Professional wrestling has a strong group of babyfaces today. Names such as Cody Rhodes, Bianca Belair, Willow Nightingale, and Orange Cassidy are just a few performers who are met with adulation of fans every time they head to the ring. Being a babyface is a big deal because it typically means that individual is the face of the company. All Elite Wrestling has the opportunity to build MJF into one of the biggest babyfaces in the business, and it is a story the company is seemingly trying to tell today.
Since day one, MJF has been the biggest jerk in All Elite Wrestling. He continues to reach new levels, being one of the best heels professional wrestling has seen. While some of his gimmick gets old more often than not, he is one of the most important performers on the roster.
All the while, MJF continues to play the biggest jerk in wrestling, deep down, he wants the cheers and praise from the wrestling world. That desire has been hinted at several times.
First, there was the duo he formed with Adam Cole. Fans knew at some point the team would split. Cole revealed himself to be The Devil, but thanks to injury and lackluster booking, that angle never truly grew to what it could have been.
But there was a hint to MJF’s inner workings during an in-ring promo segment. Cole hinted that MJF was going to turn first, which the latter confirmed – but was he really going to stab his friend in the back? That’s a piece of the angle that can be played upon in the future.
Now, MJF and “Hangman” Adam Page are locked in battle. MJF hates that fans still cheer for Page after all he did while taking on Swerve Strickland. His argument is that if fans can forgive Page for doing such things as burning down a house, why can’t they forgive him for what he’s done along the way? In pro wrestling land, that’s not the worst logic.
MJF has shown his vulnerability to fans, told them about being bullied as a kid and his mental health struggles along the way. Those are all stories to build a performer as a babyface, not someone to be jeered. MJF wants the love, but just like any other insecure young man, he struggles with finding it in a healthy way, so he lashes out like any other heel would in professional wrestling.
Turning MJF into AEW’s biggest babyface
The question is how does All Elite Wrestling get there? Page picked up the victory over MJF at AEW Revolution, but it doesn’t seem like that story is quite finished yet. Page openly talks about MJF “caring” what the people think about him. MJF scoffs at the idea, but again, anyone with any understanding of wrestling knows that’s exactly where the story is headed.
The big question is if or when will The Deathriders play into this angle. Jon Moxley’s title run has not been great. In fact, this one will go down as one of the worst in AEW’s short history. Moxley is a great performer in every sense of the word. But the issue is that this angle feels more sports entertainment, and bad sports entertainment at that. Fans are clamoring to see him without the title, and this angle ended.
Page is still chasing after Moxley after failing to win the title in the four-way match from a few months back. He’ll need help, and what if MJF is the guy that steps up to help him in this situation? Seeing MJF and Page together would undoubtedly give fans a reason to cheer for him. If Strickland or Darby Allin aren’t the guys tagged to take that title off Moxley, MJF would be a perfect candidate to do so.
MJF has long played the man-child of AEW. Doing and saying ridiculous things to get a reaction from the fans, when in reality, all he ever wanted was to be loved by them. It seems like AEW is starting to scratch the surface with that story. If they do it right, this could be an angle that turns MJF into one of the biggest babyfaces in pro wrestling.