘The Scumbag’ also caught wind of Ric Flair’s praise. The two-time WWE Hall Of Famer happened to put a side-by-side photo of him and MJF hoisting up freshly won hardware. Max tipped the cap to ‘The Nature Boy’ but in natural heel form, put himself over at the same time.

“There’s a reason that after my match, Ric Flair posted a side-by-side comparison photo. I’m Ric Flair incarnated–and with all due respect to Ric, better.”

MJF certainly pulled from the page of ‘The Dirtiest Player In The Game’ in how he defeated Ospreay on Wednesday. Will’s conscience got the better of him nearing the end of the bout as he hesitated to hit his self-banned Tiger Driver and MJF took advantage, hitting him with the Dynamite Diamond Ring. We’ll more than likely hear from both stars this week on a stacked episode of AEW Dynamite that features a big Blood & Guts bout.

RELATED: MJF Heading to CMLL After “Easiest Match of My Life” with Will Ospreay

A seven-year-old fan, Mia Liszewski was recently involved in the match between Will Ospreay and MJF for the AEW International Championship last week. It has come to light that she received a gift from ‘The Aerial Assassin’ after the 250th edition of AEW Dynamite.

The milestone edition of the show emanated from Little Rock, Arkansas last week. As MJF and Ospreay were battling in the crowd, Mia punched MJF. ‘The Salt of The Earth’ was not happy with it and gave her the one-finger salute. The video clip of the incident went viral on social media and it has garnered more than 10 million views on X.

Alongside her father, Stan Liszewski, the Arkansas girl spoke with ABC7 News. They talked about the special moment during the show. Mia’s father then revealed that Will Ospreay gave her one of his t-shirts which she was wearing.

“Will Ospreay, big hero at that time, he was the champion. As you can see, he gave her one of his shirts and she’s wearing it.”

It must be humiliating for MJF to get punched by a seven-year-old but he had the last laugh that night. He dethroned Will Ospreay to become the AEW International Champion. The pair of talented wrestlers battled it out for the title in a gruesome match that went on for an hour.

At one point, ‘The Aerial Assassin’ lifted MJF for the Tiger Driver 91. However, Ospreay, who said he wouldn’t use the move looked hesitated. MJF laid out Ospreay with his Dynamite Diamond Ring before pinning him for the three count. It seems that the newly-crowned AEW International Champion has already become a target.

• Gabe Kidd Says “F**k MJF”, Offers To Show Him How To Fight

NJPW Strong Openweight Champion Gabe Kidd recently launched a scathing attack on AEW International Champion MJF.

Taking to his X account, Kidd decided to take shots at ‘The Salt of The Earth.’ The NJPW wrestler wrote that the former world champion could never touch him in the squared circle. A few minutes later, Kidd sent out another Tweet. He said that MJF never had a “real scrap”, and he challenged the AEW wrestler to come to Nottingham so that he could show how to fight. Check out the Tweets below:

It is unclear why Kidd decided to go after MJF and the latter is yet to respond.

Gabe Kidd has made a handful of appearances in AEW. He had joined forces with Roderick Strong and Kyle O’Reilly at last month’s AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door pay-per-view. Kidd is currently competing in the NJPW G1 Climax 34.

Meanwhile, MJF recently became the AEW International Champion. The 250th edition of AEW Dynamite emanated from Little Rock, Arkansas last week. Will Ospreay and MJF showcased a remarkable match that saw some back-and-forth action.

In the final moments of the match, ‘The Aerial Assassin’ tried to lift MJF for the Tiger Driver 91. However, he paused and was reluctant to hit the move. For those who are unaware, Ospreay had previously said that he retired the move.

MJF took advantage of the situation and shoved Ospreay into the referee. MJF went on to hit Ospreay with his Dynamite Diamond Ring and earned the pinfall victory to capture the title. During the match, Will Ospreay even used Styles Clash but that went in vain.

• AJ Styles Reacts To Will Ospreay Using His Move: “Why do you think it bothers me?”

MJF will bring his newly won AEW International Championship to CMLL on August 2, after what he has called an easy victory over former champion Will Ospreay. During the latest episode of CMLL, MJF was seen in a bathtub and spoke about his hour-long war during this week’s Dynamite.

MJF bragged that his showdown with Ospreay was the “easiest match of my life” and was proud that he, unlike Ospreay, had a killer instinct (referring to Ospreay hesitating to use the Tiger Driver 91.) MJF then confirmed that he will be defending the International Title against those “masked morons in Mexico” on August 2, at the Arena Mexico.

Despite calling it an easy victory, MJF required an oxygen mask after his 59:58 showdown with Ospreay, a match that saw more in-ring action than all of WWE RAW. Despite this, the AEW International Champion is firmly back to his heel roots and plans to show the world what kind of champion he is this August when he makes his debut for CMLL.

MJF was attacked by a fan at this week’s AEW Dynamite…granted, the “attacker” was only seven years old. As he and his opponent Will Ospreay brawled in the crowd, Ospreay prompted a young female fan to hit MJF, which prompted a middle finger in response.

The girl’s father proudly posted alternative angle of the ‘attack’ on social media:

MJF went on to win the match over Ospreay in the final seconds before the expiration of the 60-minute time limit. In doing so, MJF is the new AEW International Champion.

MJF Interacting w/Young Fans

This isn’t the first time that Maxwell has had a dust-up with young fans during his AEW matches. His now infamous ‘water throwing incident’ from AEW Revolution 2023 got him coverage on outlets such as TMZ. His decision to throw water in the face of a child at ringside led to AEW President Tony Khan having a “serious conversation” with MJF over conduct that he deemed unbecoming of the AEW World Champion.

“We had a serious conversation and I mean that. It’s not to be taken lightly. The young man, Titus, was a real pro about it. We’ll see Titus here again at AEW… I was just with him, and he was a real champ about it.

The champion [mjf] didn’t act like a champion there, but I think Titus was great.”

Check Out: AEW Dynamite 250 Results and AEW Dynamite 250 Video Highlights

The 250th episode of AEW Dynamite saw plenty of in-ring action and one more would surpass all the wrestling fans saw on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW.

The match in question saw MJF win the International Championship from Will Ospreay in a one-hour epic between the two talented wrestlers. This match not only ends Ospreay’s title reign at 52 days but marks MJF’s first championship since returning at AEW Double or Nothing 2024.

This one match from Dynamite had more wrestling than the entirety of Monday Night Raw, according to stats from Cagematch as pointed out by Drainmaker on Twitter. From bell to bell, the July 16, edition of RAW saw 48 minutes and 52 seconds of wrestling, over eleven minutes less than the MJF-Ospreay showdown.

AEW is often considered to be a more wrestling-centric promotion when compared to WWE, and stats like these suggest that to be the case. In total, the 250th episode of AEW Dynamite had 80 minutes and 50 seconds of bell-to-bell action, over half an hour more than WWE’s flagship show.

Related: Mariah May Explains Why Attack On Toni Storm On AEW Dynamite 250

MJF mocked England’s heartbreaking loss to Spain in Sunday’s UEFA EURO 2024 championship game.

The former AEW World Champion battles Will Ospreay for the International Championship this Wednesday on the 250th episode of AEW Dynamite. MJF is back in full-blown heel mode, and mocking English football fans after this loss to taunt Ospreay may be a new low for him.

Ospreay joined his countrymen in showing his support for England on social media.

After England’s defeat, MJF couldn’t help but use it as an opportunity to play mind games with the disappointed champion. He says Englishmen “can’t win when put under pressure” and simply aren’t equipped to be athletes. He and Ospreay have been exchanging personal attacks for several weeks, but this latest insult shows that Friedman will stop at nothing to antagonize his opponents.

Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite 250th episode celebration will feature Will Ospreay vs. MJF, Swerve Strickland vs. Kazuchika Okada, Mercedes Mone vs. Nyla Rose and fallout from Mariah May’s attack on Toni Storm at the end of last week.

All Elite Wrestling isn’t holding back with their 250th episode of Dynamite with a stacked card already announced for the July 17, show.

Close to five years after the first episode of Dynamite in October 2019, AEW will celebrate its milestone figure next week from the Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock, Arkansas. The crowd will not only get to watch the 250th episode of Dynamite, but AEW will also tape the July 19, edition of Rampage at the show.

MJF Vs. Will Ospreay

On the July 10, edition of Dynamite, MJF, fresh off last week’s heel turn, had some verbal barbs for Will Ospreay. MJF belittled the “flippy guy” and said he’s seen countless wrestlers like Ospreay come and go throughout his career. MJF then announced his plans to challenge Ospreay for the AEW International Title next week. Ospreay, who was in the ring, accepted the challenge.

Swerve Strickland Vs. Kazuchika Okada

It will be champion vs. champion next week when AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland faces AEW Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada. Strickland appeared following Bryan Danielson’s victory in the Owen Hart Men’s Tournament and spoke about his challenger for AEW All In.

Strickland also revealed that he will be on Team AEW against the Elite for the upcoming Blood & Guts match. Strickland ended his promo by challenging Okada for a match for Dynamite 250 that has been made official, and added that All In will be Bryan Danielson’s ‘final countdown.’

Mercedes Mone In Action

At Forbidden Door, Mercedes Mone became a double champion and the CEO is ready to take on (almost) all comers. On Twitter, Mone said that she will defend her titles in an open challenge on AEW Dynamite 250. This challenge can be accepted by anyone, with the exception of Britt Baker.

This week’s AEW Dynamite from Chicago, IL went out with a bang, as MJF revealed his true colors, proving that his recent positive streak was a carefully crafted illusion. The night’s main event saw Will Ospreay successfully retain his International Championship against Daniel Garcia in a hard-fought match.

Post-match, MJF entered the ring, initially appearing supportive of Garcia. He raised Garcia’s hand and embraced him, seemingly showing respect for his effort. However, this facade quickly crumbled as MJF suddenly delivered a vicious low blow to Garcia. What followed was a brutal assault that left Garcia bloodied and battered.

MJF’s attack escalated, targeting anyone who tried to intervene, including security personnel. The violence peaked when MJF executed a devastating piledriver on Garcia, necessitating medical attention and a stretcher job.

Ospreay attempted to come to Garcia’s aid, but MJF had already made his exit through the crowd, even engaging in heated exchanges with fans along the way.

This unexpected betrayal cements MJF’s position as one of AEW’s top heels, shattering any notions of a genuine face turn. The dramatic attack sets the stage for intense storylines in the months ahead as AEW marches towards Blood and Guts on July 24 and All in: London on August 25.

MJF will kick off AEW Collision this Saturday, July 6 on TNT from Southaven, MS. We can be sure he’ll have plenty to say about his ‘new’ attitude.

Watch: Daniel Garcia finally gets a chance at AEW International Champ Will Ospreay:

It was not only fight night for MJF at AEW Forbidden Door but it was hockey night too as he tipped the cap to a certain NHL team.

MJF started off AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door in his booked match against Hechicero and “The Wolf” ended up getting the victory against the CMLL star.

Being in Long Island, MJF was in full babyface mode as he was decked out in New York Islanders gear and took a moment to crowd surf with his people, His match was made all the more memorable for him as he and Hechicero kicked off the PPV. MJF ended up securing the victory with a brainbuster.

RELATED: MJF picks up big win at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door

From a storyline perspective, MJF has been a busy man since making his return at AEW Double Or Nothing. Despite his heelish demeanor, MJF has been a babyface scorned by the enemies of his past, but hasn’t been afraid to speak his mind against anyone and everyone.

Just this past Wednesday on AEW Dynamite, he and Daniel Garcia seemingly furthered a friendship with what seemed to culminate in a match at All In between the two, but Will Ospreay big-timed Max. Ospreay decided to offer Garcia a shot at his AEW International gold next week during Summer Break 3. Not only that, but Will was so confident in the outcome at Forbidden Door that ‘Billy Goat’ offered Daniel a World Title shot too once he defeated Swerve Strickland at Forbidden Door. This seemingly set up tension between MJF and Ospreay, potentially foreshadowing that they may be the two to have a match with one another at Wembley Stadium.

Many fans may feel that Max’s match at Forbidden Door against Hechicero felt underwhelming in the build because it was suddenly thrown together without any story behind it. Hechicero just recently turned heel as he joined up with Brian Cage and The Gates of Agony.

RELATED: MJF: ‘Brodie Lee Gave Me A Message After His Passing’

MJF has claimed that he was able to speak with the late Brodie Lee via a medium, after the former AEW TNT Champion’s sudden passing.

Lee, real name Jon Huber, passed away in December 2020 at the age of 41. Lee’s final match would take place in October of that year, where he lost the TNT title to Cody Rhodes. Lee’s cause of death was ruled as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis; a rare illness that thickens and stiffens tissue in the lungs.

• Tony Khan: ‘Brodie Lee is a first-ballot AEW Hall of Famer’

MJF Speaks With Brodie Lee

Over three years after his passing, Lee’s legacy stands strong in AEW and he is remembered fondly by fans and talent alike. Speaking about Lee this week, MJF shared that he initially visited a medium to speak to his grandfather who had passed close to when Lee died.

“Before I left, they said… ‘Whoa, there’s this big individual that has just walked into the room, he’s got a big scraggly beard, and he said he needs you to send a message to his wife.’ and I’m like, who the hell is this? The medium looks at me and goes, ‘his wife’s name is Amanda. Amanda Huber.'”

MJF was “freaked out” by the medium’s comments, and this feeling continued as the medium spoke in the manner and cadence MJF associated with Lee. The conversation ended with Lee sharing a message to MJF to pass on to his widow Amanda.

“I walk up to Amanda at TV the next week, and I tell her this insane story. Her eyes start welling up because she was searching for this message. She had got her answer that day. So even in the afterlife, Brody really loved and cared about his wife and kids.”

.@The_MJF takes a special opportunity to talk about Brodie Lee and the #BrodieLeeLegacy to celebrate the @Champssport @Reebok Classic Leather Sneakers exclusively on https://t.co/Z3qwx7NTkr on July 1st! pic.twitter.com/2Py26ujHZA

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 29, 2024

Brodie Lee evidently had a profound effect on those who knew him and MJF is just one of many to have been impacted by Lee and the legacy of the late wrestler. To this day, Lee’s influence carries on, with AEW & Reebok teaming up to create new footwear based on the star.

Pro wrestlers rely on their bodies to make a living, and keeping in peak shape is a priority for a majority of them. MJF recently showed off his physical transformation, and it’s quite impressive. 

MJF has worked hard to reach the top of the pro wrestling world. His impressive physique is the result of his dedication, but he didn’t achieve it alone.

He recently posted a before-and-after photo on Instagram, showcasing his progress. In the post, he credited Adam Pfau, a personal fitness coach, for helping him achieve his current look.

https://www.instagram.com/p/p:C7p6g5Euioz

Double or Nothing Return & Nixed Plans

MJF returned to AEW at Double or Nothing, ending his hiatus since losing the AEW World Title to Samoa Joe at Worlds End. During his return, he also revealed a new tattoo, signifying that he re-signed with AEW and bet on himself.

Although MJF missed the Dynamite episode following Double or Nothing, he is set to appear on next week’s show. Fans are eager to see what the former AEW World Champion will say and who he will face next.

Adam Cole’s injury forced AEW to alter plans for him and MJF. A match was planned for 2023 but did not happen. While the timing of their face-off remains unclear, Cole’s involvement in MJF’s return segment is promising.

The end of MJF’s AEW World Championship reign could have been much different had injuries not derailed the promotion’s initial plans. 

MJF’s record-breaking reign came to an end at AEW Worlds End in December 2023 at the hands of Samoa Joe. The night went from bad to worse for the ‘Scumbag’ of AEW as after the match he was attacked by the Devil’s henchman, revealed to be Wardlow, Matt Taven, Mike Bennett, and Roderick Stong. The Devil was revealed to be Adam Cole who due to his leg injury did not get physical on the night. 

• Adam Cole & More React to The Devil Reveal at AEW Worlds End

MJF and Adam Cole

There had been plans for Cole and MJF to wrestle each other in late 2023, Fightful Select reports, with the reveal of the Devil obviously planned to happen earlier than it did. Cole had even been considered for a possible title victory over MJF but that did not happen due to his injury. The two did face off in the main event of AEW All In inside Wembley Stadium in a match where MJF retained. 

A Future Match? 

At AEW Double or Nothing 2024, MJF returned to TV and confronted Cole with both men getting physical in their segment. While this led many to speculate that a match would be happening soon, Fightful reports that a match is far from a reality. Cole is “not near” an in-ring return and all those involved wanted a way to blow the feud and turn off in the meantime until that can happen.

The creative plans shared with those in AEW are said to be “out of left field” but they are confident things will work out very well. At Double or Nothing, MJF made clear he’s staying with AEW and has cemented his status with the company with a tattoo. 

MJF is back in the wrestling business and he put all of the AEW on watch.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman made his return to the company at Double Or Nothing this past Sunday in Las Vegas and had some choice words for fans, including addressing his contract status.

MJF made it perfectly clear that he should be known as ‘The Wolf Of Wrestling’ and much like Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf Of Wall Street, he “ain’t f***ing leaving!”

Sure enough, right after Double Or Nothing ended, AEW’s merchandise department made the most of that moniker and quote by putting it on a tee shirt.

AEW promoted the shirt on socials and MJF reposted it on his own account. The tee does reflect the font of The Wolf Of Wall Street movie poster.

• MJF Wants Everyone To ‘Grab Some Chapstick’ Following AEW Return

THE WOLF OF WRESTLING. Get @The_MJF’s NEW shirt that just arrived at @ShopAEW! #AEWDoNhttps://t.co/cOrdoW07D0 pic.twitter.com/fAuOY1Kmjf

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) May 27, 2024

MJF shocked Las Vegas by showing up, dressed up in the 2002 street garb of Triple H and hitting Adam Cole with a massive brainbuster. Friedman got on the mic, disparaged his former comrade Cole and also revealed a new tattoo on his ankle. The new ink is an AEW poker chip that has the text of “bet on yourself.”

The former AEW World Champion has been off programming since dropping the gold to Samoa Joe at December’s World’s End PPV. Despite never getting a rematch for his previous hardware, current AEW World Champ Swerve Strickland said that MJF has to earn his shot to enter his “house.” Strickland happened to successfully defend his title against Christian Cage in one of the three main events.

MJF is back in AEW. He’s got a new look, a new tattoo, but not a new attitude. 

The former AEW World Champion made his surprise return at Double Or Nothing in Las Vegas, taking out a promo-cutting Adam Cole with a brainbuster. He demeaned his former best friend and then called out the locker room for needing a New Japan or a Vince McMahon. MJF then made it clear that he’s the new Wolf Of Wrestling and that he “Ain’t f***ing leaving” AEW

Max was far from done with the coarse discourse as he took to social media to make it known he’s been a factor for the five years of AEW.

• MJF Paid Tribute to Triple H at Double or Nothing

“Y’all were gagging on it with a smile on your face for 5 years straight, then pretended you didn’t like the taste? If I were you I’d grab some chapstick cuz I’m about to take over the game you love, AGAIN. #BetterThanYou”

Y’all were gagging on it with a smile on your face for 5 years straight, then pretended you didn’t like the taste?

If I were you I’d grab some chapstick cuz I’m about to take over the game you love, AGAIN. #Betterthanyou

— Maxwell Jacob Friedman™️ (@The_MJF) May 27, 2024

Fans haven’t seen MJF since AEW’s World’s End PPV at the end of December as he’s been recovering from injury. Max lost to Samoa Joe at that PPV and it was pretty evident that Friedman inked a new deal with AEW despite a storyline trying to create suspicion.

Speaking of ink, MJF also revealed that he got a new tattoo to further hammer home that he’s AEW-committed. During his return promo, Max made the cameraman zoom in to see a classic style tattoo on his ankle of an AEW poker chip with the words, “Bet On Yourself.”

MJF made an explosive return to AEW TV at AEW Double or Nothing, and he paid tribute to Triple H while doing so.

What’s interesting about the return is that the Salt of the Earth was wearing a jacket that looked very similar to one that Triple H wore when he returned back to the company after a while in 2002.

No way. Max in the HHH return jacket. @The_MJF is back! pic.twitter.com/OBOMk5gUuW

— Sam Roberts (@notsam) May 27, 2024

Back in May 2001, Triple H suffered a career-threatening injury. On an episode of Raw Is War, Triple H and Steve Austin were defending the WWF Tag Team Championship against Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit. When Jericho applied the Walls of Jericho move to Austin, Triple H ran towards them to break it up, but he suffered a tear in his left quadriceps muscle. This injury caused The Game to be sidelined for eight months, and he even missed the iconic Invasion storyline because of it.

• How Did MJF’s Return At AEW Double or Nothing 2024 Come About?

The Cerebral Assassin then made his return to Raw in January 2002 in Madison Square Garden. During his return, he wore a denim jacket, which became an iconic symbol marking Triple H’s return. Triple H then went on to win the Royal Rumble that year and even won the Undisputed WWF Championship.

Quite similar to Triple H, MJF was also away from the ring for quite some time. He was last seen in the ring defending the AEW World Title in a losing attempt to Samoa Joe at AEW Worlds End. The event took place on December 30, 2023. Sporting a similar jacket to Triple H, MJF signalled to audiences that his era is upon AEW, and he is here to stay. It remains to be seen what trajectory his career takes from here.

There were also some rumors swirling that the former AEW World Champion is bound for WWE, however these rumors were laid to rest for good after the return. In fact, he made his contract status with AEW very clear by showing off a tattoo of the company’s logo on his ankle. You can read more about how the return took place here.