MJF Honors WWE Legend in Spectacular AEW All In Match, But Falls Short in Championship Defense
London, August 27, 2024 — Wrestling lovers across the globe had been dealt with to an electrifying show at AEW All In, held at the iconic Wembley Stadium in London. The atmosphere crackled with anticipation as Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF), one of AEW’s maximum polarizing figures, stepped into the ring to defend his American Championship towards the indomitable Will Ospreay. But as the match opened up, it have become clean that MJF wasn’t just combating for a identify—he became paying homage to a bygone technology of wrestling, and in doing so, he rekindled memories of a WWE icon who as soon as embodied American pleasure.
MJF’s front turned into nothing quick of provocative, a cautiously orchestrated spectacle designed to ignite the passions of the 90,000-strong crowd. Draped in a striking lengthy jacket that bore the unmistakable crimson, white, and blue of the American flag, MJF immediately set the tone for a confrontation steeped in country wide delight. But it wasn’t simply the colors that stuck the attention—it become the large American flag projected at the displays, with MJF’s face changing the 50 stars, a bold announcement that turned into each audacious and a nod to the patriotic fervor of his wrestling forebears.
As he made his manner to the ring, it have become obtrusive that MJF’s choice of attire was greater than just a fashion declaration. His wrestling trunks, adorned with the identical patriotic colorations, evoked a sense of nostalgia for fans of a certain age. Wrestling aficionados speedy drew parallels between MJF’s gear and that worn with the aid of WCW and WWE legend Lex Luger all through his iconic run as the “All-American” hero within the summer season of 1993. The similarities had been too placing to be a trifling coincidence, and wrestling journalist Sean Ross Sapp turned into quick to point this out, posting a side-by-side comparison of the two wrestlers on social media.
The image of Luger in his stars-and-stripes attire from his WWE heyday standing next to MJF in a similar getup spread like wildfire, sparking a wave of conversation among fans and wrestlers alike. Lex Luger saw the post and commented a light-hearted quip that further fueled the nostalgia. “I thought I may have noticed a pair of my tights missing the other day,” Luger tweeted, his words resonating with fans who remembered the wrestler’s own patriotic crusade against the late, great Yokozuna, where he body-slammed the 500-pound monster aboard the USS Intrepid in an iconic moment of wrestling history.
However, at the same time as MJF’s outfit became a triumphant throwback that thrilled fans and earned him some laughs, the healthy itself did not cross as planned for the self-proclaimed “Salt of the Earth.” Despite a valiant attempt and his try and channel the spirit of American wrestling legends, MJF’s night ended in heartbreak. Will Ospreay, the homegrown British skills, brought a overall performance as a way to be remembered for years yet to come, subsequently securing the victory with a brutal Tiger Driver ninety one, leaving MJF defeated and titleless.
But this wasn’t the first time MJF has used his ring apparel to pay tribute to wrestling royalty. Earlier this 12 months, at AEW’s Double or Nothing, MJF made waves by using donning a blue and black jean jacket that bore a placing resemblance to the one worn by means of WWE Hall of Famer Paul “Triple H” Levesque in the course of his huge return to the ring in 2002. That night, MJF confirmed in an interview that his attire became certainly a homage to “The Game,” whom he reveres as one of the best wrestlers of all time.
MJF’s tribute to Triple H became as an awful lot an act of appreciate as it become a statement of purpose—a statement that he, too, is destined to be one of the greats. But as AEW All In demonstrated, harking back to legends is one thing; residing up to their legacy is every other. MJF’s adventure is far from over, and even as he may additionally have misplaced the American Championship, his ability to seize the creativeness of lovers together with his nods to wrestling records guarantees that his call will remain one which resonates thru the annals of expert wrestling.
