How AEW Are SECRETLY Telling A Genius Long-Term Story

MJF Chris Jericho
AEW

MJF and Jericho have not directly interacted since verbally incinerating Cody in Nashville. This segment didn't simply happen because the interaction between two master mic men would pop the crowd. It served a purpose beyond elegantly transitioning between Cody's antagonists. It quietly built a narrative foundation, marking the only expositional element of a long-term storyline AEW are elsewhere hiding in plain sight to inform its grand, dramatic heft.

AEW asked the audience to draw comparisons between the two men weeks earlier, on October 24, in Pittsburgh. As Jericho arrogantly mocked the encroaching members of the Nightmare Family, before realising they would soon negate the numbers advantage, Jericho wondered aloud why anybody would wear a scarf. This secret storyline extends even further back.

On the debut episode of Dynamite, Chris Jericho tagged Santana in order to enter the ring and start his six-man tag versus the Elite. He motioned for a collar and elbow tie-up, but, in a heel move designed to draw the ire of Kenny Omega, immediately tagged back out. At Bash At The Beach, MJF feigned to start his six-man tag match with Diamond Dallas Page. He also tagged out, immediately, to the Butcher.

MJF learned the riling-up strategy of Le Champion, and borrowed also from his lexicon to mock the fans attending AEW's tour of the southern and mid-southern states.

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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!