7 Ups & 3 Downs From AEW Dynamite (12 Oct)

4. The Bad Guy

MJF Alex Marvez
AEW

Aside from the aforementioned acknowledgments that AEW promo interruptions are f*cking hack sh*t and whatever may or may not be going on with MJF and The Firm, this was electrifying stuff from the man every bit as generational as he says he is.

After doing yet more rationalising of why it's okay for him to be the worst person alive with a loaded callback to all he'd learned in his transcendent war with CM Punk, 'The Salt Of The Earth' offered an explanation of sorts about why he very nearly shook Wheeler Yuta's hand last week before backing off from William Regal. In doing so, he tiptoed around a bit of personal previous with Regal that was fleshed out on Twitter by Post Wrestling's Andrew Thompson, and never forgot the main message that an AEW Championship win is an inevitability.

The Elite were often praised for how their characters were never simply involved in the story they were in at that very moment. That what they did followed what they'd done before and foreshadowed what they'd do in the future. This is absolutely true of Maxwell Jacob Friedman. The more we learn of him, the more we learn about him, and the depth of thought confirms All Elite Wrestling still as the destination for the best version of pro wrestling is. If there's still a cloud hanging over this product post-All Out 2022, it's MJF who remains most likely to chart a course to clearer skies ahead.

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett