MJF & Adam Cole Proving They Are Better Than You And You Know It, Bay Bay
The tag team MJF & Adam Cole have proven to be a hot commodity in AEW, so we should probably enjoy it while lasts.
Chris Jericho and AJ Styles. These are two men that are known for decades of service in the wrestling industry. So when the two came together upon Styles’ debut in the WWE in 2016, it was meant to be magic. In fact, when they came together, it was nothing short of a ‘dream team.’ The two men put together a clever name that blended both of their characters, only for it to be quickly ripped away from us. Their merchandise even exploded upon its release, and with that, it was apparent that the two were in for a long tenure together that would have been met with a great deal of success.
There was just one problem. They wouldn’t last as a tandem for even a month. Depending on who you ask, the duo were together for a maximum of a couple of weeks. Fans that had ordered the Y2AJ shirts were probably shocked that their shirts had likely been in transit just as the team was splitting up. With Jericho being the one to turn on Styles, it made for a surprising end but did make way for an even better build to the two facing one another at WrestleMania 32.
They’re Better Than Y2AJ, And You Know It, Bay Bay
As the two began to feud, it was becoming apparent that with Styles now in the WWE, dream matches for him would now soon become a reality. It would first begin with his feud with Chris Jericho. Sadly, Styles’ wasn’t successful in his first WrestleMania match. But it did open fans’ eyes in the WWE who hadn’t seen him before that now that the Phenomenal one was here that the result was going to be nothing short of fun.
As we skip ahead to 2023, another ‘dream match’ up is presenting itself. Only this one is a back-and-forth booking of what happened with Styles and Jericho. MJF and Adam Cole. Adam Cole and MJF. Two men that have been good at being bad but have two commonalities between them. The two men have been notable heels, and both have the gift of gab. Those qualities have made for some initial promo exchanges between them.
“I actually met MJF when he was very, very early on in his career. From the moment I saw him, and I mean this, this is regardless of what I think about him personally, but from the moment I saw him, I knew he was super talented. He was one of those guys who got it very, very early on. He was someone who put just as much time and energy into his promo work as he did into his bell-to-bell in-ring competition work.
“So yeah, he was incredibly talented from a very young age. He was definitely one of those guys that when I saw I was like, ‘Oh, this is gonna be a guy I’m gonna be seeing a lot more of.’”
Y2AJ
But what their exchange has provided is that Chris Jericho and AJ Styles needed more time. Far too often, we, as wrestling fans, want immediate gratification. Their team was short-lived, and the fallout ultimately led to a match at WrestleMania between them. Their match at WrestleMania was fine but was missing something. It didn’t have the time to be something longstanding that fans would truly remember. This is where MJF and Adam Cole’s relationship has been different.
Upon MJF’s win at Revolution, he believed he was better than anyone else in the promotion and that no one was on the level with the devil. But it was at that very moment when it all became about the BOOM. Adam Cole’s music hit, and a collective pop emerged from those in attendance. Their exchange was well received as MJF had someone he could interact with for the first time since he battled CM Punk.
This led to a Championship eliminator matchup between them. As we recall, the match between them was pretty good. It leaned on the strengths of both men and, in the process, would result in a decisive no decision between them. Cole wanted five more minutes, and MJF grabbed the title and slipped out from under the bottom rope, and left the ring. Was this it? Would this be the end of this first time ever match up and the feud between them?
What happened was another exchange between the two in the weeks that followed. Once again, Cole wanted another shot at the AEW World Championship. But what happened was an interruption by Tony Schiavone and the announcement that the two men would be teaming up as part of the AEW World Tag Team Championship Blind Tournament. Sure enough, it was met with resistance as neither man liked one another, and there was going to be ‘no way’ that they were going to team together.
But unlike Y2AJ, there was no build to them dissolving as a team as there was a real reason for them to stay together. But over the next few weeks, MJF and Adam Cole would turn their disdain for one another into mutual respect for one another. And along the way, fans were witness to the two men working together to build a, shall we say, friendship. It wasn’t one fans had likely seen coming.
Over the past few weeks, we’ve had instances where birthdays were celebrated, MJF participated in Adam Cole’s Twitch stream, and even Cole got MJF to play AEW Fight Forever. MJF has been steadfast in his hatred for video games and anyone that plays them. So to see MJF play video games with Adam Cole was a shock to all involved.
From there, we had MJF present Cole with their ‘Better Than You, Bay Bay’ t-shirt that has sold exceptionally well in the time it’s been available. This was followed up with MJF wanting to have the two have a double clothesline as their finishing move too. We have since seen a ‘Double Clothesline’ t-shirt now become available.
800k Devil Worshipers in Hartford CT got to witness history last night, brother.
-MJF#BetterthanyouBayBaypic.twitter.com/NlDmftaytO
— Maxwell Jacob Friedman™️ (@The_MJF) July 30, 2023
Their time together has also seen some silly moments, with their infamous dance-off in the middle of the AEW Tag Team Championship Blind Eliminator tournament. But it was also revealed that MJF said he would give Adam Cole another shot at the AEW World Championship. And while they weren’t successful in their attempt to capture the AEW World Tag Team Championship against FTR, it didn’t make the match worth any less.
We did see MJF tease attacking Adam Cole after their match but ultimately hug it out. This coming Wednesday, MJF will conduct an interview on AEW Dynamite. What will he say, and how will it implicate Adam Cole?
Could any of this have worked with Y2AJ? Could there have been moments in that short-lived tag team that could have been worth more? We couldn’t see AJ or Jericho engage in a dance-off. Although, Jericho and MJF did something similar a few years back. There are so many things in seeing MJF and Adam Cole that Jericho and Styles feud could have been.
And if the end result is that we do get MJF and Adam Cole facing each other once again, the story arc between them has been a ride fans have ultimately enjoyed. Its already proven to be a success through its merchandise, and fans’ reactions to having it main event a pay-per-view would be something fans are also likely to get behind. Whatever the end game is between this Adam Cole and MJF storyline, we all ultimately win as the journey has been as enjoyable as the final result, bay bay.
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