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Quoted By: >>7859728 >>7859801 >>7860701 >>7860989 >>7860997 >>7860999 >>7861561 >>7861702 >>7862586 >>7863118
I've gotten so used to MJF getting massive babyface crowd reactions that it's kinda wild to remember that it was very recently the complete opposite
Obviously Double or Nothing was a special case given all the drama and rumors surrounding MJF that weekend, but remembering the nuclear heel heat that he got in that match and contrasting it with the massive cheers he's gotten since returning at All Out, it feels like a completely different era even though that was just five months ago.
It's also funny recalling the discussion ahead of the Long Island Dynamite in December of last year when people were wondering about the extent to which MJF would get cheered in his hometown, and now you'd be hard pressed to find a city where MJF won't be the most popular person at a given AEW event.
For as much as I feel like AEW as a total product has lost a fair amount of the magic that I felt it had at this time last year, MJF is still a joy to watch; I can't remember feeling this compelled watching a single performer on a weekly wrestling program since at least Kevin Owens on NXT and Raw in 2015.
Assuming he wins the World title at Full Gear (and I can't envision a scenario where he doesn't), I'm very interested to see the direction his character goes. Many have predicted Regal turning on Mox and mentoring MJF, and I think that could be awesome. I just hope AEW doesn't force heel reactions on MJF again; I think a Conor McGregor-esque asshole character that is still cheered is absolute money.
Obviously Double or Nothing was a special case given all the drama and rumors surrounding MJF that weekend, but remembering the nuclear heel heat that he got in that match and contrasting it with the massive cheers he's gotten since returning at All Out, it feels like a completely different era even though that was just five months ago.
It's also funny recalling the discussion ahead of the Long Island Dynamite in December of last year when people were wondering about the extent to which MJF would get cheered in his hometown, and now you'd be hard pressed to find a city where MJF won't be the most popular person at a given AEW event.
For as much as I feel like AEW as a total product has lost a fair amount of the magic that I felt it had at this time last year, MJF is still a joy to watch; I can't remember feeling this compelled watching a single performer on a weekly wrestling program since at least Kevin Owens on NXT and Raw in 2015.
Assuming he wins the World title at Full Gear (and I can't envision a scenario where he doesn't), I'm very interested to see the direction his character goes. Many have predicted Regal turning on Mox and mentoring MJF, and I think that could be awesome. I just hope AEW doesn't force heel reactions on MJF again; I think a Conor McGregor-esque asshole character that is still cheered is absolute money.
