8 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite (6 September - Review)

3. MJF Continues To Perfect His Babyface Scumbag Bit

Samoa Joe MJF September 6
AEW

MJF and Samoa Joe went very long in a promo exchange - possibly too long for Joe, who struggled a bit in various moments - but the fans ate up every line, threat and catchphrase.

Joe referred to MJF as a "kid" over and over again. MJF, remembering that he's not all that into wrestling too often, didn't rise to the bait. In the best of several fat jokes, MJF said that Joe must have confused his entrance theme for an ice cream truck. The best jokes conjure ludicrous images, and the idea of a mean-mugging Joe asking his mam for money to get a cone was fantastic.

Joe, toying with his, erm, food, escalated his threat. Every time he referred to MJF as a "kid", his voice deepened further into a growl. MJF told the story of that Brooklyn II shove, how he never forgot it, and that the last time somebody from NXT disrespected him, he battered them out of the company. Joe would be no different. MJF then ran through his catchphrases. The building looks so much bigger when he's in it. Joe attacked MJF before Adam Cole made the save, but not after calling MJF a bitch.

That word is used more often than "the" in wrestling, and still Joe made it sound intimidating.

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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!