[2023-11-18-AEW-Full Gear] MJF vs Jay White

[corwo]

MJF's idea of selling is comical at best. He collapsed after slapping White. MJF's leg was fine enough for a Kangaroo Kick, but a debilitating injury seconds later. He attempted a Panama Sunrise and hit a top-rope diving elbow drop to the floor. Those two moves would've been annoying enough, but MJF went for leg-based offense constantly.

Everything MJF does is for show, which extends to his in-ring work. For a guy who prides himself on being an old school heel, he loves movez, and poorly executed ones at that. The cutter over the top and to the floor was shoehorned in and completely antithetical to the story being told, given MJF's supposedly bum wheel. None of MJF's work feels genuine. It's all done with a wink and a nod to those "in the know." He doesn't care about committing to the narrative of a match, only providing the façade of one.

Commentary also made a good point, asking why an injured MJF would repeatedly roll White into the ring after hitting a move on the floor. Sure, he's leaning towards being a face these days, but it's not like MJF hasn't used nefarious means to retain his title in the past. White's control segment was incredibly dull, a far cry from his best work. It mostly consisted of basic heel tactics like eye pokes and interference. Worse yet, White didn't target MJF's legs until the closing stretch. White came off as the stupidest wrestler in the world here. If you're trying to win a world title, why would you not exploit your opponent's weakness?

The tease of Adam Cole throwing in the towel was the cherry on top of a really crappy cake. Melodrama is their forte, after all. A ref bump followed, because seemingly every world title match has to have one of those now. Cole tried to slide MJF the Dynamite Diamond Ring. MJF hit a low blow, and had to fend off interference from The Gunns, who were previously thrown out. MJF then clocked White with the ring to get the win.

Again, if MJF resorted to underhanded tactics, why would he not take the count-out loss earlier and save himself from getting injured further? On top of being a slog, this whole thing was shoddily executed and highlighted many of my issues with MJF. I can't deny that this match worked for the crowd, but it just left a bad taste in my mouth.

DUD