Maxwell Jacob Friedman, known in All Elite Wrestling as MJF, is one of the most popular stars in all of professional wrestling today.
He has been making the media rounds after winning the Casino Ladder match at AEW All Out. MJF now has a title shot at a time and place of his choosing. MJF watched from the crowd as Jon Moxley defeated Bryan Danielson in the main event of Dynamite: Grand Slam to capture the AEW World Championship.
The 26-year-old spoke with Kevin Clancy (KFC) of Barstool Sports on KFC Radio recently. KFC noted that he fell off as a wrestling fan after the Attitude Era but credited MJF for getting him to watch it again.
“Because I am attitude. This is what I like to tell people, I think the Attitude Era was the best era of professional wrestling until right now because right now has me. And I say that with love and respect, and I say it humbly.
I genuinely feel I’m the most exciting thing to happen in professional wrestling in over a decade. Everyone in my industry, they all want to just tiptoe around the line. If this is the line, I don’t just step over it, I’ll f***ing jump over it.
Because what people want is somebody who is honest, open, not afraid to speak their mind and that is me to a T. I’m not fake, I’m not phony, I’m as real as it gets. I think now more than ever that is what professional wrestling needs and I think that is what All Elite Wrestling brings to the table.” [5:23- 06:06]
Please credit KFC Radio with a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.
Posted September 27th, 2022 in AEW, News. Tagged: MJF.
Maxwell Jacob Friedman is making big money as part of his renegotiated contract with All Elite Wrestling. MJF has been with AEW since it was founded in 2019 and was not widely known prior to joining Tony Khan’s promotion. As a result, he wasn’t earning the same level of money that world famous stars like Chris Jericho and John Moxley were able to command.
The 26-year-old from Plainview, Long Island has proven himself to be an exceptional talent whose mic skills put him in an elite class of all-time great talkers such as Roddy Piper and Paul Heyman. He’s one of the hottest acts in all of professional wrestling, but wasn’t making main event caliber money until recently. All the while, he watched Tony Khan open the vault to sign people like CM Punk, Bryan Danielson and Adam Cole to lucrative deals.
MJF recently appeared on The MMA Hour podcast to promote AEW Grand Slam. During his discussion with host Ariel Helwani, MJF revealed that he recently sat down with Tony Khan and they hashed out a revised agreement that he’s very satisfied with.
How Much Does MJF Make?
MJF boasted to Ariel Helwani that he was able to get Khan to give him a huge raise without having to extend the time frame of his current contract. He’s set to become a free agent on January 1, 2024, a date that will kick off the Bidding War of 2024.
He intends to let his contract lapse, enter free agency and then let AEW and WWE duke it out to secure his services. He’s sure to score a blockbuster deal at that time, but won’t have to wait until 2024 to become a millionaire.
MJF is now one of the highest paid stars in AEW and makes seven figures, according to the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The Observer had this to say about MJF’s new deal with AEW:
Based on things we heard, it’s was more than $1 million per year.
Only a few people in the industry make over a million dollars per year and MJF is almost certainly the youngest person on this short list. It is rare for a wrestler to re-negotiate their contract mid-way through its term. However, as MJF will tell you, he’s a generational talent.
Posted September 23rd, 2022 in AEW, News. Tagged: MJF.
Maxwell Jacob Friedman has quickly become one of All Elite Wrestling’s most popular stars and made the media rounds to promote AEW Grand Slam. He stopped by Barstool Sports for an interview on Wrasslin’ and appeared on Barstool’s Answer The Internet.
After his “pipebomb” promo on the Dynamite after Double or Nothing, MJF went missing from AEW television for months. The 26-year-old returned at All Out to win the Casino Ladder match and had a stare-down with former AEW Champion CM Punk. MJF has a guaranteed title match at a time and place of his choosing.
He appeared on Barstool Sports’ Answer The Internet and answered questions on a wide variety of topics.
Which celebrity would MJF most like to see in a sex tape?
“My brain immediately goes to a grotesque place because I can look at any woman naked if I want to now. God invented the internet. So I think I’d want to see someone like gross and fat. I want to see Oprah. That would be rad.“
Would you rather have your porn search history shared with your Twitter followers or your parents?
“Dude, post it on Twitter, I don’t give a sh*t. I don’t talk to my parents. They f***ing suck.“
Should you lock a dog out of the room when you’re having sex?
“So I have a cat, love my cat. The cat’s name is Piper. When it’s go time, when it is time for the fiancé to hop on the maximum ride, love Piper to death but Piper is going out the door. Because it gets loud, it gets sweaty, and it’s not a safe environment for any pet.”
Who is the hottest celebrity you’d have a chance with if they got to know you?
“Sadie Sink. There’s something about Sadie Sink. And maybe it is because I got like a redhead thing, but there is SOMETHING.“
Kevin Clancy (KFC) of Barstool wondered if Sadie would like MJF if she met her and the AEW star joked “Stranger Things have happened”. Sadie Sink plays Max in the massively popular Netflix show Stranger Things.
Please credit Barstool Sports with a H/T to SEScoops if you use quotes from this video.
You can check out all of MJF’s NSFW responses in the video below.
Last night’s AEW Grand Slam Dynamite saw Jon Moxley capture his third-world title under the AEW banner, a definite departure from the company’s original booking plans following a number of issues with former champion, CM Punk.
The Second City Saint broke his foot shortly after winning the world title from Adam Page at May’s Double or Nothing pay-per-view, which was going to kickstart a renewed Summer of Punk, and would have seen him walk into ALL OUT 2022 holding the top prize. While Punk managed to reclaim the gold at ALL OUT from Moxley, the original booking plan would have seen him face one of his most recent rivals.
CM Punk vs. MJF III Was Originally Going To Headline ALL OUT 2022
According to Dave Meltzer from the Wrestling Observer, Punk was originally going to be defending the AEW world title against MJF. This would have been the two top stars third meeting, with each holding a victory over the other. MJF handed Punk his first loss on Dynamite thanks to an assist from Wardlow. Punk would get his revenge at Revolution in a critically acclaimed Dog-Collar matchup.
It was not specified in the report whether MJF’s temporary hiatus would have played out the way it did on television. MJF has since won the Casino Ladder Match, and has the right to challenge for the AEW world title whenever he pleases.
MJF made his presence felt throughout the show tonight during AEW Dynamite Grand Slam.
Former ROH Pure Champion Wheeler Yuta was set to be interviewed by Tony Schiavone but Maxwell immediately interrupted. The Casino Ladder match winner did a Ric Flair strut as the crowd in Arthur Ashe popped.
MJF verbally beat Wheeler down and insulted Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley ahead of their title match. Maxwell brought up William Regal’s addiction issues and got a slap to the face from Wheeler Yuta. MJF delivered a headbutt to Yuta and then shoved poor Tony Shiavone to the floor.
Yuta attacked MJF but The Firm’s W. Morrissey (FKA as Big Cass in WWE) grabbed Yuta from behind. AEW security then showed up and separated everyone to end the segment. MJF then watched from the crowd as Jon Moxley defeated Bryan Danielson to become the AEW Champion. Maxwell earned a future title shot at a time of his choosing by winning the Casino Ladder match at AEW All Out earlier this month.
MJF Thanks His ‘Devil Worshippers’ After AEW Grand Slam
Maxwell took to Twitter after Dynamite Grand Slam went off the air to put himself over some more. The 26-year-old said that his “Devil worshippers” were out in full force tonight and noted how cool he is.
“My Devil worshippers were out in full force tonight with their pitch forks in hand. God I’m freaking cool.”
My Devil worshippers were out in full force tonight with their pitch forks in hand.
The Firm Helps MJF Win The Casino Ladder Match At All Out
The Casino Ladder match kicked off AEW All Out and the match ended in a bizarre fashion. A bunch of masked individuals rushed to the ring and attacked the participants. It was then revealed to be Stokely Hathaway’s stable, The Firm, and they retrieved the chip suspended above the ring.
A man in a devil’s mask then entered the match as The Joker (the final & mystery participant in the Casino Ladder match). Stokely handed the chip to the masked man and they exited the ring.
After CM Punk defeated Jon Moxley, it was revealed that MJF was the man in the devil’s mask and he had a stare-down with the former champion to close the PPV. MJF and Jon Moxley have shared some harsh words in recent weeks and it will be interesting to see when Maxwell chooses to have his title match.
MJF returned to All Elite Wrestling at All Out on September 4th. Stokely Hathaway and The Firm attacked during the Casino Ladder match and a man in a devil’s mask entered as The Joker. The masked man grabbed the chip to ensure a future shot at the AEW Championship.
Following CM Punk capturing the AEW Championship from Jon Moxley in the main event, MJF appeared on the entrance ramp. Maxwell and CM Punk had a stare-down as All Out went off the air. Punk and MJF had an incredible rivalry and AEW fans were looking forward to revisiting it with the AEW Championship on the line.
Unfortunately, CM Punk was injured during the match and also was involved in a brawl with The Elite following his rant at the media scrum. MJF has traded words with Jon Moxley in recent weeks. Jon will battle Bryan Danielson this Wednesday night at Dynamite Grand Slam to determine the new AEW Champion.
MJF On The Media Scrum Brawl, His Rivalry With CM Punk
Speaking with Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour, Maxwell noted that he cannot comment on the press conference but said that the company is in a great place right now and backed it up with numbers.
“It doesn’t apply to me, it doesn’t concern me. I’ll tell you why and I’m going to use numbers. Because numbers don’t lie, numbers are facts and facts don’t care about feelings. When MJF goes out there, I pop a huge number. We just killed it in the ratings for the second week in a row. And again, if people leave, come, go, stay, people are going to step up to the plate.
We’ve got massive stars in our company, so I am not concerned in the least. I’m not going to comment on what was said because it doesn’t apply to me. But what I will say is our company, numbers don’t lie, our company is great right now. We’re about to have an incredible show at Arthur Ashe.”
Ariel then asked if All Elite Wrestling needs CM Punk and MJF decline to comment MJF added that his feud with CM Punk will go down as one of the greatest of all time.
“No comment. What I will say is that me and CM Punk had the greatest feud in the history of the company. And I do honestly think it will go down as one of the greatest feuds of all time.” [07:09 – 07:20]
MJF on his rivalry with CM Punk
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit MMA Hour with a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.
Maxwell Jacob Friedman, known as MJF in AEW, joined Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour today.
He discussed several topics, including getting paid more money by Tony Khan without having to sign an extension. MJF was asked about The American Nightmare Cody Rhodes and his departure from All Elite Wrestling earlier this year. Cody was one of the original EVPs of the company but jumped to WWE at WrestleMania 38.
The American Nightmare was revealed to be Seth Rollins opponent at WrestleMania and went on to defeat him three times before tearing his pectoral muscle before WWE Hell in a Cell.
Max said that Cody Rhodes is a businessman just like himself and did what he had to do. The 26-year-old called the tribalism within fans nowadays “cute” before bringing up Terry Funk. He said that Terry traveled from territory to territory throughout his career because he was a draw like MJF.
Ariel asked MJF about how the AEW locker room responded to Cody exiting the company and he said that Cody leaving gave opportunities to other stars on the roster.
“I think honesty favorably, not favorably in the sense like ‘yay Cody’s gone!’ but favorable in the sense that we are all professional wrestlers and what happens when somebody leaves is it opens room for opportunity for another person to step up to the plate. And you know, that is wrestling.
Wrestling is cyclical, it is like a wheel. As somebody who has the highest wrestling IQ in the history of this business, I can tell you when big names leave big names step up. That is just how this business works and that is a fact.
So again, I think people who were friends with Cody were sad to see him go on a personal level. But this is a very competitive sport. People want that spotlight and people stepped up to the plate.” [11:52 – 12:37]
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit MMA Hour and give a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.
AEW star Maxwell Jacob Friedman is happy to be back on TV with the promotion, as long as company President Tony Khan keeps paying him the big bucks.
MJF returned to AEW at All Out, winning the Casino Ladder Match as the Joker, earning an AEW World Championship opportunity.
Prior to this, MJF hadn’t been seen since the June 1, AEW Dynamite, where he cut a scathing worked-shoot promo on Tony Khan, daring Khan to fire him.
A New Deal
MJF has never shied away from teasing leaving AEW, even claiming during last week’s Dynamite that he could take the AEW World Championship to WWE.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani, MJF announced that he has a new deal with the promotion, one that is seeing him be paid more.
“I’m making a stupid, absurd amount of money now, and I didn’t have to sign a contract extension.”
MJF.
MJF had reportedly been against signing any new deal with the company which would have extended his current contract, which is set to expire on January 1, 2024.
Despite blasting Khan as a “f***ing mark” during his June 1, promo, MJF now says he loves the AEW President thanks to the new deal, but says he has Khan “by the balls.”
Double or Nothing
Before his three-month hiatus from programming, a lot had been said about MJF’s antics before May’s Double or Nothing Pay Per View.
Prior to the event, MJF had no-showed a fan appearance, and had not been responding to attempts to contact him by AEW management.
The self-professed ‘Salt of the Earth’ claimed that during his three months away, he vacationed across Greece with his girlfriend (now fiancee.)
MJF claimed that he told Khan “pay up or daddy doesn’t show up.”
Leaving AEW
MJF is pretty pleased with himself, and his new deal with AEW, but he may still leave when the time is right.
Speaking about the January 1, 2024, expiration date on his contract, MJF said that “the devil goes to the highest bidder.”
MJF reiterated later in the interview that his loyalty is to who will pay him the most in 15 months’ time.
“A lot of people think I’m leaning towards one place or the other. All I’m leaning towards is money. That’s all I live and die by. I go where the money is at. Whoever is going to offer me the most amount of money, that’s where I’m going to do. It’s that simple.”
AEW
MJF may still have one foot out of AEW (or at least wants people to believe that) but he did have some rare kind words for the promotion.
MJF put over some of AEW’s top stars, while still considering himself the brightest star of them all.
“[AEW] has a lot of great stars. Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson, Chris Jericho, Brody King. But if we’re being honest with ourselves, the show had a big gigantic void, and I was that void.”
MJF.
When asked, MJF said he could not discuss the current situation with CM Punk, who is serving a suspension and could be fired for his actions following All Out.
Maxwell Jacob Friedman, known to the wrestling world as MJF, has responded to a fan accusing him of playing a character in All Elite Wrestling.
MJF made his shocking return to the promotion at AEW All Out on September 4th. During the Casino Ladder Match, a group of masked men rushed the ring and attacked the participants. It was revealed to be Stokely Hathaway and “The Firm” faction (W. Morrissey, Lee Moriarty, Gunn Club, Ethan Page) working for MJF.
He came down to the ring in a devil’s mask to retrieve the chip guaranteeing a future title shot at the end of the match. MJF would go on to interrupt CM Punk’s victory celebration after his match with Jon Moxley at All Out. It was MJF’s first appearance since his legendary promo at The Forum on the Dynamite after Double or Nothing.
Time will tell if it was CM Punk’s final appearance in the company, as he suffered an injury during the match and brawled with The Elite during the All Out media scrum. CM Punk and The Elite have since been stripped of the AEW and Trios Championships.
MJF recently got engaged to his longtime girlfriend and shared the news on social media.
A wrestling fan responded to the news and claimed that it was “killing” MJF’s character. He brought up Sammy Guevara’s short-lived engagement that aired on the August 18, 2021 edition of Dynamite. The fan closed his tweet by misspelling Jamie Hayter’s name. Maxwell responded to the fan and pointed out the irony of his occupation being a lifestyle coach.
“Hey Joey. I don’t play a character. Never have. I’m MJF 24/7. MJF has a fiancé now. I see you’re a life coach. Pretty ballsy move considering you don’t have a life of your own. F*** off and die. Respectfully, Maxwell Jacob Friedman.”
Hey Joey. I don’t play a character. Never have. I’m MJF 24/7. MJF has a fiancé now. I see you’re a life coach. Pretty ballsy move considering you don’t have a life of your own.
Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley will collide this Wednesday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium for the vacant AEW World Heavyweight Championship. And with that, Tony Khan has a big decision to make.
Not just because he’s crowning a new world champion. There’s more. Khan needs to add legitimacy back to a title which has seen very little stability in 2022 due to multiple injuries and a backstage brawl. This after the first three years of the company were spent with long championship reigns, each title switch coming with great fanfare.
Just look at the length of every AEW World Championship reign prior to CM Punk’s victory at Double or Nothing: Chris Jericho (182 days), Jon Moxley (277 days), Kenny Omega (346 days), and Adam Page (197 days).
In addition to solidifying the title’s credibility once more, the new champion will also play an important role in passing the baton to the next major star for the promotion — everyone assumes that MJF is the champion-in-waiting. But even with MJF hovering in the shadows, the new champion crowned on Wednesday night needs to be more than a transitional champion.
The champion-to-be will be adding stability back to a main event scene that has seen too much fluidity over the summer. And with that, there could be no better choices than Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson.
But who on earth do you put over here? Both choices certainly have a lot of positives to them, leading to a lot of unpredictability heading into Wednesday’s broadcast. That’s what will make this such an interesting viewing experience.
That and the fact that Moxley and Danielson are two of the absolute best in the world right now and are sure to tear the house down.
(via AEW)
Jon Moxley as AEW Champion Again?
Moxley has been the hottest singles star in AEW for the last several months. He was a fantastic interim champion given the circumstances, and you almost hated to see him lose the title at All Out. However, the way the match was setup (with the quick victory over Punk on Dynamite) and with the PPV in Punk’s hometown, it was a move they had to make at the time. Really, it was the only logical result.
Of course, nobody could have foreseen what was about to happen backstage, nor could we predict that Punk would injure his left triceps and be out of action once again, this time for at least six months, after the match. Either way, the title was going to be vacated once again.
Now, you could move the title back to Moxley and make him AEW’s first three-time world champion. Nobody would have a problem with it given how great he’s been of late; well, except maybe Moxley since he was supposed to be going on vacation prior to the backstage fight in Chicago. But I digress…
AEW has clearly been setting up Moxley vs. MJF on television, and most expect that match to occur at Full Gear. Are they telegraphing the winner of the tournament in doing so?
Well, maybe not. Perhaps that will end up being a non-title match and you delay MJF using his “chip” for further down the line. Or maybe it comes sooner, more on that in a second.
If Moxley and MJF was for the title at Full Gear, you’ve got to figure that MJF wins. Do you want Moxley to have another short title reign? That’s a tough decision.
Bryan Danielson as AEW Champion for the First Time?
Danielson has become a living legend. It has become a near-indisputable fact that the American Dragon is one of the top ten in-ring workers of all time. The large majority of fans and his fellow wrestlers themselves seem to share this opinion, including Moxley who has stated on numerous occasions that he believes Bryan to be the greatest ever.
There’s no denying that Danielson holding the AEW World Championship would be well-deserved and a great moment. Similar to Moxley, you would hate for it to be in only a transitional spot, with a possible championship loss to MJF at Full Gear.
If Bryan captures the title and they do Moxley/MJF in a non-title situation at Full Gear, you give Bryan a six month or so run as champion, with an eventual loss to MJF at Revolution. Or you could do it earlier at Winter Is Coming in December, giving him a three month run; not great but better than the less than two month scenario that a loss at Full Gear would be.
There is risk in this scenario, though. As pointed out earlier, the AEW title has become a hot potato in recent months due to outside events. Bryan has already suffered an injury this year that kept him out of action for a significant period of time; you’d hate to see AEW lose their world champion once again for an extended period. And if it were to happen, please oh please, no interim champion this time.
While it is a risk, a Bryan title run would solidify the title again by putting the belt around the waist of arguably the most-respected performer of his generation. Yes, there’s inherit risk. But to me, the reward outweighs the risk.
Then again, there’s one more possibility…
MJF Walks Out of AEW Dynamite Grand Slam the World Champion
There’s a distinct possibility that MJF could walk out the world champion this Wednesday night. Don’t underestimate the shock value factor here as AEW could look to do something that could shock the audience, giving them some much-needed momentum after most in the industry feel WWE has seized the moment recently. This is the option that would make for the flashiest headlines, by far.
Plus, putting the title on your hottest young star could hardly be seen as a bad thing. And an MJF reign would almost certainly be lengthy, stabilizing the title once again, one of the most important aspects for the next champion.
So how does it happen? MJF could add himself to the match early in the show, informing the audience he’s cashing in “the chip” and making it a triple threat on short notice. In a triple threat scenario, he could defeat Bryan in order to build intrigue to a match with Moxley (“you never beat me”).
MJF could also pull a WWE Money In The Bank style moment by using his title shot immediately after the main event. Either way works, but one scenario avoids yet another short-term title change.
Either way, Tony Khan has a big decision to make. With television contract negotiations looming next year, the impact of how Wednesday night turns out could be felt for a very long time. It has the possibility of leading to some very hot television for the next several months at a time when the company very much needs it.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments or give me a shout on Twitter @ryandroste.
More from Ryan: Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news. Apple – Spotify – YouTube.
It’s not uncommon for AEW and WWE stars to reference each other in various ways. However, two of them have decided to go a step further and engage in a verbal battle directly.
It started when Sheamus shared a spoof of the PWI Top 500 List. The list titled Pro Wrestling Banger Index 2022 had his own name repeated several times in the top spots.
This led to an exchange between The Celtic Warrior and Happy Corbin. In one of his replies, the former world champion told Corbin that ‘real heels wear scarfs.’ AEW star MJF took notice of this tweet and replied with ‘sad.’
MJF Fires Back At Sheamus
When Sheamus tweeted out a Conor McGregor GIF asking who Maxwell was, he fired back at the WWE star. The AEW talent said that the former WWE champion has been handed the ball multiple times and fell:
“The guy you alluded to. Stop now or I’m gonna devour you. You can rock 6-inch lifts and play top guy, but you’ve been handed the ball multiple times and fell. I’m glad you’re having a resurgence and finally figured out how to get over. It only took you a decade. Took me 1 day.”
The guy you alluded to. Stop now or I’m gonna devour you. You can rock 6 inch lifts and play top guy, but you’ve been handed the ball multiple times and fell.
I’m glad you’re having a resurgence and finally figured out how to get over. It only took you a decade.
This Twitter war between the two wrestling stars has continued with Sheamus claiming that he was talking about Chris Jericho and MJF replying to these claims.
While a confrontation between the two is unlikely to happen anytime soon, the war of words shows that the tensions between the two sides will continue to pick up in coming times.
On last night’s episode of Dynamite, MJF revealed that Stokely Hathaway’s stable is called “The Firm” and they will help him out when needed. MJF kept insulting the fans but they wouldn’t stop cheering his name. Maxwell responded to Moxley’s promo from last week and claimed that he was one demon that Jon cannot slay.
Stokely, W. Morrissey, Gunn Club, and Lee Moriarty all interfered in the Casino Ladder match. A masked man then marched down the entrance ramp as The Joker entrant, climbed the ladder, and captured the chip suspended above the ring that guarantees a future title shot. MJF was later to be revealed to the man under the mask.
After the AEW Championship was vacated following the media scrum brawl after All Out, Tony Khan announced the Tournament of Champions. Jon Moxley will battle Bryan Danielson in the finals of the tournament to determine the new AEW Champion at Dynamite Grand Slam next week at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Posted September 15th, 2022 in AEW, News. Tagged: MJF.
MJF has hit back at ex-WWE referee Jimmy Korderas for his recent comments about All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and their promos mentioning WWE.
Recently, Korderas took to his latest “ReffinRant” on Twitter and discussed MJF’s promo on AEW Dynamite after All Out.
During the promo, MJF made several references to WWE, indicating he’d win the AEW World Title and take it to a “real” wrestling company – referencing WWE.
He also made a mention of Triple H, calling him his favorite wrestler, and teased following his good friend Cody Rhodes. Korderas took issue with this, suggesting AEW and their stars shouldn’t mention WWE so frequently in their promos.
MJF isn’t the only AEW star to reference WWE stars in promos on AEW TV. Even the likes of CM Punk has done so.
However, Korderas noted that AEW is making mistakes similar to that of WCW, who ultimately folded and went out of business.
Now, MJF has taken to social media to respond to Korderas’ comments. It’s safe to say he doesn’t agree with the ex-WWE referee’s opinion.
Former Referee jimmy Korderas try’s to tell greatest promo of all time MJF how to do his job.
Former bell times keeper Herbert ponzarelli try’s to tell MJF how to do a headlock
With his victory in the Casino Ladder match as The Joker, MJF now has a guaranteed shot at the AEW World Title. He’ll likely wait to use it until after the current AEW World Title tournament has concluded.
Posted September 14th, 2022 in AEW, News. Tagged: MJF.
In the early days of AEW, there was conversation around the company’s so-called Four Pillars: MJF, Darby Allin, Sammy Guevara, and Jungle Boy. The spirit of the idea was that these were four talents who were relatively unproven on a national stage, but each of whom demonstrated remarkable potential, and AEW might grow alongside these youngsters—the company forging its identity as the four of them became household names.
While MJF and Allin in particular have remained in consistently featured roles for AEW, fans have looked on as the company also welcomed in stars who made their name in WWE, besides prominently featuring stars who had established themselves with hardcore fans in Japan or Ring of Honor.
It’s telling that of the five men who’ve reigned as world champion—Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley, Kenny Omega, Hangman Page, and CM Punk—three had previously reigned as WWE Champion and one had been a world champ in Japan. Only Page could be considered a homegrown main eventer.
With AEW seemingly at a crossroads after the high-profile controversies of recent weeks, the time has come to re-center their focus on young talent.
AEW Can Take Advantage Of This Moment Of Controversy To Shift Gears
CM Punk has always been a lightning rod for controversy, but may have reached new heights of heat in recent times, culminating in his wild press conference ranting after All Out and subsequent backstage altercation with Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks. That, combined with the EVPs’ role in spreading information—true or not—about Punk has created a dark cloud over AEW, and called attention to a need to shift gears and focus on some of the other high caliber talent at their disposal.
Those names might include Jon Moxley who, despite recently reigning as champion, was cast a peg below Punk. There’s also Bryan Danielson, who has selflessly absorbed more than his share of losses across his AEW tenure and Keith Lee whom some fans feel is underutilized in the tag team division. There are younger talents waiting in the wings as well, though.
Injuries Have Exposed The Limitations Of Relying On Older Talents In AEW
In addition to the poor behavior of some of AEW’s more established top talents, there’s also the matter of injuries. Besides CM Punk’s poor behavior after All Out, he also reportedly got injured in his match with Jon Moxley. That issue was compounded by Christian Cage purportedly also being hurt with a similar injury. That’s immediately after Kenny Omega returned from over a half year on the disabled list and after Bryan Danielson missed time.
Injuries can happen to anyone, but it’s also a reality that older wrestlers have more mileage on them and thus tend to be more prone to missing significant stretches because they’re legitimately hurt. It’s another reason why pushing younger names may be the best thing AEW can do at this point in time.
AEW Has Its Four Pillars And Other Young Talents Available To Push
AEW seems ready to go all the way in pushing MJF. At 26, he’s a young talent and AEW can mostly take credit for building him up to main event status. While fans may have been justifiably skeptical about CM Punk putting over the heel when he cashes in his title shot from winning the Casino Ladder Match at All Out, things are more wide open now. With Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson the presumptive favorites to win the vacant title at Grand Slam, it seems entirely realistic one of them would put over MJF—likely as not at Full Gear, staged in front of an MJF-friendly crowd in Newark.
Darby Allin also looks ready for a big push. Beating Brody King in a Coffin Match and picking up the pin for his team over The House of Black at All Out both give him some real momentum to knock on the door of the main event.
Jungle Boy suffered a setback in both losing to Christian Cage, and Cage’s injury meaning Jack Perry won’t get any immediate revenge. However, he has Luchasaurus set up as a natural rival for the weeks ahead. Moreover, being out on his own still suggests Jungle Boy could move up to a better featured spot on the card.
Sammy Guevara is a trickier talent to predict the future for, with real life controversies, and very real heat with the fans perhaps putting a ceiling over what he’ll accomplish in the immediate future. Nonetheless, there’s no denying he’s an incredible in-ring talent and his willingness to play the heel wholeheartedly could pay off in the long run.
AEW certainly has room to look beyond its original Four Pillars as well. Wardlow has gotten over a high level this year and it would only be natural to revisit his issue with MJF in time. The Acclaimed had a gutsy, star-making performance at All Out. Though he’s not that young at 40, Eddie Kingston has been on a journey with AEW and if he can avoid real life controversies like his recent issues with Guevara, he could viably factor into the main event picture again.
Add on Hook, Powerhouse Hobbs, Ricky Starks, not to mention emerging stars on the women’s side like Jade Cargill and Julia Hart, and it’s easy to imagine a very different AEW landscape in a year’s time.
In the end, not everyone can be featured as a main event star in AEW. Nonetheless, out of a time of unprecedented controversy and chaos behind the scenes, the company may emerge all the stronger if it can capitalize and reprioritize around its deep pool of less established talents.
The AEW superstar and current TNT champion has been one of the promotion’s greatest success stories since they launched back in 2019, with his rise to the top being a years-long storyline that has paid off big for Mr. Mayhem in 2022.
This was the topic of conversation during Wardlow’s recent phone interview with the Daily Gazette. He even remembers one of the first instances that the loyal AEW fanbase finally started to chant his name, which began his ascension towards being one of their top babyfaces.
“It was in Austin, Texas. That’ll be burned in my memory forever,” he said. “I just had one of my normal squash matches that I had been having, and for the first time, I heard a decent portion of the crowd chanting ‘Wardlow.’ I’ll never forget that.”
Wardlow’s not done adapting just yet
The champ has been the muscle for the company’s top heel, MJF, since he debuted back in 2019. However, he slowly morphed away from that persona and into one that is now seen on weekly programming. However, Wardlow promises that there are still more changes for his on-screen persona to come.
“I’m just entering a new era in my life. I’m evolving, things are changing. I’ve just become a hungrier, more intense version of myself, and I’m ready to display that and I’m ready to let the rest of the world feel that.”
Wardlow successfully defended the TNT title one week ago against Tony Nese. He has not been pinned or submitted since the beginning of the year. He cut an impassioned promo after the match and told the live crowd that he’s a threat to take seriously.
The Bloodline welcomed a new member tonight on SmackDown.
Solo Sikoa made his presence felt at Clash at the Castle in the main event between Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre. The Usos’ younger brother interfered in the match and it allowed Reigns to connected with his third Spear of the night to win the match.
Honorary Uce Sami Zayn and The Usos welcomed Solo to The Bloodline tonight on SmackDown. Roman Reigns was not with them during the segment. Sikoa announced that he was here to say but Drew McIntyre interrupted.
Drew marched to the ring with a steel chair but Sikoa remained in the ring as the rest of The Bloodline retreated. Sami then jumped in front of the chair shot but McIntyre was able to beat down Solo a bit. The Bloodline retreated as Drew demanded a match against Solo tonight.
MJF Reacts To The Bloodline Segment on WWE SmackDown
MJF returned to All Elite Wrestling this past Sunday at All Out. He confronted then-AEW Champion CM Punk to close the show. CM Punk then went on an absurd rant during his appearance at the media scrum following the PPV, which led to a physical confrontation with then-Trios Champions The Elite (Young Bucks & Kenny Omega). The fight after the media scrum (AEW Brawl Out) has led to CM Punk and The Elite being stripped of their titles and numerous suspensions.
On Wednesday’s edition of Dynamite, MJF referred Cody Rhodes and Triple H during his promo. He claimed that he views the AEW Championship as a bargaining chip for the bidding war of 2024. Maxwell was tuning into tonight’s edition of SmackDown and reacted to The Bloodline’s segment with a “we the ones” emoji.
For those who missed it, MJF returned at the All Out pay-per-view (PPV) this past weekend, winning the Casino Ladder match as a masked mystery Joker opponent in the contest. He now has a guaranteed shot at the AEW World Title in the future.
Later in the show, CM Punk defeated Jon Moxley to win the AEW World Title. After the match, the lights went out and a voicemail from Tony Khan was playing, pleading with someone to return to AEW and offering them a lot of money to do so.
MJF then made his way out, standing on stage and starring down Punk, motioning for the title around his waist.
According to Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Google Trends shows that MJF was actually the highest-searched wrestler over the weekend.
(via AEW)
That’s certainly quite the accomplishment, as he out-scored WWE’s Roman Reigns after the Clash At The Castle event, which was a massive show for the promotion. MJF out-scored Reigns on Saturday as well as Punk on Sunday.
Of course, after the drama that occurred after All Out, Punk then out-scored MJF on Monday and Tuesday.
In fact, Punk’s interest did over 70% more than what his title win generated after the stories broke about his backstage altercation with The Elite.
Posted September 9th, 2022 in AEW, News. Tagged: MJF.
After a couple months of absence MJF finally returned to AEW at All Out and confronted the former AEW world champion CM Punk.
This week’s episode of Dynamite opened with Tony Khan addressing the future of the trios titles and the world title after the backstage drama that unfolded at the PPV on Sunday night.
MJF made his way to the ring after TK and addressed the fans for the first time in months. He got the Buffalo crowd behind him by wearing a Josh Allen shirt.
The AEW star mentioned how he said some offensive stuff when the fans last saw him. The crowd responded with ‘You were right’ chants. MJF claimed that he didn’t mean it and he loves AEW which led to an AEW chant.
MJF then explained why he isn’t a part of the announced tournament to crown the new AEW world champion. He mentioned that he already has a guaranteed world title shot after winning the Casino Ladder Match:
“You might think we’re in dark times, but we’re not.” said MJF, “What we need is leadership. I’m not saying I’m Moses, I’m better than Moses,”
When Jon Moxley came out to call MJF on his bullshit, MJF showed his true colors very quickly. He explained that he was going to use the world title as a bargaining chip for the 2024 bidding war.
The young star said that in 2024, he would go to WWE with his best friend Cody Rhodes and the ‘only Khan that matters’ because ‘that’s what’s best for business.’
He then teased a confrontation with Mox but MJF eventually backed off. He headed back to the ramp, leaving Mox to cut a promo about the AEW title.
Posted September 7th, 2022 in AEW, News. Tagged: MJF.
MJF’s first Dynamite appearance since June has been set as the top AEW star will appear live on Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite in Buffalo, New York.
MJF made his return at Sunday’s All Out as he was revealed to be ‘The Joker’ in the Casino Ladder match It was Stokely Hathaway who pulled down the casino chip for MJF as he was flanked by W. Morrissey, Lee Moriarty, Ethan Page, Austin Gunn, and Colten Gunn to take out Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, Penta Oscuro, Rey Fenix, Rush, Andrade El Idolo, and Dante Martin.
CM Punk beat Jon Moxley in the main event to win the AEW World Heavyweight Title. Post-match, MJF appeared in front of the audience and signaled that he is coming after the new AEW World World Heavyweight Champion.
Rest of The Card
This Wednesday on #AEWDynamite, we’ll hear from the 2022 Casino Ladder Match winner @The_MJF!
During All Out, All Elite Wrestling also confirmed that Best Friends & Orange Cassidy vs. Death Triangle (PAC, Penta El Zero Miedo & Rey Fenix) in a trios bout while ROH Pure Champion Wheeler Yuta defends against Daniel Garcia on Dynamite.
MJF had been away since the post-Double Or Nothing episode of Dynamite, where he cut a memorable promo and demanded that Tony Khan fire him.
Posted September 5th, 2022 in AEW, News. Tagged: MJF.
AEW All Out 2022 is in the history books and has proven to be yet another huge night for the promotion.
In the main event, CM Punk regained the AEW World Championship from Jon Moxley in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois, and had fiery comments for the roster after the show.
Toni Storm captured the Interim AEW Women’s World Championship, marking her first title since joining the promotion.
MJF
During the Casino Ladder Match, a mystery man won the bout with the help of Stokely Hathaway, and earned an AEW World Championship match.
After the main event, the mystery man was revealed to be MJF, making his return after a three-month hiatus from TV.
“I’m the one who asked him to come back, because MJF’s a big star in this company, and this is one of the biggest events.
“A year ago, CM Punk debuted here, and I thought it was right for the fans … For the fans, I thought the best that would do as a company was bring MJF back.”
MJF’s Absence
MJF’s return at All Out 2022 comes three months after an explosive worked-shoot promo about AEW.
Channeling alleged real-life issues with the promotion, MJF addressed how former WWE Superstars are reported to be paid much more than homegrown AEW talent.
The promo culminated in MJF begging Tony Khan to fire him, believing he would do better in AEW if he had a few years with WWE to his name.
The stage is nearly set for MJF to make a triumphant return to AEW. We last saw the brash Long island loudmouth on the June 1st edition of AEW Dynamite. This was an eventful show. Just days after losing his former enforcer Wardlow at Double or Nothing, MJF cut a “pipe bomb” promo that people will be talking about for years to come. That was also the night CM Punk broke his foot. The injury kept Punk of action for months and changed the course of AEW storylines. After some jarring detours, we’re almost back on track.
MJF hasn’t been heard from since that fateful night. Punk recently returned to action, perhaps too soon. During his absence, Jon Moxley became the Interim AEW World Champion. The belts were unified on the August 24th edition of Dynamite. Moxley steamrolled Punk in a matter of minutes.
Punk gets a shot at redemption tonight at All Out. It’s a chance for him to make things right in front of his hometown crowd and truly begin an AEW World title reign that was knocked off course due to injury three months ago. It’s also a golden opportunity for MJF to storm back into the picture and renew his blood feud with his most detested rival to date.
MJF’s Golden Opportunity
Punk and MJF had a bitter feud earlier this year, which seems like ages ago after all that’s transpired since. Punk was victorious when they clashed at Revolution. Their dog collar match was a bloody affair, as advertised. MJF lost that night, but he never lost sight of humbling and humiliating Punk.
MJF knows Punk on the verge of sweet redemption. Winning the AEW World Championship from Hangman Page was a big deal, but the stakes are much higher this time. Punk will have to muster everything he’s got to defeat Moxley.
If he does so, it will be a euphoric moment for 43 year old. He’s questioned himself, he’s wondered if “his 100%” is enough to be the best anymore. He’ll be on top of the world if he regains the title from Moxley. And if he does – it’s the perfect opportunity for MJF to emerge and shatter Punk’s world.
Tony Khan has said the AEW roster will be as strong as it’s ever been after All Out. You can’t really get there without your hottest young prospect back in the fold. MJF hates CM Punk. He’s hell-bent on becoming AEW Champion.
We’re also just a few weeks away from Grand Slam, the upcoming stadium show that will be held just miles away from where MJF grew up. AEW may have other plans in the works, but you’d be hard pressed to book a better scenario that maximizes the impact of MJF’s return and catapults him to where he belongs.
We have an updated look at the betting odds for Sunday’s AEW All Out pay-per-view. The main event is finally set and we’ve got 13 matches confirmed for the show (including the Zero Hour kickoff show).
Here are the current betting odds (as of Monday) for AEW All Out, courtesy of Bet Online.
CM Punk is a slight favorite (-130) to defeat Jon Moxley (-110) for the the AEW World Championship.
Toni Storm is the favorite (-180) to defeat Britt Baker (+325), Jamie Hayter (+300) and Hikaru Shida (+700) to win the Interim AEW Women’s World Championship.
Bryan Danielson is favored (-400) to get the win over Chris Jericho (+250)
Swerve in our Glory are strong favorites (-450) to retain the AEW World Tag Team Championships against The Acclaimed (+275).
Christian Cage (-150) is now favored to defeat Jungle Boy (+110) in their grudge match. This is a reversal from what was expected just days ago.
Ricky Starks is favored (-240) to get the win over Powerhouse Hobbs (+175)
Jade Cargill is heavily favored (-1000) to retain the TBS Championship against Athena (+500).
FTR and Wardlow are strong favorites (-650) to beat Jay Lethal and the Motor City Machine Guns (+375)
The mystery Joker (+150) is the favorite to win the Casino Ladder Match.
Zero Hour Kickoff Show
PAC is favored (-600) to retain the All Atlantic Championship over the returning Kip Sabian (+350).
Hook is the strong favorite (-1500) to retain the FTW championship against Angelo Parker (+600)
Eddie Kingston is favored (-180) to defeat NJPW star Tomohiro Ishii (+125).
Keep it locked to SEScoops this weekend, as we’ll be covering AEW All Out from all angles, including results and news coming out of the event.
Posted September 1st, 2022 in AEW, News. Tagged: MJF.
AEW World Champion CM Punk will battle AEW Interim Champion Jon Moxley tonight on Dynamite to determine the Undisputed Champion. All signs were pointing to this match happening at All Out early next month but it was surprisingly booked for tonight’s show.
Here are 4 reasons CM Punk versus Jon Moxley for the AEW Championship is more than just a title match:
The Company Needs Some Momentum
AEW Dynamite has flatlined in the ratings just below 1 million viewers, but thankfully they have an established and loyal audience that tunes in every week. The issue is that AEW President Tony Khan has spent a ton on contracts for ex-WWE talent that haven’t really made a huge difference yet in regards to attracting the casual fan.
It is hard to get invested in some of the talent when they are only featured once a month on television. Wardlow capturing the TNT Championship should have felt more important by now. He finally was able to rid himself of MJF and capture some gold, so why he is in a 6-man tag at the PPV?
The TNT Champion is wrapped up in a storyline with Sonjay Dutt, Jay Lethal, and Satnam Singh. ROH Tag Team Champions and forever #1 contenders in AEW without getting a title shot, FTR, will be joining teaming up with Wardlow to battle the trio of heels at All Out. The match will likely be entertaining but it feels like an egregious missed opportunity for both the Wardlow and FTR to be in bigger storylines.
CM Punk versus Jon Moxley needs to deliver tonight in order to get people talking about how exciting All Elite Wrestling is again. Many fans are scratching their head and wondering what is going on at the moment. These two should have a long feud with a story, with weeks of promos and attacks, not a rushed title match to pop a rating. However, if tonight’s show is newsworthy and gets people talking about the product over the drama backstage, then maybe it was worth it.
All Elite Wrestling arrived as the cool kid in the wrestling industry, while Vince McMahon’s vision for professional wrestling felt dated and borderline unwatchable at times. None of that applies anymore, just a month after Vince departed the company and his son-in-law, Triple H, has taken over as Head of Creative.
WWE has not only turned the page, but they’ve also flipped the script. They are now the cool company in the wrestling industry that talent is signing with. It is stunning how quickly the perception surrounding WWE has changed, despite unprecedented chaos at the top of the company over the summer.
Nowadays, AEW feels dated in comparison. The Jericho Appreciation Society refers to themselves as “sports entertainers” while Drew McIntyre is dropping the word “wrestler” in his promos on RAW. At this point, AEW is parodying itself and not the competition.
“I don’t care if you’re a prize fighter, a sports entertainer or superstar. We’re wrestlers in a wrestling ring. Let’s just freaking wrestle.”
Before his promo with Jon Moxley on last week’s Dynamite, the AEW Champion bizarrely called out Hangman Adam Page in his home state of West Virginia. He sat in the ring in his iconic pose and challenged Hangman to a rematch. The 43-year-old captured the AEW Championship from Hangman at Double or Nothing, only to break his foot the following Wednesday and go on the shelf for two months.
CM Punk gave Adam a few moments to come to the ring before uttering “that isn’t cowboy sh*t, that is coward sh*t”. It was an odd moment, but most people moved on when Moxley showed up. However, the incident was reportedly unplanned and Punk acted on his own to give Hangman a “receipt” for a perceived slight during a previous promo between the two.
Something just always seems to go awry now. Jonathan Gresham flipping out before Death Before Dishonor due to lack of communication from management, Tony’s unprofessional response to Big Swole, Cody Rhodes exiting the company, and the whole MJF thing, Why are Miro and Andrade liking tweets hinting at their unhappiness? It is always something, at least at least it appears that way.
During the post-Double or Nothing media scrum after CM Punk won the title, he said the following about AEW in comparison to WWE:”It felt like 10 years of fighting silly battles and standing on my own d*ck. I feel there’s no limitation put on myself or anybody, the sky’s the limit.” He’s used that phrase multiple times in reference to WWE.
That seems to contradict Fightful’s report of Punk telling management that he would not lose to Hangman Page. From the outside looking in, it appears AEW is repeatedly standing on themselves at the moment.
“Nobodies standing on their own dick. They just let stuff happen.”
One of the possible reasons that the title match may have been moved up was because the promotion has a better main event planned for AEW All Out. If MJF returned, the company would have the majority of its stars back and the shows would instantly improve. MJF is an immense talent, a picture-perfect heel.
He delivered one of the most memorable promos of any promotion, in any time period, and the man is only 26 years old. The Dynamite following his loss to Wardlow at Double or Nothing, not too many people were discussing the match or even the victorious Wardlow. MJF skipped out a signing during the PPV weekend and reportedly booked a flight out of Vegas. Thankfully, cahooler heads prevailed and he did the job to Wardlow. The distraction still sullied the TNT Champion’s moment and he hasn’t fully recovered.
After MJF’s pipebomb promo, Punk tried to confront MJF but he left through the crowd at The Forum in Los Angeles, and that was the last time he appeared on television. He’s also gone completely dark on social media. If he returns tonight it will inject some much-needed life into the product just a couple of weeks out from All Out. Somehow, MJF has managed to become an even bigger star in the company without even appearing on television.
MJF is expected to be back with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) “somewhat soon.”
A new report from Wrestling Observer Newsletter notes that MJF is expected back with the company soon after several months away from television. AEW seems hell-bent on bringing MJF back at this time given their upcoming TV deal negotiations.
Negotiations for a new TV deal will begin in a few months, so ratings from September up until whenever the deal gets done are more important now than ever. AEW has had a recent drop in ratings, which couldn’t have come at a worst time.
Bringing MJF back into the fold would certainly help things in that regard. MJF hasn’t been since on AEW TV since the post-AEW Double Or Nothing episode of Dynamite, in which he cut a scathing promo on AEW and president Tony Khan.
When Will MJF Return to AEW?
MJF has essentially vanished from professional wrestling since his ‘pipe bomb’ promo. His last match at Double Or Nothing saw MJF finally get what was coming to him against Wardlow, who laid waste to his former storyline employer.
Over the course of his run with AEW, Friedman has established himself as one of professional wrestling’s biggest young stars, turning heads with his amazing ability on the microphone. He has had some of the best feuds in AEW thus far, most notably against current World Champion CM Punk.
When he finally makes his return to AEW TV, it will be interesting to see if he jumps into the World Title conversation, as he’s yet to win the AEW World Title thus far.
Posted August 19th, 2022 in AEW, News. Tagged: MJF.
When CM Punk returned from injury on last week’s AEW Dynamite, fans were excited for him to get back in the ring.
On this week’s Dynamite, Punk confirmed that his first match back will be at AEW All Out 2022, where he and Jon Moxley will unify the Lineal and Interim World Championships.
Later in the show, however, Moxley convinced Punk that the match should happen on next week’s episode of Dynamite instead.
With All Out’s scheduled main event now happening next week instead, there are several possible routes AEW could go.
AEW World Champion CM Punk Vs. Interim AEW World Champion Jon Moxley
Just because Punk Vs. Moxley has been announced for next week’s Dynamite, the two could still face off at All Out 2022.
It was confirmed on Dynamite that Punk and Moxley will face off to unify the two World Championships next week, but that doesn’t mean it will happen.
There’s no shortage of title matches ending in a no-contest, which usually means that the champion retains their title.
In this instance, both champions would retain, presumably after a mass brawl, featuring the Blackpool Combat Club and the Jericho Appreciation Society disrupting the match.
Not only does AEW get the expected viewership boost on next week’s Dynamite, but they still get the unification match at All Out, possibly in some sort of stipulation to prevent interference.
AEW Undisputed World Champion CM Punk Vs. ‘Hangman’ Adam Page
CM Punk brand ‘Hangman’ Adam Page a “coward” during this week’s edition of AEW Dynamite.
If AEW commits to crowning an Undisputed World Champion next week, odds are the winner will be CM Punk.
Moxley only became champion due to Punk’s injury, and it’s unlikely that Tony Khan, after paying a fortune to bring Punk in, wants his title reign to end on such a whimper.
On this week’s Dynamite, Punk addressed Moxley, but he also had some serious beef with ‘Hangman’ Adam Page.
Punk challenged Page to a title match, aware that the Hangman wasn’t in the building, and branded the former Champion a “coward.”
While it’s been reported that Punk’s comment wasn’t part of the plan, it appears that AEW is setting up a rematch between Page and the AEW World Champion.
A rematch may have been the plan all along, but delayed due to Punk’s injury, and the two could face off at All Out.
AEW Undisputed World Champion CM Punk Vs. MJF
Are we less than a week away from the return of MJF?
The same night that CM Punk got injured, MJF cut a scathing promo on AEW, culminating in begging Tony Khan to fire him.
MJF’s promo, which was based on some real-life grievances, is that Khan spends too much money and attention on ex-WWE Superstars.
CM Punk is a prime example of that, as Khan has paid a ton to bring in the former WWE Champion, who has been pushed as AEW’s top star since joining the company last year.
MJF hasn’t been seen since his June 1, promo, but it may finally be time to bring him back.
The Salt of the Earth is also the only man in AEW to hold a victory over Punk, defeating the AEW World Champion on the February 2, 2022, Dynamite.
A post-match attack on Punk could be the perfect way to bring MJF back, setting up a very personal war for All Out.
