The FIRST TIME Wrestlers Had Their Million Dollar Idea

4. MJF Follows His Dream

Not every wrestler that ever makes the choice to enter pro wrestling becomes a millionaire, and not even every good idea is a million dollar one, but MJF's massive gamble to leave behind a burgeoning football career to follow his well-documented dream as a pro wrestler. What's particularly brilliant about that otherwise-familiar story is that it was documented to the letter in real life, then used to exceptional effect in All Elite Wrestling's best ever storyline.

When CM Punk refused to shake 'The Salt Of The Earth's hand during their first meeting, he unwittingly unlocked the traumatic backstory that forever informed the life of the MJF gimmick. Young Maxwell, as it turned out, was such an enormous CM Punk fan that he paid for the privilege of that handshake once upon a time, then, some years later, used a post by a wrestling fan account of the above Punk/Daniel Bryan handshake to share his story of inspiration, hope and love of the industry he'd one day conquer. Getting rebuffed by 2021 Punk was, to this sociopath, equal to the rebuffing he felt when 'The Voice Of The Voiceless' left wrestling altogether in 2014. 

All of a sudden, every heinous act he'd perpetrated up to that point was tangentially related to his newest arch-nemesis/oldest hero. It was heartbreaking, until Friedman - the leopard unable to change his spots - manipulated this sudden emotional shift to his advantage. Upon understanding the full extent of the underlying bond between the two, Punk offered the olive branch, but MJF had never seen this version of the 'Straight Edge Superstar'. He, like Punk in Ring Of Honor back in 2006, was a "snake", and used the opportunity to bludgeon his idol before their final dog collar showdown. It was a storyline with era-defining highs and, thanks to the reality of the social media life of a young fan, very much as epic in scale as it felt.