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WWE legend Booker T has credited AEW's booking of young stars like MJF and Dante Martin as an example of how All Elite Wrestling takes relatively unknown talents and turns them into stars.
AEW president Tony Khan has built up his roster with a number of former WWE stars, which has helped add plenty of depth to the company. Several of these competitors have proven to be beneficial signings because they had gained popularity during their time with WWE.
However, a number of wrestlers who have never stepped foot in a WWE ring have gone on to become huge names in AEW. The likes of Friedman, Darby Allin and Jungle Boy, among others, have all been credited as "pillars" for AEW to build around.
Booker T acknowledged this pattern on his Hall of Fame podcast, as he discussed the fact that AEW tends to debut a lot of relatively unknown wrestlers all at the same time. That said, the promotion tends to make good on its promise of turning these performers into stars.
“They sign a lot of guys from the indie scene that you don’t know that you do have to—like the Dante Martin? Is that his name? You’ve got to watch this guy and then go ‘wait a minute, I like this guy, I want to tune in and watch him next week.’ You’ve got to do that with a lot of the AEW guys because you don’t know who the hell they are! But that’s the beauty of being talented, if you’re good, just like you didn’t know who MJF was once upon a time," he said. [1:11:46-1:12:18]
Maxwell Jacob Friedman was highlighted as the main example, as he is such a special talent that he would be able to stand out from the crowd if he debuted around other people.
“You could debut MJF with seven other guys, you’re going to see something different with him than those other six guys," he added. "That’s what I’m talking about.” [1:12:28-1:12:37]
Many fans miss MJF right now
It seems that it would be easier to find Wally or Waldo than Maxwell Jacob Friedman right now, as the "Salt of the Earth" has not been seen on AEW TV, since June 1st, 2022.
Multiple wrestlers, including Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D, FTR and Danhausen have all made reference to MJF in his absence, and now fans are starting to buzz about Friedman's return.
The situation regarding MJF's absence remains mysterious, but one thing is certain: when Maxwell Jacob Friedman returns, it will send shockwaves throughout the wrestling world.
When do you think MJF will return to TV? Let us know in the comments section down below!
Please credit the Hall of Fame podcast and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling when using quotes from this article.
