6 Ups & 3 Downs From AEW Dynamite (July 5 - Review)

2. The Adventures Of MJF And Adam Cole

MJF Cake
AEW

The trouble with MJF's run in 2023 is that it is simultaneously well-performed and very entertaining, but not as strong as his programme with CM Punk last year.

Early in the show, a skit was broadcast in which MJF and Cole spotted one another in the gym. MJF also spotted a rotund fellow (Puf) and ripped the piss out of him, mercilessly, and Cole quietly agreed that it was funny even if it's not on to admit that these days. This involuntary bonding was very funny, but the production was jarring and not likely to appease the critics who question this WWE-adjacent direction. The music cues, close-ups...this was filmed and edited. The camera was acknowledged, but the scene was still too staged.

AEW is usually tighter with this sort of thing: couldn't they have framed it as though MJF's personal trainer had to film everything to track his progress?

Anything to hide the fact that this was a comedy skit, in keeping with AEW's approach (if that can still be written in the present tense). Contrived or no, this MJF Vs. Adam Cole double act is a hit in the building. Their match opposite Daddy Magic and the Butcher was fun, if jarring, given that the World champion was in it. MJF as ironic babyface asking for his cooler peer's help drew laughter from the crowd. In the post-match, MJF wished Adam Cole a happy birthday, set off some streamers and brought out an amusingly small, almost cruel cake. Cole sensed that MJF was going to put his face in it and beat him to it. Both men are playing a game, to what end is unclear.

MJF is trying to make Cole feel small, literally and figuratively, but what's Cole doing? Is he trying to make MJF feel like an idiot in order to get the psychological advantage?

MJF is brilliant at navigating material both lightweight and serious. Is the problem here that fans have seen too much of the former in recent months? MJF's character is brilliant. He's Joffrey Baratheon if he grew up. He will at some point reveal the darker side within, and his desperate attempts to get over with Cole hint at the horrible, broken little monster within, but this is the second consecutive feud in which he's done the cake-in-the-face gag. This, while great on its own low-stakes terms, is entertaining - but it isn't the Punk programme.

Wouldn't it be better if he was locked in serious business with Eddie Kingston?

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Contributor
Contributor

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!