Adam Cole/MJF Bromance Discussion Thread

[Main Event Mark]

This was a very convoluted way to get the ROH tag titles on The Kingdom.

[Chiral]

Also I really love that the main event of this huge ass show was dramatic and anxiety inducing but also immensely and gleefully silly. They each put their team shirt on and got a SPORTSMANSHIP chant started. The ref got Panama Sunrise'd. They called for the double clothesline which they hit on each other and legitimately pinned each other for a three. Roddy was there with his neck brace. As soon as the ref was down and it was time for big drama they immediately chucked the chair back and forth in rapid succession trying to out cheat each other. It was dramatic, silly, emotionally charged, goofy, action packed, but most importantly fun. I've never seen a stadium wrestling show main event like that.

[Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]]

Aug 27, 2023 20:51:18 GMT -5 Main Event Mark said:

This was a very convoluted way to get the ROH tag titles on The Kingdom.

It was a way to make this feud mean a lot more than it would have before.

[Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]]

Aug 27, 2023 20:46:37 GMT -5 IgnahtaSempria said:

Aug 27, 2023 20:32:10 GMT -5 slickrickstyles said:

I do hope we don't tease each tag defense though as i feel like we are already starting to see the same set up spots

Personally, I have a feeling that them losing the titles is gonna be the tipping point. Either Max has already lost the world title by then, and Cole just sees this as the last straw, or they lose the tag titles first, and Cole ultimately decides that being a champion IS more important to him than Max's friendship.

It's interesting because he was so mad tonight he threw the ROH Tag Titles away, and then he threw the World Title down... ultimately it'll be interesting to see what the tipping point is because so far it hasn't been the championships...

[Jonathan Michaels]

I think one thing tonight did was officially solidify that MJF IS a Face now.

The moment MJF threw the belt at Adam and said “Take the damn thing” was the clincher.

[IgnahtaSempria]

Aug 27, 2023 20:54:05 GMT -5 Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-] said:

Aug 27, 2023 20:46:37 GMT -5 IgnahtaSempria said:

Personally, I have a feeling that them losing the titles is gonna be the tipping point. Either Max has already lost the world title by then, and Cole just sees this as the last straw, or they lose the tag titles first, and Cole ultimately decides that being a champion IS more important to him than Max's friendship.

It's interesting because he was so mad tonight he threw the ROH Tag Titles away, and then he threw the World Title down... ultimately it'll be interesting to see what the tipping point is because so far it hasn't been the championships...

True, but that was sort of a "heat of the moment" kind of thing. Like, Adam was mad that he didn't win the title, but he valued his friendship with Max more. I think that we won't see them teasing a breakup every time they defend the tag titles, but by the time they do drop the titles, there will be enough cracks in the foundation to where Adam losing the only gold he has will be enough to bring the whole house down.

[Tom Turkey]

Aug 27, 2023 20:51:47 GMT -5 Chiral said:

Also I really love that the main event of this huge ass show was dramatic and anxiety inducing but also immensely and gleefully silly. They each put their team shirt on and got a SPORTSMANSHIP chant started. The ref got Panama Sunrise'd. They called for the double clothesline which they hit on each other and legitimately pinned each other for a three. Roddy was there with his neck brace. As soon as the ref was down and it was time for big drama they immediately chucked the chair back and forth in rapid succession trying to out cheat each other. It was dramatic, silly, emotionally charged, goofy, action packed, but most importantly fun. I've never seen a stadium wrestling show main event like that.

In terms of AEW's first big stadium event, this was the perfect match to cap it off.

[EoE: Workin On My Night Cheese]

If I’m MJF, and I’m not, but work with me here… I ride this thing until the wheels fall off. Then put the wheels back on and keep going until they fall off again. This thing has turned around his title run. And also it helps him avoid Punk like the plague he is.

[Some Guy]

Aug 27, 2023 23:53:14 GMT -5 EoE: Workin On My Night Cheese said:

If I’m MJF, and I’m not, but work with me here… I ride this thing until the wheels fall off. Then put the wheels back on and keep going until they fall off again. This thing has turned around his title run. And also it helps him avoid Punk like the plague he is.

I think the general idea of him riding it out as a face is fine sure, but right now who is there for him to face with decent heel credibility? He's beaten Mox in this reign, he's beaten Ricky Starks, he's beaten Bryan Danielson, he's even beaten Jack Perry and so forth. So you have...maybe Jay White? Christian/Joe/Swerve aren't exactly there. I suppose Takeshita once he's done with Kenny but not if he loses which he probably will.

As a heel, he still has Hangman, Kenny, Orange Cassidy, Eddie, hell even Wardlow to go back to that all have decent credibility that he hasn't gone to really.

[Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]]

Aug 28, 2023 0:05:04 GMT -5 Some Guy said:

Aug 27, 2023 23:53:14 GMT -5 EoE: Workin On My Night Cheese said:

If I’m MJF, and I’m not, but work with me here… I ride this thing until the wheels fall off. Then put the wheels back on and keep going until they fall off again. This thing has turned around his title run. And also it helps him avoid Punk like the plague he is.

I think the general idea of him riding it out as a face is fine sure, but right now who is there for him to face with decent heel credibility? He's beaten Mox in this reign, he's beaten Ricky Starks, he's beaten Bryan Danielson, he's even beaten Jack Perry and so forth. So you have...maybe Jay White? Christian/Joe/Swerve aren't exactly there. I suppose Takeshita once he's done with Kenny but not if he loses which he probably will.

As a heel, he still has Hangman, Kenny, Orange Cassidy, Eddie, hell even Wardlow to go back to that all have decent credibility that he hasn't gone to really.

You can build those guys up enough for Full Gear, I'd even wager Roderick Strong could be a stop gap till Full Gear for how involved he's getting in the world title feud scenario, get a shot on Dynamite or something

Swerve or Christian would be really great feuds for the promos alone tbh

I'd actually say a top challenger would be Ospreay, wins over Jericho and Omega, but he's probably not available enough right now for that to work.

[Some Guy]

Aug 28, 2023 0:21:48 GMT -5 Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-] said:

Aug 28, 2023 0:05:04 GMT -5 Some Guy said:

I think the general idea of him riding it out as a face is fine sure, but right now who is there for him to face with decent heel credibility? He's beaten Mox in this reign, he's beaten Ricky Starks, he's beaten Bryan Danielson, he's even beaten Jack Perry and so forth. So you have...maybe Jay White? Christian/Joe/Swerve aren't exactly there. I suppose Takeshita once he's done with Kenny but not if he loses which he probably will.

As a heel, he still has Hangman, Kenny, Orange Cassidy, Eddie, hell even Wardlow to go back to that all have decent credibility that he hasn't gone to really.

You can build those guys up enough for Full Gear, I'd even wager Roderick Strong could be a stop gap till Full Gear for how involved he's getting in the world title feud scenario, get a shot on Dynamite or something

Swerve or Christian would be really great feuds for the promos alone tbh

I'd actually say a top challenger would be Ospreay, wins over Jericho and Omega, but he's probably not available enough right now for that to work.

For Dynamite feuds, certainly. But I don't think Christian/Swerve will be built up enough to be a main event heel by Full Gear as both need a lot more wins to get there which they don't have. Ospreay sure but I'm not sure you have another company's guy main event your show yet.

[lockedontarget]

He doesn’t have to just go up against heels.

If anything his current character arc could make some programs against babyfaces pretty juicy.

[A Little Doo Doo]

Aug 28, 2023 1:44:00 GMT -5 lockedontarget said:

He doesn’t have to just go up against heels.

If anything his current character arc could make some programs against babyfaces pretty juicy.

Malakai trying to get him to return to "his true nature" would be interesting.

[King Devitt: What Plants Crave]

Aug 28, 2023 3:23:14 GMT -5 A Little Doo Doo said:

Aug 28, 2023 1:44:00 GMT -5 lockedontarget said:

He doesn’t have to just go up against heels.

If anything his current character arc could make some programs against babyfaces pretty juicy.

Malakai trying to get him to return to "his true nature" would be interesting.

Hell yeah, that could be a lot of fun. Malakai is long overdue a main event run.

[thecrusherwi]

Aug 27, 2023 20:54:40 GMT -5 Jonathan Michaels said:

I think one thing tonight did was officially solidify that MJF IS a Face now.

The moment MJF threw the belt at Adam and said “Take the damn thing” was the clincher.

I think he’s a face as long as he’s the champion. It’s easy to say “I don’t even care about the belt!” when you’re still the champion.

[daaave]

MJF vs Jay White would be top.

[Lizuka #BLM]

I kind of keep wondering if I should try and get caught up on this storyline to some degree, since it seems to be pretty universally beloved and I've seen basically none of it, but MJF as champion is kind of just such a poison pill to me that I really just don't want to pay attention to the title scene at all until he doesn't have it anymore. Which probably isn't going to happen any time soon because no title reign in 2023 can ever end.

I dunno. I know it's not necessarily fair while MJF's putting on work people are praising across the board to just like completely dismiss it without sight, and that's why I'm wondering about making the attempt to get caught up, but after years on end of him being boring as f***, thinking he comes off as an awful person offscreen, and my general loathing of interminable title reigns by unstoppable super heels I just feel discouraged from really even giving it a shot.

[skullman21]

I was very invested in the main event. Just great pure sports entertainment from everyone involved. Just really really really good stuff.

[Nosnorb]

I loved that main event. AEW is a show about Friendship, so it was only fitting that the biggest show in the promotions history ended with MJF and Cole staying friends, and the match was great.

[An Dog On An Skateboard]

I was thinking about this last night, and where everyone is expecting a double-turn or a split or something, I think now the ultimate surprise would be to never do that. If pushed like the Mega Powers, or as a face equivalent to the Two Man Power Trip or Nick Bockwinkel and Ray Stevens - IE, an allegiance of two dominant main eventers - then there's all sorts of interesting places you could take that and directions to go in, various heels allying to unseat them or split them up or whatever.