Is Eric Bischoff Right About MJF?
Is Eric Bischoff right about MJF being "without peer" in the world of pro wrestling?
You can listen above or via your favorite podcast app or read the show notes below. The main highlights are also available via the transcript below.
Show Notes
- Eric Bischoff's comments on MJF
- The current direction with MJF's character
- How there is no one else like him in pro wrestling
- Whether MJF should factor into the Interim AEW World title situation
- Tonight's Dynamite lineup, including the Battle Royal and Jon Moxley
For more AEW discussion, you can follow me on Twitter @wrestleblake.
Transcript
Today's main topic on All Elite Daily surrounds MJF, who has been the biggest talking point in AEW recently outside of probably CM Punk winning the AEW World title and then having to take some time off due to his injury.
But MJF undoubtedly has been a huge topic based on the events of the past several weeks. That goes back to him missing the meet and greet at the Fan Fest. Many people were wondering if he was going to show up for Double or Nothing and his match with Wardlow.
Then it's the fallout from that, with him cutting the promo on AEW and Tony Khan. And then AEW took the next step by sending out all these messages to advertisers and sponsors to pull anything associated with MJF to have to really play up the situation that's going on.
That led to Eric Bischoff, who on his recent edition of the Strictly Business podcast he does on AdFreeShows, weighed in with some thoughts on MJF.
Here's what Bischoff had to say:
"In my opinion, MJF is without peer. He is so good. There are a handful, one or two people in WWE, who are capable of catching up to that, but there aren't many. He is in a universe all his own, in my opinion."
He goes on to talk about the MJF storyline itself:
"Where's this one going to go? I have no idea if it's real, if it's not, if it's scripted. I have an opinion. And it was probably something that started out as a very, very real thing. And then they woke up one day, and then both of them were painted into a corner and it was like, how the hell do we get out of this? That's just an opinion. I don't know if I'm right or wrong, don't care, actually. Because the journey and the potential for this journey is off the frickin' charts. In my opinion, it'll be the first time that situation has existed in AEW."
Everyone will have different opinions on what they think of Eric Bischoff's analysis. But, I mean, he is right on the money here.
MJF has really has become someone just like Eric Bischoff has said, that is without peer. There's no one else I think that is on MJF's level in terms of the believability and the ability to put all of this together the way that he has in this character, and sort of package it in a way that is presented as never knowing if it's real, or if it's not. I think he has been able to kind of blur that line so well as a character.
Now, we can certainly take that much further if we're specifically focusing on the recent situation. I am also of the opinion that this is something that I think started out as a pretty real, drama-filled development in terms of the whole meet and greet and all this other stuff.
Could we be wrong? Could we all eventually find out that this was all been a big ruse from the beginning? You could go all the way back to MJF interview with Ariel Helwani. That reportedly did not sit well with AEW because they weren't the ones that set it up. There are so many different things that we've seen over the past six months or so that had been reported regarding the relationship with MJF and AEW, and specifically, Tony Khan. I think that it is something that has a very real tint to it.
But where do we now officially draw the line of what's real? What's not real? I think it's become more clear, and especially in the past week, since they did what they did on Dynamite by having MJF come out and cut the promo.
There was a big belief and and I was one that thought this way, that after MJF was stretchered out at Double or Nothing, that could be it. Right? Like I thought that could be it for him in AEW. Would it be the last time we see him in AEW based on all the drama that had played out the previous 24 hours? But he immediately comes back, and he's back on Dynamite several days later.
I think I understand the criticism on this part - MJF really not selling any of the injuries, or any of the effects of being powerbombed a gazillion times by Wardlow. But I think now you're starting to see it certainly go into that territory of people understanding that we're definitely in storyline mode here. Otherwise, they're not going to give him MJF a live microphone on AEW Dynamite.
But there are a lot of people who are going to look at this and say, "Oh, my goodness, like how real is this thing? And how deep does this run in terms of the dispute between MJF and Tony Khan?"
There are no other storylines in wrestling that we've seen recently that match this in terms of reality. This is where, again, Eric Bischoff's comments - I think this is where he's spot on with this one because I don't think there's anyone right now who can rival what MJF can contribute from just a character standpoint.
Bischoff mentioned WWE, and there are some other things that you could point out when it comes to pure star power. Is MJF the biggest wrestling star in the world? No. But has he become one of the most real wrestling stars in the world in terms of not really ever knowing where that line is at? I think absolutely.
He feels like the top guy in the business when it comes to old school heel tactics and mannerisms, the way he presents himself, and the way he delivers the dialogue.
Sure, we can make the comparisons to a Roman Reigns, but Reigns is much different than MJF. They're much different in how they're presented on television. This is not an AEW vs. WWE thing, but I think you have to have that conversation.....