Jim Cornette Criticizes AEW’s Booking Of Double Or Nothing World Title Match
Wrestling legend Jim Cornette has some critical thoughts about how AEW has built the Double or Nothing World Title match.
Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF) is set to defend the AEW World Title this Sunday, May 28th at Double or Nothing against Darby Allin, “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry and Sammy Guevara in a Fatal 4-Way match. It’s likely going to be the main event of Double or Nothing.
In an interview with our good friends at Inside The Ropes, former wrestling manager/booker/writer/announcer Jim Cornette, who is a popular podcaster these days, made it clear that he is a big fan of MJF, but he’s not as interested in the other wrestlers in the match.
“The problem is he’s the one of the most talented guys to ever come along in the modern era that has a mind for wrestling and how to be a heel and how to put matches together and make things make sense. That’s not a common occurrence these days. The problem is he’s at the mercy of being in a company where not only Tony, let’s face it, yes, AEW fans wanted this company to succeed from the start, because they were mad at the WWE.”
“They didn’t like the product, they hate Vince whatever the case, they love this cosplay style of wrestling. But only the blind can say that Tony’s booking from the start has made really any sense. Every once in a while the top guys, especially when MJF was interacting with CM Punk that was gold because they just do what they want, they set their sh*t up. But unfortunately, I don’t think MJF has got to the point now where he can put his foot down as much as he ought to be able to. And that’s the problem.”
“MJF wins the title, who had been his challengers? Who are his challengers? He doesn’t want to work with Jericho again Jericho nearly sapped all of his f*cking over the first time. Because Jericho was a over sapper, he’ll sap all of your over away from you and you’ll be left under. And I’m sure you don’t want work with the f*cking plumber Moxley, good God. And Moxley would sell nothing and fucking bury him Jeff like he does. Everybody else doesn’t have his garbage matches.”
“The whole four pillars thing is because Tony’s a Japanese wrestling nerd. And they had four pillars, so he’s going to have four pillars and they determined who the four pillars were are at the start of the company. Well, one of the pillars has been a massive stone column worthy of the f*cking druids construction, MJF, and the other three have been f*cking pogo sticks.”
As he continued, Jim Cornette had some not-so-flattering things to say about Darby Allin.
“And what’s happened now is if they had taken the time that they had, because if you’ve watched Darby Allin, he actually came out of his shell about a month or six weeks ago when they started building this thing. And did a great promo and he’s done some other promos that are very good and had people behind him. He’s got that weird charisma. I think he’s a f*cking idiot. In real life, I think he’s a f*cking idiot.”
“He tries to kill himself for no money for no reason just because he’s, I don’t know he’s the guy he slept in his car before the f*cking pay-per-view because he wanted to remember how it was before he got his contract. Motherf*cker take a picture and sleep in the Hilton, you’re making money.”
Jim Cornette did admit that Darby Allin is an attraction as a pro wrestling in AEW.
“But anyway, the downtrodden goth kids or whatever is a matter with these kids these days, they like that sh*t. So I admit Darby Allin is an attraction. And even though he’s reckless, he’s only reckless with himself. It doesn’t look like he hurts anybody else. And he does the sh*t better than everybody else.”
“So they could have spent time building Darby as this underdog, popular favourite that all the young people would be behind against this f*cking well dressed, asshole, arrogant, obnoxious, rich kid from Long Island. And you got the skateboard and kid that sleeps in his car against the guy in the Burberry scarf. It’s Flair and Dusty. And instead, they’ve muddled it up by trying to shoehorn [the other two pillars].”
From there, Jim Cornette moved on to talk about Sammy Guevara & “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry as well.
“Sammy Guevara is not ready to be in a single position in a main event, the way he’s been presented, he was a baby face then when they figured out that they really didn’t like him in real life because of his slappable face and his bitchy girlfriend. Then he becomes a heel, but then they feel sorry for him because he is Jericho’s flunky. So he they start cheering for him again, his promos half of them are babyface, half of them are heel, they don’t know what the f*ck.”
“And then Jungle Boy, just write that one off, he’s gone as far as he can go. He’s a good underdog babyface that can sell and he can have a good match with a veteran to lead him and keep him from doing all the gymnastics and the aggressive parkour. But when he gets in there with his trampoline friends, it’s just blah. His promos are blah, his personality is blah. And it’s been exposed by putting him in this position.”
Lastly, Jim Cornette spoke about how he thinks this story has been forced because AEW wants to push all four pillars at once.
“So what they’ve done is, Tony by trying to shoehorn in what he figured was going to happen four years ago now, and not paying any attention to what’s happening now with Darby getting over Sammy being eh, and Jungle Boy being a failed project at this point.”
“He still goes with it and that hurts MJF’s reign because he’s in a world title match, a main event match that people don’t really give a sh*t about. And would rather probably see Darby on his own go for it because they may do an upset there but this is just a f*cking mess. So to answer your question, MJF is a great talent with absolutely dick all of anything to do right now.”