Ranking the Most Likely MJF Opponents During AEW Championship Run

Ranking the Most Likely MJF Opponents During AEW Championship Run

Dec 6, 2022

At long last, MJF has taken his right place atop the totem pole as AEW world champion.

The Salt of the Earth has been one of the most compelling parts of All Elite Wrestling for the better part of 2022. After nearly four years with the promotion, it was merely a matter of time before he captured the world title, making his moment at Full Gear long overdue.

His first defense has already been confirmed for the Winter Is Coming edition of Dynamite on December 14 when he'll take on Ricky Starks for the first time.

Starks won't win, of course, but it has the chance to be a show-stealer and could be where the challenger proves himself as a main eventer in the making.

Beyond that, MJF will have a long list of credible competitors waiting in the wings to challenge him for the title. Given the current depth of the AEW roster, it's possible he holds the prize for an extensive period of time.

From fresh faces to familiar foes, these are the most likely opponents for MJF during his title run, ranked from least to most likely.

The history between MJF and Jungle Boy dates back to 2020 when they collided twice in singles competition. They had excellent in-ring chemistry together, and MJF emerged victorious on both occasions, including at that year's Double or Nothing.

Of course, they've both come a long way since then.

MJF is now a certified main event player, while Jungle Boy has become a much more serious singles star as Jack Perry. It's inevitable they will do battle again, and it would be fitting for it to be for the AEW World Championship.

What makes this match unlikely, though, is that we are still many months away from it actually happening. MJF has plenty of opponents lined up for the coming months and Perry doesn't logically fit in anywhere, unless it's a one-off on a special Dynamite.

Besides, Perry is fresh off a big win over Luchasaurus at Full Gear and should continue racking up singles victories before setting his sights on the top title.

It was just over one year ago that MJF and Darby Allin were at odds heading into the 2021 Full Gear pay-per-view. They had an outstanding opener that saw MJF score the tainted victory.

The heel immediately transitioned into a feud with CM Punk, while Allin proceeded to spin his wheels in singles competition, so the rivalry was never revisited. That said, their PPV outing was so stellar that it would be booking malpractice for them not to mix it up again eventually.

Similar to Jack Perry, Allin will need a credibility boost before he can be taken seriously as a threat to MJF's AEW World Championship.

The beloved daredevil has won a majority of his PPV matches in 2022 but has suffered from a lack of direction. He'll challenge Samoa Joe for the AEW TNT Championship on Wednesday's Dynamite but that isn't likely to end in his favor.

In a perfect world, with Allin having lost to MJF the first time they waged war, it would make total sense for him to ultimately be the one to beat him for the belt. That shouldn't be until the midway point of 2023 at the earliest, though.

Amazingly, MJF and Eddie Kingston haven't crossed paths whatsoever in all of the time they've spent in AEW.

That didn't stop The Salt of the Earth from name-dropping him during his first promo as AEW world champion last Wednesday, though. Considering some of the other stars he referenced, that line had to have been intentional and designed to plant the seeds for a future clash.

Kingston has challenged for the AEW World Championship only twice in his career, and both times were against Jon Moxley in the fall of 2020. He has gotten extremely over with the audience as a babyface since then but winning a title has alluded him.

MJF and Kingston come from very different backgrounds (despite both being New York natives) and their dynamic would make for a great feud. Fans would want nothing more than to see Kingston be the one to dethrone MJF as champ.

That isn't to say it's imperative it happens but booking this bout for a television special or a PPV certainly is.

The winner of this Wednesday's Battle Royal will earn the opportunity to fight for the Dynamite diamond ring, which has been in the possession of MJF since its inception in 2019.

The 26-year-old has used the prize to win many matches in the last three years, but what fans may forget that is it was "Hangman" Adam Page who he beat to become the inaugural holder of the ring.

That marked the only one-on-one encounter the two have had in AEW. Their next meeting should have much more at stake in the form of the AEW World Championship.

Hangman dropped the title to CM Punk at Double or Nothing in May and didn't get a rematch until October when he challenged Jon Moxley on Dynamite. Unfortunately, an injury caused Page to forfeit the match, so it's only logical for him to get another shot at some point.

MJF and Page are two of the fastest-rising stars in AEW history and can be the future if they decide to stick around for the long haul. This can easily be a PPV main event in 2023, and the story they can tell has the potential to be terrific.

Although there are a plethora of exciting options for MJF as AEW world champion, let's not discount the man he beat for the belt in the first place.

Jon Moxley, more than anyone else on the roster, has carried the company both behind the scenes and on-screen for much of 2022. His latest world title run was cut short by MJF at Full Gear, and there's no reason why he shouldn't want revenge before long.

His focus first seemed to be on William Regal's shocking actions at Full Gear, but with the Blackpool Combat Club head apparently gone from AEW, the Moxley-Page rivalry has been reignited instead.

Once that runs its course, Mox should be looking for a rematch with MJF in the new year. It wouldn't have to headline another PPV, but they're now tied with one win apiece and thus a rubber match at least on an episode of Dynamite is a must.

Additionally, they barely scratched the surface in the promo department heading into Full Gear due to MJF masquerading as a babyface at the time, so going back to this bout would allow them to reopen those old wounds as well.

The careers of MJF and Wardlow will forever be linked, and it's possible they are destined to fight forever.

Wardlow spent nearly three years doing the heel's dirty work as his bodyguard before finally calling it quits in the spring of 2022. He went on to become the biggest babyface in the business for a time in the build to their bout at Double or Nothing, which he won soundly and quickly.

Both men went in completely different directions from that point, and not in the way most expected. Wardlow's momentum faded due to not having a regular role on Dynamite, while MJF's stock skyrocketed following his heated promo days removed from losing to his former sidekick.

On the same night MJF captured the AEW World Championship at Full Gear, Wardlow dropped the AEW TNT Championship to Samoa Joe. He could regain the gold sometime soon, but it might be better for him to move on to bigger and better things, namely the top title picture.

Wardlow was the last man to pin MJF in an AEW ring, so he should be one of the first to step up to his former boss and challenge him for the championship.

There's a strong chance they headline Double or Nothing in May after opening the event earlier this year. Regardless of the result, it will be a must-see contest.

MJF shouldn't be overlooking Ricky Starks at Winter Is Coming, but it was made fairly obvious last week on Dynamite that Bryan Danielson is primed to challenge him for the AEW World Championship in the not-too-distant future.

After all, the heel laid waste to William Regal in disgustingly disrespectful fashion, and it was Danielson who came to his aid.

The American Dragon has been teasing another heel turn as of late, but AEW will presumably ditch that in favor of a feud with MJF for Revolution on March 5.

From Kenny Omega to Jon Moxley to Chris Jericho, Danielson has had his fair share of high-profile matches in AEW since signing with the promotion, but MJF is one of the few company originals he has yet to clash with.

The only thing that hurts this match is the predictable outcome, as there's no way MJF loses the title so soon to Danielson. Then again, the former WWE star is the perfect person to further elevate the heel and give him his first major win as champ.

As the Revolution main event, MJF vs. Danielson is sure to set the tone for the greatness the rest of his reign is guaranteed to bring.

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.