Maxwell Jacob Friedman. Chances are that you might not have known about this guy around five years ago yet at the moment he is the number one contender for one of the most prestigious titles in professional wrestling.
MJF had been teasing for months by posting on Twitter frequently that he is the number one contender yet he hasn’t gotten a shot at the title but then on an episode of Dynamite, MJF addressed the state of the industry where he used the opportunity to challenge Jon Moxley at All Out on 5th September. He is set to face Mox for the AEW Championship at All Out, one of the biggest wrestling events of the year. So what is so special about the youngest and fastest rising star in the history of professional wrestling that brings about emotions in wrestling fans that we haven’t felt in years and to say on top of that, that he deserves to win the AEW Championship so early in his career? Well, it’s simple, he’s MJF.
Let me get something straight: MJF is a game-changer. He brings something innovative to the table, something we have been begging to see, something new. Believe it or not, this guy is devoted to what he does and respects the raw form of wrestling and it shows by the fact that he is rarely out of character, be it in front of a camera or a mic. He does interviews, podcasts, Q&As, quite literally everything staying in character. He appeared on The Jam TV Show in character and got one of the hosts riled up with his perspectives while discussing dating turn offs (go check it out, it’s hilarious). The fact that this person puts his reputation on the line to maintain kayfabe or even try to get some heel heat over how he might be as a person shows that this guy has got pure dedication for the business. Who else in the past decade has shown such loyalty to their character? The Miz did the “Miz and Mrs” while being a heel, which was quite possibly the reason to turn him face. Jericho continued with his podcast “Talk is Jericho” out of character every week. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not throwing any shade at these wrestlers, they are amazing, but the fact that MJF spends almost the entirety of his day in character even during fan meets and at signings proves that he is staying true to his heel persona and is out to get that brass ring – he probably already has it in the form of that “$45,000” Dynamite ring on his pinky he is flexing all the time.
The fact that we don’t even know what he’s truly like makes it even crazier. Some might even say that Undertaker relinquished the throne of kayfabe to make room for MJF. You won’t be going at an autograph signing to see Max, the person behind the character, like other wrestlers. No, you will be going to see MJF. He lives the character. If you see the Making Maxwell Jacob Friedman documentary by Kenny Johnson you’ll see that even when describing his personal life he’s still in character. He even breaks the fourth wall in character. Someone might bring up the argument that he is a jerk in real life, well then he has probably brought the long lost life to kayfabe. Let’s not forget his Twitter account, where he constantly roasts fellow workers of the wrestling industry and capitalizes on the opportunity by using social media as a platform for progressing storylines (follow him for the complete experience). MJF is a clever person and he knows that the current times require fresh ways of handling a character like his. He could have stuck to the usual heel methods but he has stepped up the level and has surely raised the bar and is ready to take the top belt of the company. But we can’t just propose a new owner for the championship without discussing the current champion, Jon Moxley.
On February 29, Jon Moxley captured the AEW Title by defeating Chris Jericho at AEW Revolution. Since then Jon Moxley has faced different competitors with little to no build in the likes of Jake Hager, Brodie Lee and Brian Cage with none of them being plausible threats to the championship. He is one of the most over wrestlers in the world right now and a great performer and he needs a proper heel to fight against, which we have found in the form of MJF. Mox has been the AEW Champion for a while now and things need to change because AEW has been looking for a champion that they built. Sure, the decision of keeping ex-WWE veterans, that people recognize, as their initial champions was a good one but now that all eyes are on AEW, they need a talent that belongs mainly to them and that would be MJF. He has been booked amazingly at AEW where his character has been protected with him being currently undefeated this year in singles competition, plus he has wins over the likes of Hangman Adam Page, Jungle Boy and Cody and I don’t see a valid reason as to why he shouldn’t win at All Out. Being too young isn’t a reason because when you’re that talented, age doesn’t matter.
Some might say that MJF has been wrestling in the mid-card and he hasn’t even been near the main event scene, but MJF’s win would be completely justified because the level of the mid-card of AEW is so good that someone like Darby Allin put up a great fight against Moxley. If MJF wins, it elevates the status of the mid-card even further. It would open up a sea of options for who the next challenger could be and everyone on the roster would suddenly be in contention for that spot and that’s how it should be. The mid-card should be so well built that it shouldn’t be a long jump to the main event picture, plus it even puts over the rest of the belts. As for those who think that MJF cannot perform in the ring at the level of a main eventer, I’ll just ask you to watch his match against Jungle Boy at Double or Nothing 2020. It was by far the in-ring match of the night on a card where you had Cody vs Archer, Moxley vs Brodie Lee and a nine-man ladder match consisting of stars like Orange Cassidy, Luchasaurus, Darby Allin and the debuting Brian Cage.
Moreover, MJF is a king on the mic. I’m pretty confident in saying that his speaking skills are right next to the likes of Paul Heyman, CM Punk and fellow AEW star and wrestling veteran Chris Jericho. You don’t see him slipping up or forgetting his lines, he plans everything out, knows the time he has and most importantly infuriates the crowd in ways that have been seldom ever seen while still being entertaining. If you ever want to see what he’s capable of, just go and watch his promos in the recent weeks, he has been on the absolute top of his game. He is one of the best, if not the best, heel in professional wrestling right now.
A win for MJF would mean a lot for this young wrestler’s career. Winning it at only the age of 24 would make him a certified main eventer that you can use for big matches even if they aren’t for the title. Plus a character like MJF on the top of the card expands the horizons for possible storylines; you can do anything with an easily hate-able heel in the other corner from an underdog story to a returning legend one. This is a chance for AEW to solidify one of their young talents and I think they will not let it slide.