5 parallels between the rise of MJF and The Rock

#3 MJF and The Rock: Promo ability

"Pipe down nerds, you must be having flashbacks of being shoved in lockers; it must be awful."

Unrivaled microphone skills have been a major contributing factor to the early career success of MJF, as was the case for The Rock in the late 90s. Absolute naturals in front of the camera, both personalities displayed an innate poise and charisma, even in the embryonic stages of their respective careers.

Seemingly operating with unshakeable confidence, MJF navigates backstage interviews, pre-records, live records, pre-match promos, and post-match promos with unmatched consistency, as The Rock did during his run on top.

It is important to note that both stars benefited from working within the confines of a system that recognized their natural abilities, giving them creative license to roam during promos.

In addition to natural promo ability, both MJF appreciates the importance of delivering promos with bite, using every opportunity on the mic as a chance to remind fans why he is a detestable character, just like The Rock did during the Attitude Era.

In similar form to The Rock during his heel run, whether it’s unwarranted rudeness towards an interviewer or flagrant arrogance during a promo, MJF leaves no stone unturned in his efforts to generate genuine heel heat.

During the recent Brodie Lee tribute episode of AEW Dynamite, he even stooped as low as targeting Brodie Lee’s young son in the front row.