25 Worst Wrestling Moments Of 2025
16. MJF Threatens To Set Mark Briscoe On Fire
More than just the millionth case of unreported attempted in murder in pro wrestling, this particular near-fatal incident was more egregious because of its bizarre placement as the emotional climax of an otherwise-very-good Hangman Page/MJF feud.
'The Salt Of The Earth' had needled Page dating back to before he'd even regained the belt, in a cute callback to their original exchanges back in 2019. After Hangman beat Moxley on the same night MJF earned a contract, the two came together, but Page - the smart babyface - convinced Max to use the shot at the upcoming Forbidden Door pay-per-view rather than saving it for a more opportune, cowardly time. MJF said yes and the match was made.
Then - just a week later and in a preposterous development - by threatening to burn Mark Briscoe alive, MJF got his shot back, reneged on his original deal and forced the Champion to comply within his own weighted stipulation requests. The nature of the threat was dumb, but the damage this did to audience trust in AEW's creative process (and to a lesser extent Hangman Page as a babyface) was worse.
Bad booking at the top of the card, in an era where AEW could still do with ensuring audiences that this sort of thing was long gone.