MJF was undeniable in 2022. Whether you love him, hate him or just love to hate him (he couldn’t possibly care which), he ascended from being simply one of AEW’s top prospects to its world champion in just one year — three months of which he spent relaxing at home. Trying to explain what makes Friedman work is simultaneously simplistic yet difficult. On the surface, he comes off as a classic pro wrestling heel brought to the modern day — egotistical, loud-mouthed, endlessly abrasive toward every fan and cowardly at every turn. Every victory is designed to enrage fans while every long-awaited comeuppance brings an entire arena to its feet. But Max still manages to separate himself from the pack in a few ways. In an age of social media and near-constant visibility, he never breaks the facade. His in-ring work is stellar, but he only wrestled nine times this year. His promos have been criticized as being too shouty, but he has a mastery of pacing and crowd control and while delivering biting insults with every sentence.
