MJF has once again shown little signs of modesty when it comes to assessing his own accomplishments.
The July 17th episode of AEW Dynamite, which was also the 250th edition of the flagship show, saw MJF defeat Will Ospreay in a near 1-hour battle to become the new International Champion. The match is in discussion for match of the year and also received the highest star rating for any AEW TV match by Dave Meltzer, who gave it a rating 5.75* in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Adding Ospreay to his notable victories in AEW having previously defeated CM Punk, Bryan Danielson and Kenny Omega, Maxwell Jacob Friedman continues to live up to his Generational Talent moniker and will be remembered for a long time when all is said and done. According to the new International Champion, he has already hit greatness.
Speaking with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, Friedman noted that Ric Flair acknowledged the victory on Dynamite, adding that he is better than The Nature Boy:
“There’s a reason that after my match, Ric Flair posted a side-by-side comparison photo,” said Friedman. “I’m Ric Flair incarnated–and with all due respect to Ric, better.”
Friedman continued, believing that his return at Double or Nothing has revitalised AEW and that the company would not survive without him:
“I’ve been carrying this company for five years on my back,” said Friedman. “People need MJF. It’s that simple. This company needs MJF. Fortunately, they’ve got me. What’s this company without MJF? It’s boring. This is the most people have talked about my company in months. Thank me later. If you’re not going to give me my just due now, you’ll have to when it’s all said and done.”
What’s Next For MJF?
Announced for the July 24th episode of AEW Dynamite, MJF will celebrate his title victory and begin the build to his match at All In on August 25th, which will take place in Wembley Stadium in London. At the inaugural show in 2023, MJF defended the World Championship against Adam Cole in the main event.
Featured image: AEW
