Opinion
Maxwell Jacob Friedman: The Most Entertaining Heel in the Pro Wrestling Business Today
Tom Clack brings you your true next big thing, and his name is Maxwell Jacob Friedman. Or MJF. It’s wrestling, you pick!
Tom Clack brings you your true next big thing, and his name is Maxwell Jacob Friedman. Or MJF. It’s wrestling, you pick!
Maxwell Jacob Friedman is one of the hottest young stars working in the professional wrestling business today. He’s young, he’s talented, he’s solid in the ring and he’s a captivating character. But most importantly, he cuts great promos.
No one can draw heat like MJF. If the microphone was a pipe-bomb in the hands of CM Punk, then it’s a nuclear warhead in the hands of MJF. Friedman is that good at blistering his opponents and anyone else that he comes into contact with. It’s obvious that MJF is the most entertaining heel in the industry today.
It was perhaps only a matter of time until he reached this spot, though many fans never saw it coming. MJF’s first big break in the business was in CZW, but his first real taste of the spotlight came in MLW. Friedman continues to work in MLW, where he shines as a member of The Dynasty. However, his work in Court Bauer’s company is just a precursor of things to come.
MJF is a featured star for AEW, Tony Khan’s new venture into the wrestling business. The company has gained serious ground over the past several months and its new television program will debut on the TNT Network on Wednesday, October 2. AEW is delivering a few familiar faces, along with some fresh talents, to a worldwide audience and MJF is an important part of that presentation.
There’s no doubt that the 23-year old star has found his groove in the industry and he’s only just getting started. But his work in AEW is already being hailed by many critics as some of the best in the company and that’s especially true of his character work. Friedman indeed makes it look easy, both in the ring and on the stick.
The truth is that while AEW has some talented performers between the ropes, many of them are unknown to the mainstream audience. The only way for anyone on the roster to standout is by being loud and impactful. This is who Maxwell Jacob Friedman is and right now, no one in AEW can compare to him.
MJF is arrogant. He’s cocky and he’s completely self=absorbed. He’s the kind of guy that fans want to punch in the face and that’s just fine with him. In fact, he’s actually encouraged any and all personal attacks via social media. MJF doesn’t care who hates him, only that their hate for him is all-encompassing. He usually gets exactly that and much more.
Of course many fans understand that he is just playing a character, so they typically play along with him. They respect his work and they have fun with him every time he speaks. But even as he’s an entertaining part of the program, the fact is he’s so infuriating that fans can’t help but to hate everything about him.
This is the key to his progression in AEW. He’s not the son of a legendary Hall of Famer. He didn’t have a championship run in New Japan and he’s not a former WWE main event Superstar. He’s a promising young talent and while that’s a good thing, it’s just not enough. He needs to leave a lasting impression every time he’s on camera and that’s precisely what he does. If no one in the AEW audience remembers anything about the event they just watched, they will certainly remember MJF.
But perhaps the best thing about Friedman is the fact that he is so extraordinarily obvious. It’s clear that he’s up to something as the confidant of Cody Rhodes. MJF appears to be a babyface with Rhodes, especially when he claims that Cody is his best friend. MJF says he would never do anything to betray Rhodes’ trust.
But he says those things while hurling insults and raging at anyone that comes within 10 feet of him. MJF could have taken the fight to Shawn Spears, the man who laid out Cody with a steel chair at Fyter Fest. Friedman had plenty of negative things to say about Spears, all of which reinforced the notion that MJF and Cody are indeed close friends. But instead, MJF kept his distance and did the same when Cody faced Shawn at All Out.
However if anyone questions his loyalty, MJF immediately fires back. It’s obvious that his character is acting out of his own best interest and at the end of the day, no one is more important in his life than himself. But even as he delivers his promos with a straight face, fans can see what MJF is really all about.
He’s a classic heel in that regard, as everyone seems to be in on the routine but him. MJF has resurrected the throwback antagonist for the modern era and no one is doing it better than he is. Baron Corbin is indeed despised in WWE. Jay White is a true villain in New Japan. Matt Taven is the most despicable heel in Ring of Honor right now. But MJF would destroy every one of them on the mic and fans know it.
Maxwell Jacob Friedman has barely scratched the surface of what he can do in the business. With the right booking against the right opponents, there’s every reason to believe that MJF will become a main event powerhouse in All Elite Wrestling and beyond. The fans are going on that journey with him, even though he hates every one of them for it.
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Opinion
Chris King: The Wyatt Sicks’ Wasted Potential By WWE
Chris King takes a look at the WWE and their wasted potential of Uncle Howdy and the Wyatt Sicks faction.
Chris King takes a look at the WWE and their wasted potential of Uncle Howdy and the Wyatt Sicks faction.
It’s that time of the year again, folks; it’s unfortunate and downright awful that so many WWE superstars got released today. I’m not going to list all of them, but I am going to talk about one of my favorite factions,
The Wyatt Sicks. Nikki Cross, Joe Gacy, Erik Rowan, and Bo Dallas (Uncle Howdy) were something special. After Bo’s brother Bray Wyatt’s tragic passing, WWE felt like there was a hole that needed to be filled. Wyatt was one of the most creative and brilliant characters, and Bo would be taking over his brother’s concept and bringing it to life. In 2024, at the end of an incredible documentary highlighting Wyatt’s career and struggles, Bo appeared on the screen portrayed as Uncle Howdy. The last time Uncle Howdy was seen on-screen was at the 2023 Royal Rumble, where Wyatt defeated LA Knight in a Pitch Black Match. Howdy jumped off a structure onto Knight.
This post-credit scene sparked so much speculation and excitement that Wyatt’s brother would carry on his legacy and possibly debut the faction that was Wyatt’s concept. On the June 17th episode of Monday Night Raw, The Wyatt Sicks made their dramatic debut ,destroying the backstage area as well as “murdering” Chad Gable. It was such an iconic arrival for Howdy as he made his menacing walk from the back into the audience who were chanting “Holy Shit.” The Sicks and American Made (Chad Gable and The Creed Brothers) battled for months, with The Sicks being victorious. On the September 9th episode of Raw, The Sicks defeated them, with Howdy getting the win with Sister Abigail.
The following year, The Sicks would move over to Friday Night SmackDown, and it seemed like WWE had a plan in place. They would win the tag team championships from The Street Profits and start to look dominant. Now, what should have happened next is Howdy should have won the United States title. The Sicks could have held all the gold over on the blue brand, but it never happened. The Sicks entered into a never-ending feud with The MFT’s (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, JC Mateo, and Talla Tonga.) It started off exciting, and the WWE Universe was red-hot for their interactions.
After months of repetitive matches and The MFT’s stealing their lantern, the feud grew tiresome and boring. Even Tama asked Solo why they are still holding onto the lantern, as it was destroying them as a whole. Finally on the SmackDown before Mania, Tama
gave the lantern back to Howdy against Solo’s wishes. Please explain to me why both factions fought almost every single week instead of just having one final blowoff match at WrestleMania.
It should have been either a massive street fight or a falls count anywhere match on the grandest stage of them all. Instead, it turned into a meaningless week-after-week extravaganza that benefited no one. The MFTs won the rivalry, and The Sicks don’t even work for WWE anymore. This was the same criminalized creative process that Wyatt dealt with during his first run in the company.
We’ll never know how much of a dangerous force The Wyatt Sicks could have been in the WWE. For all their careers’ sake, I hope they stay far away from the company for as long as possible. Every superstar that was cut deserves better!
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Opinion
Chris King: Bloodline Saga: Is This the Right Call For WWE?
Chris King questions the WWE’s logic in setting up Jacob Fatu as the next challenger for World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns
Chris King questions the WWE’s logic in setting up Jacob Fatu as the next challenger for World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns is once again World Heavyweight Champion after his dominant win over CM Punk at WrestleMania 42. On the following night on Monday Night Raw, The OG Bloodline came back together as a well-oiled machine as The Usos stood side by side with Roman. With the WWE Universe asking who would be the first to challenge “The Tribal Chief,” Jacob Fatu shocked the world by answering the call.
Fatu is running hot after his impressive win over Drew McIntyre and feels like he is ready to become the new world champion. This bloodline segment ended Raw, and it picked right back up on SmackDown with even Solo Sikoa and the MFTs involved. This is now two shows that have been centered around The Bloodline saga, and it’s made me question whether or not WWE should be retelling this story.
The Bloodline (Roman Reigns, The Usos, and Solo Sikoa) ran WWE for over four years as Reigns’ henchmen, doing his dirty work to retain his title. Even though Roman has declared he doesn’t want Jey and Jimmy to serve him, it sure seems like WWE are spinning their wheels. Fatu could add a whole new chapter into the story, even if he’s not able to beat Roman at Backlash. “The Samoan Werewolf” could be forced to do the same thing as Jey did all those years ago and fall in line.
In my opinion, I feel like Fatu should be challenging for the Undisputed WWE Championship because that’s a title I feel like he should win. I understand standing up to your blood and trying to prove you’re the best, but I don’t think this is the right move. It feels like 2022 all over again, as The Bloodline is the central focus on both shows. If Fatu doesn’t win, what happens to all his momentum he’s been building over the last two years?
Why did WWE make this the best choice for storyline purposes? Why couldn’t creative have come up with a different challenger for Roman? There are so many other superstars that could challenge The Tribal Chief, such as Rusev, Bron Breakker, Gunther, or even a returning Sheamus.
I just can’t help but question WWE’s logic here, and it kind of reminds me of all the times The Shield reunited. Could WWE be pushing the same storyline too many times here? Could the WWE Universe get tired of this rinse and repeat cycle of The Bloodline Saga?
Are we about to see all the weekly episodes solely focused on The Bloodline again? Will it be cinema… Yes. Is there still money in The Bloodline… Yes. Was it the right call? That’s to be determined!
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Attitude Of Aggression Podcast: The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history) Unidentified History (Ufology) & Game Gone Wrong (Game of Thrones Universe)
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