Mastermind behind MJF's big title match outside AEW finally revealed

MJF once defended an AEW championship outside the Jacksonville-based promotion ahead of a marquee match. A year removed from the title match, the mastermind behind the high-stakes bout has finally been revealed.

The Salt of the Earth was the reigning AEW International Champion in 2024. He was scheduled to defend his title against Will Ospreay at the company's premier event, All In. However, right before the showdown, MJF put his title on the line against British independent star Michael Oku. The match took place at RevPro's Summer Sizzler event.

In a recent conversation on The Five Marks podcast, Oku revealed that it was The Wolf of Wrestling himself who pitched for the match to take place before AEW All In 2024.

"This was all MJF’s idea. He just got the green light to do it, but it was his idea. He was like ‘I want to wrestle Michael Oku, I want to do it at RevPro, and I want to do it in York Hall, Bethnal Green.'"

Oku added that Maxwell Jacob Friedman wanted to compete in the match to gain momentum in the build-up to his bout against Will Ospreay at All In 2024, which took place at Wembley Stadium in London, England.

"He for sure wanted to do that match because it would help him with his build with Will Ospreay in the lead-up to [All In at Wembley Stadium]. It’s a flattering comment, a compliment really, that he wanted the match." [H/T: WrestleTalk]

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MJF's former rival referenced him on WWE television

MJF has had rivalries with many top stars during his tenure in AEW. One of them is current WWE Superstar CM Punk. The duo engaged in a heated feud in 2022. On a recent edition of Monday Night RAW, Punk referenced The Salt of the Earth.

In a promo segment, The Best in the World said that he was 'better than the current World Heavyweight Champion, and everybody knows it.' The line closely resembled Maxwell Jacob Friedman's popular catchphrase, 'I'm better than you, and you know it.'

While the duo is unlikely to feud again, their rivalry in AEW will surely be remembered as one of the most captivating programs in professional wrestling.