AEW: Why MJF should challenge for the TNT Championship

MJF seemingly has his choice between pursuing the AEW World Championship or TNT Championship. I’m arguing he should go for the latter; here’s why.

Having been ranked #1 the last two weeks in AEW, MJF could viably challenge for the AEW World Championship. However, If you’ve read any of my recent pieces on AEW, you already know I’ve been advocating for MJF to challenge Cody for the TNT Championship.

Why?

On one hand, MJF could still use some polishing on his in-ring work. Though if his match at Double or Nothing with Jungle Boy was any indication, he (and Jungle Boy) are making vast improvements. Becoming TNT Champion would force him to wrestle a more workhorse style that would really have him hone in on the subtle details that would augment his style. He’s probably just not at the World Championship level just yet (though he’ll get there, trust me).

On the other hand, there’s a much more intricate, engaging, and long-term story to tell (well, continue) between MJF and Cody.

Cody was MJF’s mentor, and the early story in AEW was how Cody seemed blind to MJF’s heel nature because of his affection for his young devotee. MJF played it well when he threw in the towel for Cody against then-World Champion Chris Jericho at Full Gear only to kick Cody between the legs after the match.

Remember, this was the match with Cody’s self-imposed stipulation that he could never challenge for the AEW World Championship had he lost to Jericho. The kick to the groin was just rubbing salt in the wound at that point.

MJF said he would never wrestle Cody, and it took Cody telling MJF to “name your price.” He offered up his Ford Black Ops, a watch gifted to him by Tony Khan that he called “the most expensive thing on my body,” his Louis Vuitton red-bottomed shoes (but not the Red Shoes!), and 50 thousand, well, 49,900 dollars in straight cash, homie.

MJF had his own list of demands before he would grant Cody a match. First, the match had to happen at Revolution. Second, Cody could not touch Cody until their match, or there would never be a match. Next, he had to defeat Wardlow in a steel cage match in Wardlow’s AEW debut. Lastly, Cody had to take 10 lashes from MJF.

I still cringe when I hear that belt slap across Cody’s skin. I also flinch thinking about some childhood memories!

MJF emerged victorious during their match after using the Dynamite Diamond Ring to pin Cody 1-2-3 in the middle of the ring at Revolution. Not only did Cody suffer the utter humiliation of thirsting for a  match with MJF only to be lashed on live television, he lost to his former student, seemingly erasing any chance at vengeance.

The path to a TNT Championship match

With Cody defending every week on Dynamite, MJF could reassert his position as the top ranked wrestler and tell Cody he’s invoking his right as #1 contender to challenge for the TNT Championship. With AEW World Champion locked into a feud with Brian Cage, this is really the only viable path for MJF lest he risks his #1 ranking until after Fyter Fest.

MJF sees it as his career mission to antagonize and ruin Cody, and challenging for the TNT Championship makes sense for this ongoing, long-term story. Cody still wants revenge on MJF for his actions at Full Gear in November. It all coalesces.

It also helps that the TNT Championship was most recently on MJF’s mind due to his ranking and involvement in the #1 contender battle royal that Jungle Boy won. He further reiterated his desire for the TNT Championship when he berated Jungle Boy during his match with Cody.

MJF is accurate to a degree; most combat sports/prize fighting involves championship matches that don’t always involve the champion vs. #1 ranked contender for a multitude of reasons (timing, injuries, contract, etc.). Jumping to the tag division, while Best Friends became #1 contender to Tag Team Champion Kenny Omega and “Hangman” Adam Page at Double or Nothing, the stipulation indicated their match would happen at Fyter Fest.

On the episode of Dynamite after Double or Nothing, The SuperBad Squad defeated SCU for a Tag Team Championship match that happened the following week. They lost, so we still have our originally scheduled title match for Fyter Fest. However, if The SuperBad Squad had won, Best Friends would still have their championship match, but against The SuperBad Squad instead.

Lack of clarity with the rankings system

Jumping back to the TNT Championship, the rankings issue is only further complicated by having one list of rankings that incorporate both men’s singles championships. I mentioned last week that there also doesn’t seem to be a system in determining Cody’s weekly challengers since Marq Quen, who’s wrestled nary a singles match in AEW, challenges Cody on this week’s episode of Dynamite. Quen was involved in the battle royal that Page won and became one-half of the inaugural AEW World Championship match against Jericho.

MJF challenging Cody for his TNT Championship at least makes kayfabe sense since one, he’s a singles wrestler, and two, he’s actually ranked.

(The discussion on how rankings systems in professional wrestling generally don’t work is for another day.)

With the muddled ranking system, MJF could add another wrench if he refuses to wrestle and put his #1 ranking on the line until he receives what he would frame as rightfully his in a TNT Championship match. Cody presents himself as the honorable champion by agreeing to MJF’s demands (again), but we all know there’s a bubbling rage underneath.

The aftermath

There are viable, extended stories available regardless of who wins a potential championship match and how the match is structured. Is this where Wardlow decides to turn on MJF? Does he tease laying out MJF only to help him defeat Cody?

Does MJF force Cody to tap to Salt of the Earth or pin him clean? Does he have to resort to rule breaking or leverage pins as he’s had to against even mid-card competition like Jungle Boy? If MJF wins, does he have Wardlow defend the championship in his stead like Wardlow’s his representative? Would this accelerate Wardlow’s turning on MJF? Being the heel that he is, how often would MJF even defend?

If Cody wins, he could challenge MJF to a rubber match that’s not only for bragging rights and the TNT Championship, but the stipulation that Cody could once again challenge for the AEW World Championship should he win. Considering MJF is responsible for placing Cody in this predicament (if you overlook the self-imposed stipulation), it makes sense.

Further, MJF would have to jump at the chance at another championship opportunity and to rebound from his first singles loss in AEW.

If Cody loses, not only is now 0-2 against his former protege, but he will also have lost the only singles championship he can pursue. It could be a long time before Cody once again challenges for the TNT Championship.

These kinds of stories and angles just aren’t there yet between MJF and Jon Moxley or Brian Cage, so why turn there when it’s all lined up for Cody vs. MJF?

Even though MJF and Cody haven’t necessarily been tied together in angles since Revolution, their relationship and history is always present. With MJF ranked #1 and Cody as TNT Champion, what better time to reignite this blood feud than now?