On last night’s AEW Dynamite, live from Cincinnati, Ohio, Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF) cut a scathing promo on Cincinnati and the entire Pillman family. Fresh off his defeat to Chris Jericho at All Out, MJF was coming into Dynamite with an understandably fiery, hot temper. Everyone felt his wrath during a promo which, most definitely, was not PG. During the segment – which saw MJF get physical with the Varsity Blondes, Brian Pillman Jr. and Griff Garrison – a major face turn was teased.
Promo “Edgy” But Great
.@The_MJF not earning any brownie points with the #AEW fans in Cincinnati – Tune in NOW to watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on @tntdrama pic.twitter.com/sKZcbdOLME
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) September 9, 2021
MJF promos are not to everyone’s taste. To many, they can come across as “cheap”, unnecessarily “edgy” or, as the kids say, “try-hard”. This is an understandable criticism and one which has followed MJF throughout his career. He even alluded to it in last night’s promo, mocking fans with feigned cries of “cheap heat” repeatedly. However, one cannot deny that MJF is an excellent promo guy; unwavering confidence on the microphone allowing him to belligerently tear into his opponents with a near-unmatched, pugnacious verbal assault. He has been tied to Jericho for so long that we haven’t been able to see him work with new material and opponents in almost a year. Last night’s promo, where he took shots at the beloved Aunt Linda – who raised Pillman Jr. following the tragic death of Brian Pillman – Pillman Jr’s pregnant sister and the entirety of the city, reminded us all of how good he can be. If you haven’t yet caught the promo, you should. However, fan criticisms that the promo – where MJF almost said Pillman Jr. should have been “aborted” – were fully understandable. MJF is as polarizing as he is controversial and he makes it work to his benefit.
Big Wardlow Face Turn Was Teased
During the segment, even Wardlow – MJF’s long-time “friend” and bodyguard – was unable to escape MJF’s wrath. He verbally attacked Wardlow for not being able to help MJF overcome Jericho at All Out. The tension between the two instantly drew a chorus of “oohs” from the crowd, who then looked on as MJF was being beaten down by the Varsity Blondes. Though Wardlow did come to MJF’s aid, he did so at a noticeably leisured pace – seeming to enjoy the “Salt of the Earth” getting beaten down.
For months now, this breakup has been teased, but never quite so obviously. Wardlow has often drew comparisons to Evolution era Batista – that being a “muscle” of a group with clear potential and a sense of being used to benefit someone not to their level. The time will come when this break-up happens and when it does, Wardlow – if booked well – will instantly become one of the top young babyfaces in the company; one who looks like a legitimate star. If last night’s promo was the beginning of that turn, expect to see it sooner rather than later. Wardlow is widely deemed to one day become a big star and should his first solo feud be with the controversial competitor his career has been tied to so far, expect him to become a top babyface one day soon.
More from LWOS Pro Wrestling
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can catch AEW Dynamite Wednesday nights at 8 PM ET on TNT and AEW Dark: Elevation (Monday nights) and AEW: Dark (Tuesday nights) at 7 PM ET on YouTube.
