MJF made a name for himself in AEW. Throughout his entire run in the Jacksonville-based promotion, he has made a lot of enemies. As a result, he has been part of many iconic feuds.
Let’s look at some of his noteworthy rivalries in All Elite Wrestling.
Who is truly the Best in the World?
Two of the biggest names in AEW are MJF and CM Punk. Shortly after his debut in the Tony Khan-led promotion, the Second City Saint crossed paths with Friedman. The two had one of the most heated and best promo segments in the company’s history.
The two have only faced each other in one-on-one action on two different nights. One night was during an episode of AEW Dynamite. In the episode, Friedman became the first person to pin CM Punk on live TV.
The rivalry culminated at the AEW Revolution pay-per-view in a Dog Collar Match. It was one of the most violent matches in the Jacksonville-based promotion. In the very end, Friedman was nearing victory but at the same time, his protégé Wardlow turned on the Salt of the Earth. In the end, the Second City Saint managed to get his revenge by getting the win.
MJF takes on his Protégé
The self-proclaimed Devil of AEW was furious that Wardlow cost him his match against CM Punk. It turned out that the reason behind that was that Mr. Mayhem wanted a match against MJF. One important thing to note is that Wardlow was contractually obliged to serve for Maxwell Jacob Friedman.
Wardlow demanded that he have a match against MJF to get relieved from the above-mentioned contract.
Friedman made Wardlow go through multiple tests and challenges to earn the shot. In the end, Wardlow managed to earn the title match. Mr. Mayhem absolutely destroyed the Salt of the Earth in a matter of minutes.
Since defeating Friedman, Wardlow had captured the TNT Championship on several occasions.
MJF Faces A Nightmare
Professional wrestlers have multiple rivalries throughout their careers. But, there will always be one feud that elevates the athlete’s career. MJF’s feud with Cody Rhodes is the one that made Friedman a force to reckon with.
The Salt of the Earth had avoided a match with Rhodes for a long time. Finally, MJF demanded that the American Nightmare go through a few challenges to earn a match against him.
After Rhodes successfully came out of all the challenges which included 10 lashes from Friedman, he wrestled MJF. The two went to war at the AEW Revolution pay-per-view. The Salt of the Earth managed to earn the victory.
Friends turned bitter rivals
Maxwell Jacob Friedman was once a leader of the faction called The Pinnacle. Before he formed the group he was building a close relationship with Chris Jericho. He even became part of The Inner Circle. Jericho and Friedman had built a good friendship and they even earned a shot at the AEW Tag Team Championships.
After they lost the title match, things went awry and Friedman left the Inner Circle and formed his own stable. The Pinnacle and The Inner Circle had two matches against each other. One was a Blood & Guts match that MJF’s faction won, while the other was a Stadium Stampede match that Jericho’s team emerged victorious.
MJF and The Ocho had two one-on-one matches. Friedman picked up the win in the first match, but when Jericho’s career was on the line, the first-ever AEW World Champion managed to have the last laugh.
Bitter rivals turned Best friends
Adam Cole made a return to AEW after a life-threatening concussion. He wanted a shot at the top title in the promotion. He went on to wrestle Friedman for the title. Despite the two putting on a tough fight, it ended in a time-limit draw.
With Cole demanding a rematch, the two became tag team partners in the Blind Eliminator Tournament. This resulted in the two becoming best of friends. But despite that, there was still doubt amongst fans if either one would turn on the other. But to date, that has not occurred.
The two put on a clinical at AEW All In, they captured the ROH Tag Team Championships at the Zero Hour and battled each other for the World Championship. In the end, MJF retained his title.
What is your favorite feud of MJF’s? Let us know in the comments section below.
