AEW Revolution: Cody needs to beat MJF

Cody agreed to MJF’s stipulations in order to have a match against MJF. Their match will take place at AEW Revolution.

Cody versus MJF has simmered on for months. It’s finally coming to a boil on February 29 at AEW Revolution. Here’s how we got here: back at Full Gear, MJF threw in the towel for Cody when the latter was facing Chris Jericho for the AEW World Championship. To add fuel to the fire, he low-blowed his “best friend”.

MJF’s dislike of Cody had been teased for months on Being the Elite. Viewers of the show knew a turn was coming eventually, but Full Gear seemed a little early. MJF continued to be a menace by hiring The Bunny, The Butcher, and The Blade to attack Cody.

When Cody offered MJF his watch, truck, Louis Vuitton shoes and $50,000 in cash to face him, MJF declined. In true MJF fashion, his counter offer benefited himself. In order for MJF to agree to a match, Cody had to agree to the following:

-He can’t lay a hand on MJF before February 29

-Face WARDLOW in a cage match

-Receive 10 lashes on live TV

https://twitter.com/AEWonTNT/status/1202403902022246401?s=20

So far, Cody has met two of those conditions. He has kept his hands to himself. On last week’s Dynamite, the main event was Cody receiving his ten lashes. MJF got in Cody’s face during the main event and tried taunting Cody into hitting him. If he had, the match was off.

It was one of the most intense, memorable segments in AEW’s young history. This will be a segment that fans will talk about for years to come. It was as close to perfect as they could get: MJF was defiant, his lackeys stood on stage (close enough to watch, but far enough away to not get involved), Dustin offered to take the last five lashes for his baby brother, the Bucks offered moral support and Brandi offered her own strength to support her husband to hold up his end of the deal.

After surviving ten lashes, MJF seemed to show a glimmer of remorse. Before he let his emotions really show, MJF kneed Cody before running through the crowd with WARDLOW in tow. He was attacked by someone (a plant? Kazarian?) as the show went off the air. That segment was a pay-per-view selling moment. Fans want to see MJF get his comeuppance.

MJF has come through this whole thing mostly unscathed. DDP has gotten his hands on him. The Young Bucks threw him into the pool on the Jericho Cruise at the request of Cody. He has the protection of WARDLOW, The Bunny, The Butcher and The Blade. MJF can obviously wrestle, but he spends a lot of time running his mouth and running away instead of backing it up. He is easy to hate. Maxwell Jacob Friedman is a man you want to see have his a– handed to him. No one deserves to do this more than Cody.

Cody started the new year with a new mentor/manager by his side: Arn Anderson. Double A has been part of the Rhodes family for decades. He’s one of the best to ever do it. Cody can no longer challenge for AEW’s World Championship. Wins and losses still matter and Cody wants to win. That’s why he brought Anderson in.

Anderson can help Cody in his match by keeping him on a game plan. Of course, Cody could just wail on MJF until he taps. MJF has made Cody suffer, so it’s only fair that Cody return the favor. Anderson can come up with a game plan that promises maximum pain and gets Cody the most satisfying win of his career.

Cody needs this win, not just to improve his record. He needs to beat MJF to make these last few months worth it. He has sacrificed his peace of mind and body to MJF. He will sacrifice his body further against WARDLOW in a steel cage match. Cody has done everything to make MJF happy. If Cody doesn’t win, what has all of this been for? The end has to justify the means.

“The American Nightmare” is coming for MJF. Be careful what you ask for.