Opinion
Cody Rhodes vs. MJF: Old School Wrestling Revenge Done Right
Cody Rhodes and MJF are on a collision course in AEW. The founder of the company is anxious to get his hands on the man who betrayed him at Full Gear and left him for dead in the middle of the ring.
Cody Rhodes and MJF are on a collision course in AEW. The founder of the company is anxious to get his hands on the man who betrayed him at Full Gear and left him for dead in the middle of the ring. Cody has to settle a score and Maxwell Jacob Friedman must pay the price.
It’s an old school pro wrestling storyline fitting of Cody’s father, Dusty Rhodes. The legendary American Dream struggled through situations just like this during his storied career. Friends stabbed him in the back, brothers turned on him and he was the lone cowboy fighting for revenge. Now Cody is on a mission of redemption as well.
AEW fans knew that MJF was going to make the turn. It was the worst kept secret in the company, as everything that happened over the course of the past few months signaled a heel turn on Rhodes.
Max was just too accommodating. He was also too smug about his allegiance to Cody. It was obvious that he was planning something and all it took was one big event for MJF to show his true colors.
Now that he has, it’s off to the races in AEW. Cody has a new rival and MJF has a new direction. Finally, the man that’s hailed as the most talented heel on the mic is getting chance to speak his mind. Friedman is flexing and he’s impressing the world with his skills. Of course, fans knew he was capable of this and much more. Now they’re getting the chance to appreciate his work.
MJF is extremely likable however, which means that he’s constantly walking the line between love and hate. Fans know it’s just a work and they see how good he is, so they cheer for him. But when he speaks, he spews venom at everyone around him, which makes the fans turn back on him.
In some ways, it’s similar to Dusty’s work with Ric Flair. The Nature Boy was incredibly hated for what he said much of the time, but the way he said it got him over. Fans couldn’t help but love Ric because of what he brought to the mic and to the ring. He was well respected and it showed.
But MJF is still proving himself and he still has a long way to go. But this is where Cody comes in. Rhodes can work with Friedman and coach him up to the level that he needs to be for this storyline to work. After all, MJF cannot he cheered when he’s working Cody.
Cody Rhodes is the quintessential babyface in AEW. He’s smart, he’s funny and he’s kind. But he’s also very intense, he’s fiercely loyal and he’s absolutely fearless. He is definitely his father’s son. So when Cody squares off with MJF, there will be no question what role each man is playing.
The addition of Wardlow is only going to help the situation. Many fans knew very little about the big man before he debuted in AEW. But now that he’s there, he’s the talk of the company. He’s strong, he’s focused and more importantly, he’s on retainer. MJF has put a walking insurance policy by his side and it will now be difficult for anyone to touch Friedman.
This move also helps MJF, as Wardlow is undeniably a heel. He never plays by the rules and the fact that he’s unknown to so many is a good thing. Fans don’t have a reason to cheer for him and they probably won’t get it any time soon. So MJF can rest easy on both fronts, as he is right where he needs to be in this angle.
Then there’s the fact that this entire storyline is geared toward getting MJF over. Cody is the top star in AEW and he’s also an Executive Vice President. His spot in the company is solidified and he’s a mainstay. Rhodes was over long before AEW was ever announced. Cody doesn’t need anyone’s help to secure his position.
But the same can perhaps not be said of MJF. As entertaining as he is, Friedman is surrounded by larger than life personalities. Jon Moxley, Kenny Omega, The Lucha Bros, PAC and The Young Bucks all have massive charisma and personality. It would be hard for anyone to stand next to that and compete. But that’s exactly what MJF will do now.
Friedman will come out of this feud much better than when he went in and that’s the point. He’s got the potential to become the top heel in AEW and keep that spot for a long time. Now he will get the chance to do just that against Cody Rhodes.
Cody will live to fight another day. He will get a measure of revenge on MJF and then he will move on to the next big drama. But in the meantime, Maxwell Jacob Friedman will become a made man. It’s a spot that he’s worked hard to get and it’s one that he deserves. MJF is only just getting started in AEW, but it’s clear that he’s already living the dream. Now he will get the chance to really enjoy 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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