10 Huge Wrestling Stars Who Lost To Ridiculous Opponents
2. MJF Loses To Shawn Dean (Twice!)
All good storytelling adheres to strict rules. Most of it, anyway.
An established set of rules enables the world that the author has created to make sense of itself. Rules breed meaning. If a prestige drama screenwriter for example is very strict with their treatment of character deaths, they are able to capture the true gravity of loss. Despite a recent uptick in non-finishes, Tony Khan has done phenomenally well to maintain his almost pristine record of pinfall and submission match outcomes. Disqualifications and count-outs actually mean something when they do occur, and in two exceptional, linked storytelling beats, MJF fell victim to both.
First, CM Punk hit Shawn Dean with the GTS in January, and then, deeper into the year, Wardlow stormed the ring, sent MJF scurrying, and Dean was declared the winner when MJF was too afraid to return. These moments were shocking in and of themselves, the latter particularly inspired, but both removed top star MJF from the title picture to once again justify a grudge programme.
It should border on the silly, the extent to which MJF isn't near the World Title - but patient world-building has helped make sense of his place in AEW's world.