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A battle with “the final boss of professional wrestling” and the looming threat of The Devil awaited, but that wasn’t going to stop AEW World champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman from celebrating defending his title in his beloved Long Island. His entrance at Worlds End featured fellow denizens of what MJF calls the Most Magical Place on Earth singing his praises… in the ring, and in the backseat of a young woman’s parent’s car.
Max shed a tear as his fellow New Yorkers chanted for their scumbag, then signaled for his brochacho Adam Cole. Joe didn’t mind the other pomp & circumstances, but he was not happy to see Cole.
The champ’s positive feelings ended quickly after the bell, too. Joe wasted no time picking MJF apart, paying particular attention to his injured left shoulder. No amount of cheerleading from Cole or the crowd overcame the bad arm, which stopped every comeback Friedman mounted.
It was targeting Joe’s own taped up left elbow that gave MJF some momentum. He couldn’t quite get an arm bar locked in with his own damaged wing, though. Joe’s counter had referee Bryce Remsburg repeatedly asking him if he could continue.
Before long though, Remburg took a bump (as is seemingly mandatory in main events from both of the two biggest feds in North America these days). That created an opening for a low blow, and MJF had Joe down for lengthy count, but Remsburg didn’t recover until Joe was ready to kick out. Another opening allowed Max to ask Cole for his Dynamite Diamond Ring, but it took him a while to find it. In that time, Joe recovered to apply a choke. Friedman couldn’t remain conscious, and we had a new champ.
Cole consoled his friend, and that was when the Devil’s masked goons surrounded the ring. They trapped both MJF and the Panama City Playboy, with Cole begging them to attack him rather than Max. But then the lights went out, and when they came back up Cole was sitting in a chair with the henchmen behind him. They unmasked to reveal themselves as Roderick Strong, The Kingdom’s Matt Taven & Mike Bennett, and that big lying liar Wardlow.
After a powerbomb from MJF’s former indentured servant, Cole produced the Devil mask. He limped to the former World champ’s body and dropped it on him.
The heel group posed as the PPV ended.
Lots of questions to be answered in the days to come. In the meantime, get complete Worlds End results and coverage of the entire show here.
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Laura Davis is an entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to Broadway, she offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
