MJF Shocks Chicago Fans, Hands CM Punk First AEW Loss In Hometown
Punk defeated in stellar Dynamite main event, but MJF doesn't do it alone.
Maxwell Jacob Friedman and CM Punk finally collided last night in a much-anticipated showdown that didn't disappoint quality-wise on AEW Dynamite. But Chicago fans were definitely frustrated by the outcome, as MJF defeated hometown hero Punk... with a little help from Wardlow.
Punk and MJF battled for nearly 40 minutes in a superb match that mostly focused on Punk battering MJF about the ring and Friedman targeting the Second City Savior's left arm and left knee. They actually ran a false finish about 15 minutes in, with MJF surreptitiously using tape to choke out Punk. But when referee Bryce Remsburg lifted his hand in victory, the tape fell to the mat. Remsburg restarted the match, which continued on for another 20 minutes.
Punk went deep in his arsenal, busting out a Pepsi Twist, a poison rana and finally a Pepsi Plunge as he hobbled around the ring trying to put MJF down. But Maxwell escaped to the outside, where Wardlow finally made his presence known, stepping between the two.
The announcers teased some tension and even raised questions about where Wardlow's loyalties lay. But Wardlow would ultimately be the difference-maker, as replays would later show that he passed MJF the Dynamite Diamond ring, which he used to knock out Punk and pick up the win.
MJF celebrated by assuming the cross-legged "pipe bomb" pose in the ring to close the show, with Wardlow standing alongside him. The defeat was Punk's first since debuting in AEW, while the win potentially sets MJF up for a collision with AEW World Champion Hangman Adam Page.