In just over four years, MJF has already cemented himself as AEW's most successful homegrown star to date.
The company was well aware of the prodigy it had on its hands as soon as he signed, based on how prominently he featured from the get-go. Although it took him a little longer than it arguably should have to win a title, he had a plethora of amazing matches and moments along the way that put him in a league of his own.
MJF has defended the AEW World Championship only twice in the six months he's held the title but both bouts were of exceptional quality. Thanks to his consistently strong mic work, he's a recurring highlight on Dynamite throughout 2023.
The inconsistency of his matches has also made The Salt of the Earth more of an attraction.
MJF being as polished of a performer as he is at the age of 27 is perhaps the scariest part. Regardless of whether his contract is legitimately up in early 2024 or not, a jump to WWE is a serious possibility for him at some point, and he would undoubtedly thrive there as well.
Whenever fans fear MJF has peaked too soon, he'll deliver another instant classic in some way. He's among the brightest blue chippers in wrestling today and a generational talent AEW should continue to build its brand around for as long as it's lucky enough to have him.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.
