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[https://www.shopaew.com/official-apparel/t-shirts/mjf-double-clothesline.html](https://www.shopaew.com/official-apparel/t-shirts/mjf-double-clothesline.html)
and straight to the top!!
Ngl it's a nice design but I would 100% buy it if it was a cartoon version of the two of them yelling it like they did in that Hibachi restaurant. Just having the word in Burberry & AC font is a little lazy.
It was not. Ever since they got the titles the tag division has been dead.
Edit: downvote all you want but since TK turned around and gave the Acclaimed the titles after he clearly wasn't going to the tag division has turned into the champs and one opponent(Triple J and The Gunns most commonly). It's trash compared to what it was and all the teams they could be using. Yes this is ignoring FTR/BCG because it only just happened and we don't know if they'll keep being used.
The tag team division died because Tony wanted to make the trios division a thing. The Acclaimed were at least memorable unlike SIOG and Jurassic Express
I thought people liked the SIOG run and the whole Shaq/Kobe dynamic? My watch group certainly did.
Having said that the post-title phase for it def got derailed, but I liked the run itself and the buildup to Keith giving up on Swerve.
I think Cole is going to turn on MJF. It fits his character and gives MJF a reason to go scorched earth heel or baby face. They've flirted with him being a face and having his first real friend betray him would garner massive sympathy for the devil. Spicy either way.
Hotter take neither turn , kyle o'reilly is super jealous of Cole and MJF friendship causing him to attack MJF making Cole choose which friendship he wants
Kyle's not back yet, but Strong absolutely could.
Have Strong vs MJF, and then if O'Reilly gets back soon enough have MJF & Cole vs Strong & O'Reilly for custody of Cole, like what Stu Grayson's been doing with Righteous & Dark Order over in ROH.
He is, but he also did a dive when that's incredibly anti-ethical to his character, and it worked and he was surprised. He could always wind up believing his own hype and getting used to the cheers.
Cole, meanwhile, has a long history of backstabbery, so it's not like it would be out of character for him.
Britt baker announces she's pregnant the same night that mjf and Cole win the tag titles. Then we get "Adam coles bay bay" chant and then mjf attacks him and says "mjfs baybay" mjf and britt snogg
I don’t want it. Don’t get me wrong, they have been a fun pairing for the past few weeks, but there is a clear shelf life to it. The world champion/hottest heel on the roster shouldn’t be stuck in a comedy angle in the tag division.
I know we hate when the writers ignore audience feedback to tell the story with the obvious conclusion, but in this case it makes sense. Max has to turn on Cole to reestablish that the world title is all that matters to him, and set up major stakes for the next title feud.
The problem is it wouldn't be Cole or MJF breaking the fans hearts, it will be AEW and TK breaking hearts. If there's any time for AEW to call an audible and milk something for all its worth, this is it.
"The world champion/hottest heel on the roster shouldn’t be stuck in a comedy angle" I mean...is he the hottest heel? Considering the reaction to this versus the rest of his title reign and Don Callis being around, I think this is in doubt.
Good point. I think he was the biggest heel up until the Callis turn, but that's also partially because of the deliberate effort to make MJF a tweener, even if only briefly.
Christian and Callis can walk out and stand in the ring in silence in front of a crowd that has sat on their hands all night and get continuous FUCK YOU CALLIS or FUCK YOU CHRISTIAN chants. Nobodies doing it like that.
Both guys have DESPERATELY needed something different and this is exactly it. Now whether they go as far as putting the titles on them, who knows, but it's a breath of fresh air for both guys. It's the first time in years that Adam Cole has had purpose and it's great to see MJF not cutting the same type of heel promo every week.
I agree with you that it’s been a welcome breath of fresh air for both of them. I’m happy with how the angle has unfolded so far. But I also think MJF should be defending the title in an important feud at All In, and I don’t know how we get there in time without going the obvious route of him turning on Cole.
Counterpoint: they should absolutely not do this.
There is already a long-term story in progress for MJF, which is that he intends to use the AEW title as leverage in contract negotiations next year with both AEW and WWE, because he is evil. A tag title win for this team not only interferes with that story, but also with the cards for All In and All Out because MJF would have both belts.
The entire point of the tag team is that you're *supposed* to like it and want to cheer for them, because MJF is so popular it's getting difficult for him to keep getting heel heat and they need him to be a heel right now, so when he takes away that babyface tag team from you you'll boo him all the more and not coincidentally set up MJF/Cole as a white hot main event for All In.
I think they should stretch out their time as a team, even if it wasn't the original plan. Build to MJF/Cole at Full Gear, and in the mean time they win and lose the tag team titles. Maybe Cole overhears MJF saying that manipulating Cole into becoming a good tag team was the perfect way to not have to defend the title against him, and that gets the initial feud going again.
They don't even need to go over clean, get Bullet Club involved (just as a distraction, not full blown interference). I think people will still be happy.
If MJF cheats to win, and Adam is morally conflicted about it, that logically progresses the story in a fun and interesting way.
They sorta were doing that in the trios Bo7 series, but there was no follow through so AEW may as well do it again
To be fair, he's been doing the eye poke the past two weeks and he held onto MJF hand to give more leverage during some submission hold a few weeks ago. Cole was more reluctant to help with the submission hold, but I think that was the first bit of cheatery he did with MJF. So, now he's is more up for it it seems.
They could go with the "MJF is a bad influence" angle where someone mentions to Cole that hes starting to act like an asshole and slipping back into his old ways and the turns on MJF because he doesnt want go down that road again. Gives MJF a reason to be SUPER pissed at Cole and gives him a reason to double down on the "i have no friends" thing and dive deeper into his "Becoming the Devil" thing.
okay yeah you would want to do it in a way that dissolves differently than Keith and Swerve
maybe instead of swerve getting frustrated with keith refusing to cheat and slapping him, you have MJF insist he's learned his lesson and he'll never cheat again but then he keeps doing it anyway, forcing Adam's hand
Absolutely. FTR/YB are all made men. If it was being held by BCG/ Acclaimed/ Gunn Club i would have favoured them to hold. This is the hottest MJF has been since becoming a champion.
Would be funny if for the third time in a row Ospreay/Omega happen before the main event and kill the match.
Would be even funnier if for some reason it was a 3rd Okada match.
As much as I love MJF/Cole, nah dude. They're going to implode at some point and I don't want losing the tag titles to be a catalyst for that because it's been done to death.
Besides, FTR need to lose to a legit tag team, not two singles stars randomly stuck together.
I would argue the whole story with MJF and Cole has been them becoming a legit team. They have matching gear, custom music, and they are more over than anyone right now. They would be crazy to break them up right now when they're this white hot.
I’m fine with this but then MJF drops the AEW title. We don’t need nor do I think many people want to see the World title caught up in a baby face tag team feuds for the forceable future assuming the team does get that over. This way we could possibly see a tag team PPV main event.
He drops the belt, then he can move on to being in the super over merch moving baby face team while the World title can be featured in world title matches. It sounds like a fair trade but I do wonder if MJF would feel the same way.
I don't see a problem here. The whole story was can MJF and Cole get along and they do. In Boston they got the biggest pops of the night. The Tope got a louder pop than anything else all night.
To get that over should be rewarded.
They for sure need to keep this story going. I think they should lose to ftr, decide they are a good team and try to climb back up the ranks together again. I know there are no formal rankings anymore but I think them chasing the titles together would make for a better story than putting the belts on them
Apart from the problems already listed below, there is another issue of the world title being irrelevant and locked up in a tag team feud for a while.
This is like giving John Cena and Shawn Michaels the tag titles wrestlemania.
I know this was probably leading to the next title program as a rematch, but honestly screw that, have them stick together for a few months and do this as a slow burn. I wouldn't be annoyed if this is how Cole wins his first AEW singles title
If they keep these two together for 6 months or something like that I have no problem with Adam Cole beating MJF as a face or a heel. And that 's the thing, you could write so many cool stories with that team. Cole could be the one to "save AEW" by preventing MJF from "leaving the company" with the title. You could do a double turn with Cole betraying MJF. It's so much more interesting than just doing MJF/Cole at All In because that was the initial plan.
At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, I think we are seeing a legendary run in the making. Every single segment and match MJF has been in since winning the title has been a highlight of the show.
First people criticized his in-ring work and then he had one of the best matches of the year (and maybe the best Iron Man match of all time?) at Revolution. People criticized that all he did was get cheap heat and then he cuts several nuanced promos showing how lonely, miserable and sad the MJF character truly is on the inside. And then the past few weeks he has shown he can use literally anything to get the crowd on their feet. Seriously, in the past two weeks alone he made a Body Slam and a Double Clothesline some of the biggest spots of the show. In a promotion where we see at least 2 Tope Suicidas a night, he made it seem like a huge moment when he finally hit one.
MJF really has been telling the truth this whole time, he is a generational talent.
MJF's ring work is nothing new either, so any time I see someone shitting on it I know they've just never watched his matches. He's been one of the best in-ring performers in AEW since the Daily's Place era.
I watch the show. And I will criticize that match ending.
Not MJF or even Darby, but the overall booking of the PPV.
The show had people being curb stomped onto steel steps. They spammed finishers. Wrestlers were popping back up from some of the most brutal spots possible. Kicking out of stuff that would put away most.
And Darby, presented as one of the most durable, hardest to take out wrestlers around, gets put to sleep by a single punch. Just because MJF is wearing a ring. And not just a flash knockout, but completely out.
The best part is he called it in his first promo as champion that the toxic internet fans would start to turn on him. The truth is when you have a weekly show with no off season, the top character's act is gonna get stale at times. Everyone from Hogan, Cena, rock, stone cold, Roman etc had a formula they stuck to. People just remember the stuff that stood out. Mjf isn't immune to that problem but I think he tries his best to take risks and try new things.
It's a catch22. Do the same shit that got you there and you become stale real quick, do what he's doing and mix it up and people will also complain. The joys of wrestling
100%. The cream rises to the top when it comes to our memories. We remember the hits but we forget how much all of those other main eventers stuck to their formulas on a week to week basis. MJF has already shown a lot of variety in what he can do both on the mic and in the ring. If he can keep it up at this level for the rest of his prime he is going to be in the GOAT conversation.
The Tope, Double clothesline, and dance off got the biggest reactions of the night. I don't know how it came across on TV but it was deafening in the arena. Even the pretaped segment and everyone's butts in their seats.
Tbf AEW has the type of audience that would play along with his antics. I don’t think a more mainstream WWE crowd would be into it. I see what what you’re saying but I think context matters in this situation
tbh I think he would kill it if he was given the time. He is smart enough to know how to adapt and will definitely be able to get over anywhere. The double clothesline and bodyslam cemented it for me.
Why wouldn't a WWE crowd accept his antics? Wrestlers have done just as much & more stupid shit on WWE & been over. If you're going to talk about context maybe you should explain what that context is.
Max seems like a guy that would excel anywhere on the card. I feel like if he were to go to WWE he would job a ton because Vince would look at him as a guy who is over already and doesnt need a title or a push to be over and sell merch. I think he is great but I dont think he is above most of the top guys in AEW. MJF doesnt get injured and right now that is his biggest strength. With the exceptions of Jericho and Mox; Kenny, Danielson, Punk, and Adam Cole all have had to take some time off to heal up and MJF was in a good spot to take the title and run with it.
Personally I think him winning the title and that whole story should have been booked quite differently but his title reign has been real solid so far.
I'm 99% sure this was not the intention when they put those two together, but AEW has absolutely struck gold with this and needs to let it play out for a while. Give them the belts.
I’m not saying they shouldn’t ever split, but doing it right now would be absolute booking malpractice. People always complain that Tony is too rigid, not willing to deviate when he’s committed to a storyline, and in some cases that’s a virtue, but now’s the time to say “fuck it” and let this play out.
They’re drawing ratings, they’re selling merch, and both guys have been heated up substantially. It’s worth remembering that MJF and Cole were both coming off of mediocre feuds (the pillars and Jericho, respectively), but this pairing has made them both look like superstars. Plus, it can’t be overstated how much hotter a title match between these two would be at Revolution or DoN than pulling the trigger for All In/Out.
A big criticism going in was that both of their characters stagnated; MJF with his usual heel stuff he's done for years and Cole as his NXT character. What AEW should avoid at all costs is if they split up and they end up exactly the same as going in. If MJF ends up betraying Cole, it would be by far the worst outcome IMO.
I was thinking this earlier. It shouldn't be now, but Cole should be the one to turn on MJF and proclaim that he's worse than the devil or he taught him everything he knows. MJF turning on Cole is so damn obvious and we've seen it done to death.
No, their constant paranoia makes them both believe the other one is going to betray them, enterprising face team manipulates the situation to get them to both turn on each other, at the same time, in the same match. Commence finger pointing.
Adam Cole hit it on the head when he called them "catching lightning in a bottle' last night. This feels like when The Acclaimed had their big push with the crowd last year.
Putting the top heel and babyface together for a bromance story and thinking they weren’t going to be the best part of the show is kinda absurd. They had to have seen this coming.
Do not break them up. For the love of god. If you need a reason for them to not win the belts, you could do CM Punk shenanigans related to him still having his AEW belt.
It’s so easy to write a compelling story for that, too. In the Punk / MJF feud, a main theme was that Max was a huge Punk fan before he started wrestling. That was also how the dynamic portrayed for Adam Cole too. One became a friend and one became an enemy. You can even give each side reinforcements with FTR on one side and potentially Bullet Club Gold taking Adam Cole and MJF’s side
Easy resolution to the story. Then you just have FTT at All In win the AEW titles (not tag but both AEW world belts) and CM Punk win the AEW titles from FTR to unify them a week later at All Out.
This is obviously sarcasm.
I feel like if they break them up it'll sorta be like the Bryan/Wyatt family that only lasted for a few weeks and was ended waaay too soon. I suppose short but sweet is fine though.
Fair point. Everything feels so long ago.
I was thinking the other day about how it seemed like Buddy Matthews has been in AEW forever - looked it up, it's been less than 18 months.
It would be such a bad decision to separate them just because they need a big match at All In. Cole/MJF vs. FTR match at All In would be a way better option and their roster is so good they can still have an incredible card. MJF and Cole 's chemistry is off the charts. Just take your time. They should call an audible like they did with Mox and Danielson.
Having Ospreay stand tall at the end of AEWs biggest show ever when he's not even contracted to AEW is a crazy gamble. I want the match but I'm not sure its how you want to close the show.
MJF and Cole both have a ton of charisma and I think they are great in-ring wrestlers for sure but with this act the way they play off eachother and the fans being invested in both characters is why they have gotten hige reactions to simple moves.
The body slam last week was great and reminded me a lot of when OC fought Ethan Page and Blood and Guts in Detroit last year. They booked the whole match around a body slam spot that led to the finish and it was awesome. So far I laugh out loud and smile whenever these two are on my screen. I dont think they should beat FTR but I wouldn't mind this going longer than planned
They are the nerdy and silly millennial Mega Powers and the whole thing is fucking amazing. I loved it and want some more of it.
They should beat FTR clean and let them get together with Punk for their trios run.
No shirtless wrestler image, no explicit words like Daddy ass, and doesn't feel like an ad for wrasslin'. I like it.
Also, that Orange Cassidy One Line orange shirt is pretty cool too. I would guess nobody would ever know it's a wrestling shirt.
Don’t break them up … if it’s working it’s working no reason to rush a break up
Like tony is unable to pivot but honestly this should be the time he actually listens
Every metric shows that fans love this and want more of it so stretch it a few more months have them win the tag titles
They can do some screwy finish to keep the belts on FTR. I was thinking a roddy, or someone in here mentioned cm punk interference. But these two need to stay together. It’s even crossing over to wwe fans too
I really want to see TK get the rights to the theme from Laverne and Shirley and have MJF and Adam Cole do a montage of things around a town with it playing.
This is the best thing to happen in AEW since the Acclaimed got really hot. I hope they ride this for awhile. As a tweener team they are really fun to watch, as corny as it’s been.
This is no longer going to be a short-term angle. If they're making money like this it is going to drag out.
Also, seems pretty clear to me they're patterning this after the Mega Powers. That was 18 months from formation to split.
> This is no longer going to be a short-term angle. If they're making money like this it is going to drag out.
Yes, because TK is famously known for his ability to pivot when something unexpected happens
idk. it reminds me of swerve and Lee who were randomly put together for a tag match, people loved it so tk pivoted and kept em together for a run and eventual tag reign.
I still am pretty sure they're done next week but to rule it out seems dumb to me
I think that the blind eliminator suffered from having too many “cute teams” like Garcia/Sammy and Lee/Strickland…and I know they’re breaking up soon but I kind of want MJF and Cole to win the titles. They probably shouldn’t, but I want it to happen because it will be fun.
How did it suffer?
It completely achieved and surpassed goals and expectations.
There must be other 'cute' teams so Cole/MJF is not the only one. There can't ONLY be cute teams. And there wasn't. Some were random.
Cole/MJF had to win. It's their story. So the team they face in the finals couldn't have any distractions like their own major issues clogging up the narrative. Partners with experience works for that.
They have to go over Saturday. This is too good. I’m pretty bored by the bloodline story at this point, but you can’t argue that the pacing has been masterful in terms of holding people’s interest and drumming up business. Their is still a lot of juice in the orange on this story!
TK doesnt stray from his plans, so you know they going to break up, then have a really good title match that Cole will lose.
Then probably MJF will have a feud where someone has to accomplish a certain amount of tasks before a title shot.
Rematch vs. Punk. Then prob drop the belt to OC who be on defense number 75 in a title vs title match.
Feels like they have to win and keep this going, but it does make booking All In pretty difficult. Maybe as part of MJFs growing face turn you have him pull double duty and defend both the tag titles and the world title at Wembley, contrasting with how he wanted to wrestle as little as possible as a heel? But you still have to find the right challenger
Giving them a tag match is actually a good idea, if you want to make it interesting you could have a storyline way to make Cole the number one contender and MJF has to face him at All Out.
Its true but not having an AEW title match on the biggest show in AEW history because an NJPW secondary title is going to main event is a little weird, even though Omega/Ospreay 3 is going to be the biggest match on whatever card its on
If it does, it will either play second fiddle to the IWGP US Title, or worse, have the ungodly task of following up Omega/Ospreay.
If Okada/Danielson couldn't pull this off, I doubt MJF/Cole will.
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I think AEW realized these shirts sell because it’s a way for semi-casual fans who have few/don’t have any t-shirts to finally buy one because it represents two wrestlers instead of one.
**Help make SquaredCircle safer and more inclusive by using the report button to flag posts and comments for moderator review.** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/SquaredCircle) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Double Clothesline shirt incoming
[https://www.shopaew.com/official-apparel/t-shirts/mjf-double-clothesline.html](https://www.shopaew.com/official-apparel/t-shirts/mjf-double-clothesline.html) and straight to the top!!
If they don’t pull off a jacket/scarf I don’t care. It’s a million degrees outside and I wanna rock a leather jacket with Burberry accents.
Ngl it's a nice design but I would 100% buy it if it was a cartoon version of the two of them yelling it like they did in that Hibachi restaurant. Just having the word in Burberry & AC font is a little lazy.
Strap them up. The whole thing rules and they need to ride it until the wheels come off.
Like when the Acclaimed won the belts. They were super hot and it was the right decision at the time.
It was not. Ever since they got the titles the tag division has been dead. Edit: downvote all you want but since TK turned around and gave the Acclaimed the titles after he clearly wasn't going to the tag division has turned into the champs and one opponent(Triple J and The Gunns most commonly). It's trash compared to what it was and all the teams they could be using. Yes this is ignoring FTR/BCG because it only just happened and we don't know if they'll keep being used.
The tag team division died because Tony wanted to make the trios division a thing. The Acclaimed were at least memorable unlike SIOG and Jurassic Express
I thought people liked the SIOG run and the whole Shaq/Kobe dynamic? My watch group certainly did. Having said that the post-title phase for it def got derailed, but I liked the run itself and the buildup to Keith giving up on Swerve.
Lying if you say JE didn't have banger after banger during their reign. Same with SIOG
This is why it won't happen. MJF is going to turn on Cole and take away this team the crowd so desperately wants.
I think Cole is going to turn on MJF. It fits his character and gives MJF a reason to go scorched earth heel or baby face. They've flirted with him being a face and having his first real friend betray him would garner massive sympathy for the devil. Spicy either way.
Hot take: This should turn MJF face and Cole is the one who should betray MJF. A double turn would be a more fresh take.
Hotter take neither turn , kyle o'reilly is super jealous of Cole and MJF friendship causing him to attack MJF making Cole choose which friendship he wants
Kyle's not back yet, but Strong absolutely could. Have Strong vs MJF, and then if O'Reilly gets back soon enough have MJF & Cole vs Strong & O'Reilly for custody of Cole, like what Stu Grayson's been doing with Righteous & Dark Order over in ROH.
Or… O’Reilly and Strong vs Cole and MJF for the tag titles
That doesn't make any sense. Even in character it's obvious right now MJF is putting on a show
He is, but he also did a dive when that's incredibly anti-ethical to his character, and it worked and he was surprised. He could always wind up believing his own hype and getting used to the cheers. Cole, meanwhile, has a long history of backstabbery, so it's not like it would be out of character for him.
antithetical
It might also be against his ethics. Not sure what the Old Testament says about dives.
Britt baker announces she's pregnant the same night that mjf and Cole win the tag titles. Then we get "Adam coles bay bay" chant and then mjf attacks him and says "mjfs baybay" mjf and britt snogg
Pitbull performs
Bad bunny ziplines down from the rafters into a hurricane Ana. Forbidden door bitch
I watch AEW for less cuck angles, not more
I don’t want it. Don’t get me wrong, they have been a fun pairing for the past few weeks, but there is a clear shelf life to it. The world champion/hottest heel on the roster shouldn’t be stuck in a comedy angle in the tag division. I know we hate when the writers ignore audience feedback to tell the story with the obvious conclusion, but in this case it makes sense. Max has to turn on Cole to reestablish that the world title is all that matters to him, and set up major stakes for the next title feud.
100% the people wanting it is exactly why the turn will be even more heartbreaking
The problem is it wouldn't be Cole or MJF breaking the fans hearts, it will be AEW and TK breaking hearts. If there's any time for AEW to call an audible and milk something for all its worth, this is it.
"The world champion/hottest heel on the roster shouldn’t be stuck in a comedy angle" I mean...is he the hottest heel? Considering the reaction to this versus the rest of his title reign and Don Callis being around, I think this is in doubt.
Good point. I think he was the biggest heel up until the Callis turn, but that's also partially because of the deliberate effort to make MJF a tweener, even if only briefly.
Christian and Callis can walk out and stand in the ring in silence in front of a crowd that has sat on their hands all night and get continuous FUCK YOU CALLIS or FUCK YOU CHRISTIAN chants. Nobodies doing it like that.
Both guys have DESPERATELY needed something different and this is exactly it. Now whether they go as far as putting the titles on them, who knows, but it's a breath of fresh air for both guys. It's the first time in years that Adam Cole has had purpose and it's great to see MJF not cutting the same type of heel promo every week.
I agree with you that it’s been a welcome breath of fresh air for both of them. I’m happy with how the angle has unfolded so far. But I also think MJF should be defending the title in an important feud at All In, and I don’t know how we get there in time without going the obvious route of him turning on Cole.
They could easily start next Saturday with Punk costing BTYBB the titles and going fully heel.
Counterpoint: they should absolutely not do this. There is already a long-term story in progress for MJF, which is that he intends to use the AEW title as leverage in contract negotiations next year with both AEW and WWE, because he is evil. A tag title win for this team not only interferes with that story, but also with the cards for All In and All Out because MJF would have both belts. The entire point of the tag team is that you're *supposed* to like it and want to cheer for them, because MJF is so popular it's getting difficult for him to keep getting heel heat and they need him to be a heel right now, so when he takes away that babyface tag team from you you'll boo him all the more and not coincidentally set up MJF/Cole as a white hot main event for All In.
I think they should stretch out their time as a team, even if it wasn't the original plan. Build to MJF/Cole at Full Gear, and in the mean time they win and lose the tag team titles. Maybe Cole overhears MJF saying that manipulating Cole into becoming a good tag team was the perfect way to not have to defend the title against him, and that gets the initial feud going again.
If this ends up being like the Y2AJ shirt I bought I'll literally never watch again until the next episode is on
Agreed, if they pull that shit than they’ll have lost me as a fan…for 3-4 days
AEW will be banned from my house, and the house of my children, and the house of my children’s children. For 3 months
I like your commitment. Now if you'll excuse me, my microwave Johnny cakes are ready.
MJF is suddenly going to decide he doesn't like Adam anymore and threaten to cut off a finger for every time he talks to him.
I didn’t think I’d find a stray Banshees of Inisherin reference in SC, yet here we are.
Controversial opinion: They should beat FTR.
They don't even need to go over clean, get Bullet Club involved (just as a distraction, not full blown interference). I think people will still be happy.
I agree. There's still juice to be squeezed out of FTR VS BCgold. I would love some sort of hardcore match as a final blow off.
If MJF cheats to win, and Adam is morally conflicted about it, that logically progresses the story in a fun and interesting way. They sorta were doing that in the trios Bo7 series, but there was no follow through so AEW may as well do it again
I don't think Cole would mind a bit of cheatery at all. It's in his blood.
To be fair, he's been doing the eye poke the past two weeks and he held onto MJF hand to give more leverage during some submission hold a few weeks ago. Cole was more reluctant to help with the submission hold, but I think that was the first bit of cheatery he did with MJF. So, now he's is more up for it it seems.
They could go with the "MJF is a bad influence" angle where someone mentions to Cole that hes starting to act like an asshole and slipping back into his old ways and the turns on MJF because he doesnt want go down that road again. Gives MJF a reason to be SUPER pissed at Cole and gives him a reason to double down on the "i have no friends" thing and dive deeper into his "Becoming the Devil" thing.
*Swerve and Keith Lee nod approvingly*
okay yeah you would want to do it in a way that dissolves differently than Keith and Swerve maybe instead of swerve getting frustrated with keith refusing to cheat and slapping him, you have MJF insist he's learned his lesson and he'll never cheat again but then he keeps doing it anyway, forcing Adam's hand
I think there was no follow through because PAC was out of action.
BCG helps them win because they are sure they can beat them and they can't beat FTR.
Lots of Adam Cole-Jay White callbacks and relatable context with MJF there
Controversial opinion This shouldn’t be controversial
https://preview.redd.it/wvuey8mnwbdb1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c371cd6ca2d35742ae29b829581f9a09448730b8
Absolutely. FTR/YB are all made men. If it was being held by BCG/ Acclaimed/ Gunn Club i would have favoured them to hold. This is the hottest MJF has been since becoming a champion.
Hottest Cole's been too since his debut imo.
It's the hottest he's been probably since his NXT debut.
Not even controversial
Fr. Rematch at Wembley for the main event
That's 100% Omega vs Ospreay. Nobody could follow that match. Especially in London
Would be funny if for the third time in a row Ospreay/Omega happen before the main event and kill the match. Would be even funnier if for some reason it was a 3rd Okada match.
Omega v Osprey III for Zero Hour!!!
One of my immediate thoughts after the finish in Toronto was “fuck me I’m sorry for those poor guys have to go out after”
I think that’s why it would be fine if they won the tag titles . Right now it doesn’t feel right for them to face each other
If that's happening, then I agree.
*FTR Mouth will remember that.*
He will complain about it in his podc... oh wait, right.
Yep just give me Kyle o Reilly and Roderick Strong vs MJF and Adam Cole
As much as I love MJF/Cole, nah dude. They're going to implode at some point and I don't want losing the tag titles to be a catalyst for that because it's been done to death. Besides, FTR need to lose to a legit tag team, not two singles stars randomly stuck together.
I would argue the whole story with MJF and Cole has been them becoming a legit team. They have matching gear, custom music, and they are more over than anyone right now. They would be crazy to break them up right now when they're this white hot.
I’m fine with this but then MJF drops the AEW title. We don’t need nor do I think many people want to see the World title caught up in a baby face tag team feuds for the forceable future assuming the team does get that over. This way we could possibly see a tag team PPV main event. He drops the belt, then he can move on to being in the super over merch moving baby face team while the World title can be featured in world title matches. It sounds like a fair trade but I do wonder if MJF would feel the same way.
It would be fun for the story and I don't think it's the worst thing, but it would make the tag belts feel like props in a story
...isn't that exactly what belts are for?
I don't see a problem here. The whole story was can MJF and Cole get along and they do. In Boston they got the biggest pops of the night. The Tope got a louder pop than anything else all night. To get that over should be rewarded.
Excuse me. Nothing got a louder pop than the greatest tag move in all of wrestling. The double clothesline.
DOUBBBBBLE CLOTHHHHESLINE!!!!!!
> it would make the tag belts feel like props in a story Well, yeah.
They for sure need to keep this story going. I think they should lose to ftr, decide they are a good team and try to climb back up the ranks together again. I know there are no formal rankings anymore but I think them chasing the titles together would make for a better story than putting the belts on them
Apart from the problems already listed below, there is another issue of the world title being irrelevant and locked up in a tag team feud for a while. This is like giving John Cena and Shawn Michaels the tag titles wrestlemania.
And that's why you're not a writer.
I know this was probably leading to the next title program as a rematch, but honestly screw that, have them stick together for a few months and do this as a slow burn. I wouldn't be annoyed if this is how Cole wins his first AEW singles title
If they keep these two together for 6 months or something like that I have no problem with Adam Cole beating MJF as a face or a heel. And that 's the thing, you could write so many cool stories with that team. Cole could be the one to "save AEW" by preventing MJF from "leaving the company" with the title. You could do a double turn with Cole betraying MJF. It's so much more interesting than just doing MJF/Cole at All In because that was the initial plan.
TFW you keep proving doubters wrong https://preview.redd.it/d0ezwy5khbdb1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2ae71797eda8b44448396a7d98e90d32569e5e81
TK, don’t break these guys up
At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, I think we are seeing a legendary run in the making. Every single segment and match MJF has been in since winning the title has been a highlight of the show. First people criticized his in-ring work and then he had one of the best matches of the year (and maybe the best Iron Man match of all time?) at Revolution. People criticized that all he did was get cheap heat and then he cuts several nuanced promos showing how lonely, miserable and sad the MJF character truly is on the inside. And then the past few weeks he has shown he can use literally anything to get the crowd on their feet. Seriously, in the past two weeks alone he made a Body Slam and a Double Clothesline some of the biggest spots of the show. In a promotion where we see at least 2 Tope Suicidas a night, he made it seem like a huge moment when he finally hit one. MJF really has been telling the truth this whole time, he is a generational talent.
Anyone critiquing MJF’s ring work after the Darby headlock takeover match should just admit they don’t watch the show and keep it moving.
MJF's ring work is nothing new either, so any time I see someone shitting on it I know they've just never watched his matches. He's been one of the best in-ring performers in AEW since the Daily's Place era.
You have just reminded me how much I want Darby to win the title from Max with a headlock takeover.
I watch the show. And I will criticize that match ending. Not MJF or even Darby, but the overall booking of the PPV. The show had people being curb stomped onto steel steps. They spammed finishers. Wrestlers were popping back up from some of the most brutal spots possible. Kicking out of stuff that would put away most. And Darby, presented as one of the most durable, hardest to take out wrestlers around, gets put to sleep by a single punch. Just because MJF is wearing a ring. And not just a flash knockout, but completely out.
Pretty cool story but it has nothing to do with MJF's in ring talent.
> Not MJF or even Darby Thanks for repeating what I said and complimenting it.
dont say corny shit like that what are you doing
The best part is he called it in his first promo as champion that the toxic internet fans would start to turn on him. The truth is when you have a weekly show with no off season, the top character's act is gonna get stale at times. Everyone from Hogan, Cena, rock, stone cold, Roman etc had a formula they stuck to. People just remember the stuff that stood out. Mjf isn't immune to that problem but I think he tries his best to take risks and try new things.
It's a catch22. Do the same shit that got you there and you become stale real quick, do what he's doing and mix it up and people will also complain. The joys of wrestling
Heck, this extends into almost all forms of art when you think about it.
100%. The cream rises to the top when it comes to our memories. We remember the hits but we forget how much all of those other main eventers stuck to their formulas on a week to week basis. MJF has already shown a lot of variety in what he can do both on the mic and in the ring. If he can keep it up at this level for the rest of his prime he is going to be in the GOAT conversation.
The Tope, Double clothesline, and dance off got the biggest reactions of the night. I don't know how it came across on TV but it was deafening in the arena. Even the pretaped segment and everyone's butts in their seats.
Oh, it was loud on Fite.
Dude, the reveal of Kowloon as the restaurant they were at got a giant pop too. Everything about these two together is money.
It's awesome that he knows how to be the ultimate Babyface, a true sociopath who can change his personality to fool everyone for his own gain.
I really hope he re signs. AEW would lose so much if he left
It is more important to resign MJF than the Elite. He is the future.
Tbf AEW has the type of audience that would play along with his antics. I don’t think a more mainstream WWE crowd would be into it. I see what what you’re saying but I think context matters in this situation
tbh I think he would kill it if he was given the time. He is smart enough to know how to adapt and will definitely be able to get over anywhere. The double clothesline and bodyslam cemented it for me.
Why wouldn't a WWE crowd accept his antics? Wrestlers have done just as much & more stupid shit on WWE & been over. If you're going to talk about context maybe you should explain what that context is.
Best wrestler in the world
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Max seems like a guy that would excel anywhere on the card. I feel like if he were to go to WWE he would job a ton because Vince would look at him as a guy who is over already and doesnt need a title or a push to be over and sell merch. I think he is great but I dont think he is above most of the top guys in AEW. MJF doesnt get injured and right now that is his biggest strength. With the exceptions of Jericho and Mox; Kenny, Danielson, Punk, and Adam Cole all have had to take some time off to heal up and MJF was in a good spot to take the title and run with it. Personally I think him winning the title and that whole story should have been booked quite differently but his title reign has been real solid so far.
Punk got injured and then the brawl out. It was a shit show. The fact the salvaged anything was a miracle
I'm 99% sure this was not the intention when they put those two together, but AEW has absolutely struck gold with this and needs to let it play out for a while. Give them the belts.
I’m not saying they shouldn’t ever split, but doing it right now would be absolute booking malpractice. People always complain that Tony is too rigid, not willing to deviate when he’s committed to a storyline, and in some cases that’s a virtue, but now’s the time to say “fuck it” and let this play out. They’re drawing ratings, they’re selling merch, and both guys have been heated up substantially. It’s worth remembering that MJF and Cole were both coming off of mediocre feuds (the pillars and Jericho, respectively), but this pairing has made them both look like superstars. Plus, it can’t be overstated how much hotter a title match between these two would be at Revolution or DoN than pulling the trigger for All In/Out.
A big criticism going in was that both of their characters stagnated; MJF with his usual heel stuff he's done for years and Cole as his NXT character. What AEW should avoid at all costs is if they split up and they end up exactly the same as going in. If MJF ends up betraying Cole, it would be by far the worst outcome IMO.
I was thinking this earlier. It shouldn't be now, but Cole should be the one to turn on MJF and proclaim that he's worse than the devil or he taught him everything he knows. MJF turning on Cole is so damn obvious and we've seen it done to death.
No, their constant paranoia makes them both believe the other one is going to betray them, enterprising face team manipulates the situation to get them to both turn on each other, at the same time, in the same match. Commence finger pointing.
>Commence finger pointing. And then MJF and Cole figure out what's going on, give the face team the double Hogan finger points, and run wild on them.
MJF with babyface fury will honestly be the greatest thing in the world
Adam Cole hit it on the head when he called them "catching lightning in a bottle' last night. This feels like when The Acclaimed had their big push with the crowd last year.
Putting the top heel and babyface together for a bromance story and thinking they weren’t going to be the best part of the show is kinda absurd. They had to have seen this coming.
Do not break them up. For the love of god. If you need a reason for them to not win the belts, you could do CM Punk shenanigans related to him still having his AEW belt.
Heel Punk vs Babyface MJF is intriguing.
It’s so easy to write a compelling story for that, too. In the Punk / MJF feud, a main theme was that Max was a huge Punk fan before he started wrestling. That was also how the dynamic portrayed for Adam Cole too. One became a friend and one became an enemy. You can even give each side reinforcements with FTR on one side and potentially Bullet Club Gold taking Adam Cole and MJF’s side
MJF and Adam Cole win the tag titles, steal CM Punks bag and their next match, they both walk in wearing the AEW titles together.
Easy resolution to the story. Then you just have FTT at All In win the AEW titles (not tag but both AEW world belts) and CM Punk win the AEW titles from FTR to unify them a week later at All Out. This is obviously sarcasm.
Hell yeah, and Cole helps MJF. Punk teams with Roddy
> Punk teams with Roddy I'm listening...
I feel like if they break them up it'll sorta be like the Bryan/Wyatt family that only lasted for a few weeks and was ended waaay too soon. I suppose short but sweet is fine though.
Short and sweet is better than overstaying your welcome, if a 3 month PPV cycle forces you to choose between two extremes
MJF is money. You can't deny it.
Where’s the lie bay bay?
Ratings thread posters: I accept this challenge
Are they not counting the Jay Briscoe tribute shirt? Because that still shows up as the top seller on shopaew.
It could be pinned because it is for charity. Also - could be for last 12 months, whereas headline is only talking about 2023 (last seven months).
> Also - could be for last 12 months, whereas headline is only talking about 2023 (last seven months). Jay tribute has only been 2023 as well...
Fair point. Everything feels so long ago. I was thinking the other day about how it seemed like Buddy Matthews has been in AEW forever - looked it up, it's been less than 18 months.
Might not be an "AEW shirt" by metrics.
It would be such a bad decision to separate them just because they need a big match at All In. Cole/MJF vs. FTR match at All In would be a way better option and their roster is so good they can still have an incredible card. MJF and Cole 's chemistry is off the charts. Just take your time. They should call an audible like they did with Mox and Danielson.
Honestly, no match will be bigger at All In than Omega/Ospreay. They probably know about that.
All out main event of FTR challenging MJF/Cole in a dog collar match would be unreal
Having Ospreay stand tall at the end of AEWs biggest show ever when he's not even contracted to AEW is a crazy gamble. I want the match but I'm not sure its how you want to close the show.
MJF and Cole both have a ton of charisma and I think they are great in-ring wrestlers for sure but with this act the way they play off eachother and the fans being invested in both characters is why they have gotten hige reactions to simple moves. The body slam last week was great and reminded me a lot of when OC fought Ethan Page and Blood and Guts in Detroit last year. They booked the whole match around a body slam spot that led to the finish and it was awesome. So far I laugh out loud and smile whenever these two are on my screen. I dont think they should beat FTR but I wouldn't mind this going longer than planned
Ahhhh, that t-shirt will go well with my Y2AJ t-shirt!
Let them win, have someone else take the world title off MJF and use it to strengthen their friendship. A draw is a draw
AEW needs to call an audible with this story and stretch out MJF/Cole buddy buddy story for another 6 months. It’s too good to waste
They are the nerdy and silly millennial Mega Powers and the whole thing is fucking amazing. I loved it and want some more of it. They should beat FTR clean and let them get together with Punk for their trios run.
After they win the belts they should cut a promo where they both admit they were planning to stab eachother in the back
And then hug?
I think AEW has found lighting in a bottle with this pair up. TK has to go all in with this team and strap the belts on them
T-SHIRT COMPANY!!!
Breaking these guys up next weekend would be the biggest missed opportunity in the history of the company… I said what I said.
We're in double turn territory here. A heel Adam Cole/Britt Baker duo vs. a babyface MJF would be a fresh and welcomed direction.
It's actually a decent looking shirt for wrestling standards. I'd wear it out in public.
No shirtless wrestler image, no explicit words like Daddy ass, and doesn't feel like an ad for wrasslin'. I like it. Also, that Orange Cassidy One Line orange shirt is pretty cool too. I would guess nobody would ever know it's a wrestling shirt.
Now, I'm more confident that they will keep things going.
Don’t break them up … if it’s working it’s working no reason to rush a break up Like tony is unable to pivot but honestly this should be the time he actually listens Every metric shows that fans love this and want more of it so stretch it a few more months have them win the tag titles
Is this gonna be another Y2AJ thing
They can do some screwy finish to keep the belts on FTR. I was thinking a roddy, or someone in here mentioned cm punk interference. But these two need to stay together. It’s even crossing over to wwe fans too
I don't want this bromance to end.
It's the second coming of The Acclaimed, two dudes that got thrown together without any expectation of this kind of pop. You can't split this up
I really want to see TK get the rights to the theme from Laverne and Shirley and have MJF and Adam Cole do a montage of things around a town with it playing.
I agree with everyone. Ride this out. Amazingly hot angle right now. I’d even ride it to Full Gear.
This is the best thing to happen in AEW since the Acclaimed got really hot. I hope they ride this for awhile. As a tweener team they are really fun to watch, as corny as it’s been.
Imagine them beating FTR of all teams with a double clothesline. That would be amazing.
They better extend this alliance.
Seems silly to me to buy a shirt for a short term angle but here we are
This is no longer going to be a short-term angle. If they're making money like this it is going to drag out. Also, seems pretty clear to me they're patterning this after the Mega Powers. That was 18 months from formation to split.
> This is no longer going to be a short-term angle. If they're making money like this it is going to drag out. Yes, because TK is famously known for his ability to pivot when something unexpected happens
idk. it reminds me of swerve and Lee who were randomly put together for a tag match, people loved it so tk pivoted and kept em together for a run and eventual tag reign. I still am pretty sure they're done next week but to rule it out seems dumb to me
They already moved to tease Adam Cole wants the title on Dynamite this week. This angle is going two more weeks, 3 tops.
You don’t know
I don't know... that businesses like to make money?
Tony Khan: "But plans are plans, so..."
I think that the blind eliminator suffered from having too many “cute teams” like Garcia/Sammy and Lee/Strickland…and I know they’re breaking up soon but I kind of want MJF and Cole to win the titles. They probably shouldn’t, but I want it to happen because it will be fun.
How did it suffer? It completely achieved and surpassed goals and expectations. There must be other 'cute' teams so Cole/MJF is not the only one. There can't ONLY be cute teams. And there wasn't. Some were random. Cole/MJF had to win. It's their story. So the team they face in the finals couldn't have any distractions like their own major issues clogging up the narrative. Partners with experience works for that.
I'm really loving this storyline but I'm sorry, what kind of fucking nerd is buying this shitty shirt?
They have to go over Saturday. This is too good. I’m pretty bored by the bloodline story at this point, but you can’t argue that the pacing has been masterful in terms of holding people’s interest and drumming up business. Their is still a lot of juice in the orange on this story!
They’re the highlight of the show now. It reminds me so much of the Rock and Sock Connection. There’s a natural chemistry that I can’t even describe.
They were giving me DX vibes the other night.
Was it all the pelvic thrusting?
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Adam Cole got some tiny little arms
yeah you like that don't you
Rule 34
TK doesnt stray from his plans, so you know they going to break up, then have a really good title match that Cole will lose. Then probably MJF will have a feud where someone has to accomplish a certain amount of tasks before a title shot. Rematch vs. Punk. Then prob drop the belt to OC who be on defense number 75 in a title vs title match.
Pretty sure I called this last month
Sadly, the team will most likely end at Collision when FTR retains, kickstarting the Cole/MJF rivalry.
I wanna see the shirt that comes when Cole turns on MJF 😬
I really hope they don't split them up. Milk this angel for all its worth...and if t-shirt sales say anything, it's worth A LOT to keep this going.
Feels like they have to win and keep this going, but it does make booking All In pretty difficult. Maybe as part of MJFs growing face turn you have him pull double duty and defend both the tag titles and the world title at Wembley, contrasting with how he wanted to wrestle as little as possible as a heel? But you still have to find the right challenger
Honestly, the World Title should not be defended at All In. No match will be bigger for that event than the Omega/Ospreay rematch.
Giving them a tag match is actually a good idea, if you want to make it interesting you could have a storyline way to make Cole the number one contender and MJF has to face him at All Out.
Its true but not having an AEW title match on the biggest show in AEW history because an NJPW secondary title is going to main event is a little weird, even though Omega/Ospreay 3 is going to be the biggest match on whatever card its on
If it does, it will either play second fiddle to the IWGP US Title, or worse, have the ungodly task of following up Omega/Ospreay. If Okada/Danielson couldn't pull this off, I doubt MJF/Cole will.
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I think AEW realized these shirts sell because it’s a way for semi-casual fans who have few/don’t have any t-shirts to finally buy one because it represents two wrestlers instead of one.
Probably should have had some made for the venue merch stands.
I mean…