11 Wrestling Easter Eggs You Totally Didn't Notice

8. MJF And Chris Jericho Tell A Secret Storyline

Alexa Bliss Fiend
AEW

MJF and Chris Jericho first interacted on the November 13, 2019 Dynamite following Full Gear.

It was a funny angle designed to act as the transition between Cody's programmes, but it also achieved a long, long-term objective: it planted the seed for the MJF takes the Inner Circle angle unfolding presently. The very idea was first tossed around on that night, with the whole "Do you want to join the Inner Circle?/Do you want me to join the Inner Circle?" back-and-forth.

The angle wasn't dropped. It was left dangling with some astonishingly subtle world-building paved over the course of several months. Indirect parallels were drawn between mentor and protege.

Chris Jericho was protected by a musclebound heavy with whom he communicated telepathically as a bit. MJF introduced Wardlow with whom - "I love our talks!" - he also communicated telepathically as a bit. In the same week MJF riffed on Cody's post-WWE list of dream opponents, by tweeting a list of wrestlers he'd never work - only Cody's name was mentioned - Jericho introduced the Lexicon of le Champion.

All the while, MJF and Jericho told a secret tale of symmetry to inform the power of the moment when one of them finally blinks.

And when the angle restarted in earnest, it did so on another post-PPV edition of Dynamite to preserve the continuity.

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!