Worked shoots have been a part of pro wrestling for a long time. After all, there were years when wrestlers went to great lengths to protect kayfabe on the premise the business could only work if fans believed everything they saw to be legitimate sport. The matter grew more sophisticated after Vince McMahon openly acknowledged wrestling was a work, and all the more so during the Monday Night War era.

Particularly in the aftermath of the Montreal Screwjob, playing with the line between fact and fiction became a staple, and arguably a plot device WCW turned to too often and in clunky fashion. There’s still a place to blur the lines between a work and a shoot, though, and AEW and MJF have highlighted just how compelling creative choices around this line can be.

MJF was the Talk of the Wrestling World Heading into AEW Double Or Nothing

For Double or Nothing, AEW built an extremely compelling card with a number of matches hat looked great on paper, the promise of a historic moment or two, and a number of storylines appearing to reach a climax. However, when the day of the show rolled around, there was one aspect of it that superseded all others: what was going on with MJF, and would he even show up?

The rumors took a life of their own on the Internet. While it’s still not entirely clear what was real and what was for show, we do know AEW booked the PPV perfectly with MJF the first wrestler to walk out from behind the curtain. His appearance gave the show an electric feel out of the gate and prevented the questions around his status from distracting from the rest of the event.

Moreover, his match with Wardlow was executed perfectly. The extended squash paid off the storyline, with a babyface getting retribution and giving a heel his comeuppance, yes, but with the short, one-sided match also feeding rumors that MJF might be on poor terms with management, such that he was booked to look badly in the ring.

MJF Cut One Of The Greatest Wrestling Promos of Wrestling’s Modern Era

The buzz around MJF leading into Double or Nothing contributed to an equally buzzworthy performance on the Dynamite after the PPV. MJF cut the promo of a lifetime as he criticized management, weaving in very real issues like Tony Khan signing former WWE talent to big money contracts and pushing them over AEW mainstays.

MJF’s promo was well-timed to capitalize on speculation about him, as well as the momentum AEW had coming off a major PPV. While opinions still vary pretty widely on MJF’s in-ring abilities, there’s little question he’s one of the best promo guys in the world right now. The worked shoot scenario set him up to succeed, and MJF exceeded every expectation with his riveting delivery.

AEW Has Committed To The Storyline

Worked shoot storylines are difficult to pull off. Fans have seen enough variations on angles like MJF feuding with management that they’re inherently skeptical. Moreover, there are practical considerations like a wrestler keeping up the storyline on social media and shoot interviews, or questions about why a company would still be selling a performer’s merchandise if he’s on such rocky terms with them. Add on a never-ending stream of dirt sheets finding the inside scoop and it’s awfully difficult for the modern fan to suspend disbelief.

AEW and MJF have committed to what they’re doing, though. The degree to with The Wrestling Observer, Fightful, and others bit on the prospect of MJF potentially no-showing Double or Nothing after he skipped a meet and greet suggested that AEW had either artfully manipulated or deftly collaborated with these kinds of media outlets to sell their story, rather than having reporters undermine them.

The choice for MJF not to meet fans, itself, may have been part of the plan and while it’s ill-advised for AEW to make a habit out of false advertising or messing with the money fans put down for experiences like this, doing it one time to serve this story feels like a key part of making this angle work. Other choices like Tony Khan refusing to comment on MJF in the post-PPV media scrum and pulling MJF’s merchandise online have further reinforced uncertainty.

A Tradition Of Worked Shoots

MJF’s situation with AEW has drawn comparisons to other situations from the past twenty years. The degree to which MJF is publicly living his gimmick, with some fans suspecting he “went into business for himself” in skipping his meet and greet prompted memories of Brian Pillman’s “Loose Cannon” antics when he made a number of unorthodox choices on his own to cultivate a sense of chaos across his journey between WCW, ECW, and WWE.

In a similar time frame, the early stages of the New World Order angle in WCW had a similar ethos for the shock of seeing Scott Hall and Kevin Nash arrive in the promotion and hint that they were invading from WWE.

Moreover, MJF’s promo on Dynamite had harkened back to CM Punk’s Pipe Bomb on WWE Raw from 11 years. There’s a great deal of overlap when it comes to speaking to legitimate concerns about his employer within the confines of what was ostensibly a worked promo, complete with heeling on the crowd in the process. That promo and the angle to follow were key in elevating Punk to megastar status and the seeds are there for MJF to enjoy a similar type of growth.

Fans can’t yet know where AEW is headed with MJF, and it’s a testament to the success of the angle that there is a some doubt as to where the line is between a work and a shoot and whether it’s possible that, even if MJF is working, he still might be out the door to WWE when his contract’s up.

Nonetheless, for a promotion that has thrived off the quality of its in-ring product, AEW may well be telling its best out-of-the-ring story to date with MJF.