Fantasy Booking Jon Moxley vs. MJF Feud Through AEW Full Gear and Beyond

All Elite Wrestling has done its best to correct course since the events of All Out weekend, but no storyline has been stronger on the road to Full Gear than Jon Moxley vs. MJF for the AEW World Championship.

It would have been easy for Tony Khan to do a standard build to their bout by playing off their history from two years ago. With them being the two biggest and brightest stars on the active roster, the story wrote itself.

Instead, AEW has gone above and beyond to deliver something special with Moxley and MJF every week since September. They've always left viewers wanting more in the best way possible while also creating cliffhangers for the following edition of Dynamite.

Between MJF threatening to cash in his guaranteed title shot on several occasions to Moxley attempting to defend the honor of the company, it has been a compelling program so far and they've barely scratched the surface.

This is how the remainder of the build to Moxley vs. MJF (and its aftermath) should be booked ahead of the event to ensure it maintains momentum.

Despite his best efforts to remain hated, MJF is beyond beloved by the AEW faithful at the moment and a fan favorite through and through.

The reaction he received from the crowd when he initially returned in Chicago at All Out on September 4 was favorable enough that a face turn then and there would have been justifiable. He wasted no time in attempting to turn the crowd against him, but he was ultimately unsuccessful.

This went on for weeks, and it wasn't until last week that MJF finally started to embrace the cheers he was getting. That isn't to say he was in total babyface mode, but he let the crowd finish his catchphrase on last week's Dynamite and didn't rip into them as much as usual.

His (temporary) face turn seemed to be cemented when he fired The Firm as his "faction on retainer" and was subsequently attacked by them. It could turn out to be a ruse, but it wasn't necessary for MJF to have another stable in his back pocket in the first place.

Of course, The Salt of the Earth has never before been a babyface in AEW, so this is new ground for him. In the weeks preceding Full Gear, he should be on the show doing everything possible to convince the audience that he is a changed man.

There's no use in fighting something so organic, at least until it comes time for the other shoe to drop.

Moxley and MJF have been nothing short of heated rivals since they first faced off in 2020 for the AEW World Championship.

MJF even went so far as to make Moxley bleed on an episode of Dynamite shortly before All Out that year, where Moxley successfully retained his title against him.

However, their dynamic might be slightly different come Full Gear if MJF is portraying a (phony) babyface.

More promos ripping into each other would be nice, but fans already got a taste of that on the post-All Out edition of Dynamite in September. They can always go back to being at each other's throats following Full Gear, but for now, they should tease being reluctant allies.

Both of them have made enemies out of The Firm, but that doesn't mean they should be partners any time soon. MJF should do his best to convince Moxley that he's turned a new leaf and that he won't cheat to become champion at Full Gear, only for Moxley to have trouble making up his mind about how he should feel about him.

The trope of whether they can coexist has been done to death and having them team up might be a step too far, but MJF showing respect for Moxley would establish that he hopes to have a clean, fair fight with him on the pay-per-view.

The real swerve in MJF playing into the cheers and acting like a babyface is that him turning on the audience may be what finally gets him legitimate heat, if only for a brief period.

That ultimate act of betrayal should come at Full Gear in his AEW World Championship clash with Moxley.

MJF's entire character arc in recent weeks has revolved around him wanting to do things the right way, especially after his confrontation with William Regal on Dynamite. The former NXT general manager specifically mentioned that anyone in the ring was fair game, and that he was willing to do whatever was necessary to win as an "ordinarily decent villain" would.

That speech should inspire MJF to follow in his footsteps, and not only that, but also have Regal by his side while doing so.

Regal was the one who indirectly motivated MJF to become the big star he is today. The two of them working hand-in-hand as a heel duo would be a brilliant payoff to that angle.

Blackpool Combat Club have teased tension as of late, and this could be the catalyst for their split. Regal can manage MJF as AEW world champion while Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta all branch off on their own.

Let the record show that MJF works exceptionally well as a solo act, but much like WWE's pairing of Paul Heyman and Roman Reigns, MJF and Regal is a match made in heaven.

MJF stealing the prestigious prize from Moxley at Full Gear doesn't mean their storyline has to end there.

Moxley beat MJF at All Out 2020, and the heel avenging that loss at Full Gear 2022 would set up the need for a rubber match. AEW's next PPV, Revolution, isn't until early 2023, so it would have to take place on Dynamite.

It's already been announced that the winner of the No. 1 contender's eliminator tournament will get their title shot at Winter Is Coming in December, so MJF vs. Moxley III can be booked for soon after Full Gear as a television attraction.

The main purpose would be for MJF to further prove himself as the face of AEW with a second straight win over the promotion's poster child of the last three years. It can also be an opportunity to write Moxley out of storylines for the foreseeable future.

Moxley was confirmed to be taking time off post-All Out before plans changed and he was needed back on the show. Once MJF officially gets underway, the three-time AEW world champ can take the vacation he has long deserved and leave The Salt of the Earth to be the focal point of the program until he returns.

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.