Pro Wrestling: Ten Reasons Why MJF Needs To Stay in AEW

 

Hey Divas hey! It's your not yet popular but favorite diva back with another one. It's been forever since I've posted. Last week I was sick with a terrible sinus infection, which involved two different kinds of medicine, plus ice cream and sleep. Today I was up at 430a  (don't ask me why). Stella bit two Barbies and chewed the finger off one of them, not to mention our hard playing last night that involved my finger being badly scratched and her panting. Did some reflecting about my career over the past week (separate blog in itself) and hoping for something to come of it. Went to meet a new babysitting client today and did some shopping at the thrift, where I found the cutest bag for my niece getting married in October. Had a biopsy done on Thursday with the best news ever. Life is great and I'm happy to bring you this blog of my life as an educator, pro wrestling fan and diva. 

Speaking of blogs: I put something on Twitter about getting thirty more followers by the end of May. Help me get there by following me and the blog. I have a new favorite dress that I found for $3 at the thrift. This blog is a thrift meeting a used bookstore. You never know what you will find. 

On with the Diva Show (oh does that have a nice ring to it).

https://twitter.com/cmattingly97/status/1524871367253975076 

One of my Twitter Horsemen posted the above link on Twitter about AEW doing whatever they have to do to keep MJF. Chris, thanks for the link and you are so right. News is buzzing in and around the IWC about MJF being dissatisfied with his current contract. He feels he needs more money and to some degree I can see where he is coming from (I work in early childhood education and don't make anything close to what I should as an educator, given how much money I spend on my classroom that I'm not reimbursed for). At twenty-six years of age, Max is one of best heels in pro wrestling. If you compare the late great Nick Bockwinkel to MJF, you can see the resemblance in character. To take it one step further, compare Max to a young heel Rock. Good stuff there from both wrestlers. As a kid Bockwinkel made being a heel believable, as you thought he was the cocky, self-absorbed jerk. The Rock made you hate him with a passion to the third power if you would, playing the part well. The Rock's heel turn following at SS 1997 was a needed turn to cement him as one of the greatest heels in pro wrestling. 

Fast forward to 2022. Pro wrestling has fallen off in viewership (don't put must have college degree in a job description WWE when your writers clearly aren't college educated) and there has not been a heel that is more special or intriguing other than MJF. He is in a class on his own and his work as a heel is so natural, so organic. I can't see Max playing anything other than a heel because it fits.

Here are ten reasons why Max needs to stay in AEW:

10. He is a pillar of AEW. 

This goes without saying, but when you look at a house or apartment building, you see four walls and foundation, plus a roof. The foundation holds the building together, like a frame holds a car together. A crack in the foundation or that frame in the car and you are in trouble. 

Consider AEW as a house. Darby, Omega, Jericho and Max are the walls. Tony Khan is the foundation. Every so often, a roof needs to be replaced due to age-if they are the walls, Cody was the roof. All are essential parts to AEW, and they built AEW. Add the Bucks to this project and they are the electrical wiring and outlets. 

Compare the house of AEW to big high rise known as WWE. The McMahon family are the foundation of the building which features wrestlers as floors, with creative as the elevator. What happens in apartment buildings? Elevators get stuck on floors and some floors are more popular compared to others for various reasons. The expression " 'breaking the glass ceiling' " is accurate, because in WWE, many have attempted to break said ceiling only to have the elevator stuck while holding bad tools to break it. 

MJF is AEW, and his leaving would cause a major crack in the foundation that cannot be repaired.

9.  He adds a pop to Dynamite with his character bringing an intensity which compares to that of HBK as a heel which made Raw special and Dynamite fun.

Watch old episodes of Raw on Peacock with a heel HBK, prior to the formation of DX. HBK was a jerk in the highest form and an even bigger jerk with HHH at his side. The sophomore humor of DX was entertaining, which Michaels played to the fullest. Imagine if Michaels and DX were not on Raw. How special would Raw have been without them?

Now look at HBK and compare him to Max. Max is the entitled jerk who plays the crowd well. His moments are filled with contempt by fans yet gold because of the energy he brings to the character. 

Imagine Max not on Dynamite. How would that go?

8. Pro wrestling needs a genuine heel. 

Not since 1999 has there been a heel that was a legit heel. Sure there was Stone Cold who made being a heel a good thing. Then there was the Rock, who revived his career with a heel turn as a member of the NOD, followed by his "Rock Concerts" where he would diss the city and the fans in attendance. While these two were told what to play and how to play it, fans felt the heel side, yet it didn't feel natural. That's not saying the heel role was forced, because it wasn't. It was there, yet it wasn't organic. 

In 2019, everything changed. His name is Maxwell Jacob Friedman.

As a child there were three wrestlers Grandmother didn't like, and all of them were heels: Bockwinkel, Heenan, and Flair. Bockwinkel was the cocky yet classy and sophisticated rich heel, Heenan was the big mouth sarcastic heel (he was priceless on commentary) and Flair as we all know (hello, Plane Ride From Hell people) was the party boy heel. All of them were intriguing as heels with the charisma to match. If Grandmother were still alive (she would be one hundred and twelve years old) she would hate Max. I know she would and she would hate him for being a heel. 

Max as a face? I can't see it, because he doesn't have that natural good guy vibe. Max as a heel? YES. He's damn good at it, and I can say that he's better and he knows it.

7. He has exceeded the expectations of his role at his age to a degree, speaking like a well seasoned veteran. 

When I first heard the name Maxwell Friedman, I had no clue who he was because I don't watch the indies. He was labelled the best heel in the business, and in my research, I watched some of his work in YouTube in the form of both wrestling and promos. I could see a young Miz in Max, and I was impressed. 

He's only twenty-six years old and has nowhere to go but up, becoming a stronger performer. I remember when I first started teaching-I didn't have the " 'teacher voice' ", I knew nothing about child development, nor did I have activity and parent resources. 

On the mic, Max is a gem. His promos are solid, insulting, funny and packed with emotion. The ring work needs some improvement, and he will get better with time. As he progresses within his career, he is exceeding expectations at the same time meeting standard expectations. A young lady at work that I love (she is eighteen and one of the sweetest girls just starting out) took the initiative to ask me what activities are appropriate for three-year-olds, given there was no lesson plan provided by the teacher she was subbing for. I was so proud of her as she wanted what was best for the children and sought help, when some in her position wouldn't. In your twenties, you start your career and grow from there, which is exactly what Max is doing. 

6. He is the guy we love to hate and hate to love.

If you are an eighties kid, you may remember the show "Dallas" and JR Ewing. JR was a ruthless, womanizing villain who made many enemies. In 1980, Dallas writers created a storyline where JR was shot at the end of the third season. This not only increased viewership, but also made JR a man viewers loved to hate. The original Dallas is on Amazon Prime free; all fourteen seasons based on membership. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. 

Max is one hell of a performer and so good that I love him. And I hate that I love him. It's that cocky confidence that he has, and how he plays the fans so well both in person and on Twitter. 

I've always had a thing for bad boys.

5. The storyline with Wardlow is cementing the legacies of both men as solid performers in AEW.

That grin at Revolution and those eyes. My boyfriend...err...I mean Wardlow lights up Dynamite with his smile. (If you didn't know, I love Wardlow). The face turn was coming as everyone saw it weeks before given the slap from Max and the near chair shot from Spears. 

And then it happened. Wardlow's face speech set him free, or so he thought. Cue Max and this ownership storyline with the pig comments followed by being banned from the arena.

Did anyone really expect the big guy to follow directions? I didn't. The storyline brilliant, the cocky heel role by Max well played and the taking out security guards is epic. I cringed as Wardlow was given lashes with a belt, yet I understood the reason for the direction they went. It's too early for him to get his hands on Max, mainly because the early pay off would hurt due to the easy victory. Fans need someone they can get behind, someone who identifies with them. That man is Wardlow, based on his face promo several weeks ago. 

Max is such a jerk-but he plays the role so well, you can't help but love him. 

4. Imagine an AEW without Max.

Grandmother used to tell me that within every television show and movie, there is that one character that " 'makes' " the show. This can be a main or supporting character, or even a person that is a distant character. Remember the movie "Wargames" with Matthew Broderick about the kid who plays a computer game that stimulates a world war? General Beringer, played by Barry Corbin, was such a character with his priceless one liners. Another example is the character of Lou in the movie "Back To School" played by Burt Young of Rocky fame. If you have not seen either film, I suggest both for their unique plot and charm each film has. If you have seen both films, you understand the characters and what each brought to the plot. 

Stop and think about what Max brings to the story of AEW. While he may be young, he has a certain charm that nobody could duplicate. In the words of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, " 'often imitated, never duplicated' ". Nobody plays a heel better than Max and nobody could play a character like Max.

3. One thing that makes AEW fun is the unscripted promo, which gives wrestlers the opportunity to be themselves. 

Imagine being told do something because it looks good for the company image. You will think about it and do whatever you are asked because it's your job, right? Now imagine being a certain way or having a type of personality and being told to " 'tone it down' " because it looks better for the company image. 

Now translate that special needs. If you have kept up with the blog, you would know that I'm an ADHD child turned adult. One of my former employers didn't allow me to be myself, and I was told by my boss' boss that I have a big personality which I need to tone down if I ever wanted a leadership position. 

I was speechless. How do you react to a boss who doesn't let you be yourself and how do you respond to someone who tells you to tone down something that is part of you? ADHD is marked by constant movement, high energy and constant chatter, among other things. I can't change who I am, just like people with special needs can't " 'tone it down' ". We can change things about ourselves, yet can't change who we are as people, nor can we change anyone. 

WWE would change Max in a heartbeat, with a complete overhaul. He wouldn't be the Max we know, and the lines would be scripted in such a ridiculous manner they sound like over sweetened Kool-Aid to our ears. All this and he would be told what to do because, after all, it's in the best interest of the company. 

2. The grass isn't always greener on the other side. 

During my junior year of college, I left a decent job to work for a corporate childcare center. The center was able to accommodate my summer of student teaching (I took advantage of this opportunity to get it out of the way) and I was paid slightly more compared to what I was making at a private owned center. I worked through the summer and first semester of my senior year, when enrollment took a dive after winter break and I had minimal hours. I ended up returning to the employer I had left and stayed nearly four years. I left the second time when I jumped feet first into a center director position at a different center which I was but was not ready for. (There is something to be said from leaving a classroom position and entering management positions at the bottom to gain the confidence and leadership skills, something which I did not do at the time). The owner of the center made this position look much better than it was, and I realized that I made a mistake by accepting it. 

Anyone can make something look good. Whether it's dating, job offers, or business opportunities, it's the talk one engages in that makes us act on impulse without thinking. I did that with that director position, largely because I knew I wasn't going anywhere with my then employer. I jumped that fence and regretted it, mainly because that employer ended up scamming me. 

Max may be unhappy with his current situation. He's human, and has every right to feel the way he does. Hell, we've all been there with an employer at some point or another. While he may not realize it, he has a damn good thing with AEW: light travel schedule, freedom to be himself and no filter. I could go on, and I think you get the idea. While going to WWE will give him mainstream exposure to households, that's all he will get with a bad gimmick and many, many filters. The move to WWE could benefit his career while holding him back from developing his full potential. Staying in AEW for the time being will give him a solid run, dependability, while giving him strong ground on which to stand for his career.

And the number one reason why Max needs to stay in AEW:

1. He will get lost in the shuffle.

This one needs no explanation because what's understood doesn't need to be explained. Max could sign with WWE and get lost in the shuffle because that's what creative does. Consider the signing of EC3 years ago who had one segment on television to never been seen again, or the other crap that creative does to the roster. Then let's talk about the crap booking plus ridiculousness creative comes up with yet they cannot come up with decent storylines and/or names for characters. (That Bron Breakker thing still doesn't sit well with me). 

 Let's look at a few things:

        -Max is 5'11 and 215 pounds. Finn Balor is the same height and 190 pounds. Both are of similar build and somewhat style for that matter. Finn is talented and regulated to NXT for no reason, just like DZ and Roode. (What is the purpose of NXT anyway?). Finn has been lost in the shuffle, people are held down and Max will experience the same thing. 

        -Miz is the younger version of Max with Max being the younger version of Miz. The irony is that the Miz is a few inches taller than Max with the same weight class and a similar style. With his long tenure in WWE, plus the reality show on USA (if you haven't watched "Miz and Mrs." yet, I highly suggest it, as it's a fun show). They can't have two people play the same kind of character, so what happens? Miz gets to play the rich snob while Max gets something different that makes no sense.

        -Look at Bray Wyatt and how badly he was booked. What about Hit Row? Any call ups that disappeared. What happened? Bad booking from writers who claim to have a college degree. I'm a preschool teacher and I could outwrite WWE creative. Hell, anyone can. My concern here for Max is the bad booking that will come his way should he sign with WWE, which in the end will get him "future endeavored" for no fault of his own. It's just the nature of WWE. 

AEW needs to do whatever they have to to keep Max where he is. I'm sure Vince is just grinning ear to ear at the thought of cracking the foundation on which AEW stands by taking one of their top stars. 

So that's your Diva show for today peeps. 

With scarves and love,

Dani