Highlights

• MJF’s attempt to create a patriotic gimmick may have backfired and sparked mixed reactions from fans.
• The use of nationalism in wrestling can be difficult, as seen with past characters such as Hulk Hogan and JBL.
• MJF’s role in AEW seems unclear – he needs to choose and commit to a certain character type in order to be more effective.

In recent weeks, the former AEW World Champion MJF has found himself at the center of some difficult conversations. First there was his backstage drama with Britt Baker. Now he’s reinvented himself with a super-patriotic gimmick that, for better or worse, has fans talking. He’s also renamed the AEW International Championship (which he won in an infamous hour-long match from Will Ospreay) to the AEW American Championship.

MJF has always been a tribute act, so with that in mind, it makes sense that he’s reviving the cheesy, cocky patriotism that fans saw from babyface wrestlers in the ’80s. The only problem (aside from the fact that the 2020s aren’t nearly as welcoming to blind patriotism as the ’80s were) is that MJF misses the mark in terms of his execution.

MJF’s latest gimmick is that he is a real American

His new gimmick is a sudden change of tone

• In the July 24 episode of dynamiteMJF introduced the American Championship.
• The crowd in Nashville initially cheered him, but that was not the reaction MJF had hoped for.
• MJF follows the rules of old-school wrestling, but this is a misstep.

Forty years ago, a man carrying an American flag and boasting that the US is the best country in the world would undoubtedly have been a babyface. Today, however, the line is very blurred. Cody Rhodes walks that line expertly, so much so that he is cheered overseas with an American flag tattoo on his neck. MJF tries to use patriotism to gain an advantage, but is too clumsy at execution to figure out how to do it.

Patriotism is no longer celebrated as it was in the 80s,many wrestling fans, especially in the South, will still fall for a patriotic gimmick . When MJF debuted this gimmick in Nashville, Tennessee, he was met with rapturous applause. This forced MJF to make an embarrassing about-face and claim that he does not support “their America.” MJF’s America seems to be limited exclusively to Long Island, which begs the question, why did he not rename the belt the Long Island Championship?

Perhaps MJF has overestimated the number of Americans who hate America. In his personal circle, the percentage may be high, but it is clear that the average American wrestling fan is more likely to cheer for their country than boo it.

Patriotism and old-school wrestling have a funny history

Nationalism has been a tool in wrestling for decades

• Both heels and babyfaces have used American nationalism for their characters.
• Hulk Hogan is probably the most famous babyface patriot.
• In the early 2000s, WWE introduced an uglier version of American hypernationalism.

Several iconic wrestling figures have exploited American nationalism to garner either support or hatred. Hulk Hogan is the most immediate and prominent example ; by defending “America,” he quickly rallied all American patriots behind him. Sergeant Slaughter used nationalism to gain support, then betrayed America in infamous fashion. He used virtually the same patriotism that had made him so popular to become one of the most despised villains in the business. This feigned nationalism was cheesy and largely superficial. But over the next few decades, it would become even more sinister.

In the 2000s, we saw an uglier form of nationalism emerge in professional wrestling through JBL; he was a “patriotic” American who bullied and harassed Mexican wrestlers like Eddie Guerrero. In a very backwards and bigoted decision, WWE let JBL overtake Guerrero in their feud. The company has made a few other baffling decisions similar to this one, such as: Triple H’s victory over Booker T after telling the black competitor, “People like you don’t become world champions.”

Unfortunately, MJF seems to be taking inspiration from the Triple Hs and JBLs of this world. He has made several racist slurs (such as telling a Japanese man to “speak American,” mocking a Mexican illegal immigration crowd, and calling a black man a “crack baby”) and has soundly defeated all of his opponents thus far. While MJF will likely lose to Ospreay at Wembley, AEW has done a disservice by failing to let babyfaces like Takeshita and Michael Oku give MJF his just punishment himself. A loss at the hands of a white Englishman is not the closure that MJF’s nationalist (racist) heel heat deserves. Allowing a heel to insult and demean people of color without those people shutting him down is a bad image for AEW, just as it was for WWE.

MJF’s role in AEW seems very unclear at the moment

What role does MJF play as a former world champion in AEW?

• MJF wants to be all kinds of heels at the same time.
• AEW can create complex characters, but MJF is not one at the moment.
• MJF must choose a role and stick with it to be effective again.

At the heart of all discussions about MJF is one central theme:MJF has to decide who he is. Is he a cowardly, sleazy villain? Is he a tortured anti-hero? Is he a brutal, sadistic killer? Is he a caricature of Hulk Hogan? While AEW has given us complex, layered characters like Adam Page, those characters are the result of a thoughtful, planned narrative spanning multiple years.

MJF can’t just throw in gimmicks and expect to achieve the same level of complexity. For now, he should pick a role and go with it. Hopefully that role doesn’t involve a cheesy, unnecessary revival of Hulkamania.