Quick Links
In the world of kayfabe, Maxwell Jacob Friedman has no friends. Sure, in AEW, he had his own stable, The Pinnacle, but those were hired hands, not friends. As a character, MJF is a lone wolf most of the time who’s too busy being better than everyone else to be seen hanging out with anyone else. The same can’t be said of the real man behind the gimmick. Though he rarely shows it as he famously doesn’t break character even for interviews, MJF has the respect of many. Outside of frustration causing him to take a hiatus from AEW, you never hear a bad word about the man. And you never hear him say a bad thing, even in character, about Cody Rhodes.
Cody Rhodes Made MJF A Star Straight Out Of The Gate
When AEW first started airing Dynamite in 2019, Cody Rhodes was among its biggest stars, and probably its most important, as he was integral in the creation of the company. He was at the top of the card, but he had no interest in being world champion. Instead, he wanted to put the company on his back in a different way, by building up others. After a while it became predictable, with new stars coming in to have their first feud with Rhodes, but in the beginning there was MJF.
It was phenomenal storytelling that saw MJF turn face to protect Cody Rhodes from the Inner Circle. No one bought it. Of course, we knew it was a ruse, and that he would soon turn on Rhodes. But in doing so, by taking MJF and putting him next to him so quickly, MJF was turned into a megastar, while Cody stood back and let him shine. They feuded for months. By the time it was over, MJF was the best heel in AEW. That’s thanks, in part, to Rhodes, who obviously saw MJF’s potential and saw that a slow rise through the midcard wasn’t good enough.
RELATED: 5 Wrestlers That Are Close Friends Of Cody Rhodes (& 5 He Has Heat With)
MJF Has Great Things To Say About Cody Rhodes
When Cody Rhodes left AEW for WWE earlier in 2022, MJF was asked about it shortly after by Ariel Helwani. MJF replied with, “I wish him the best of luck, I really do. I hope he finds happiness, and I hope he makes a boatload of money. Have we had our issues in the past? Absolutely. Do I love him as a human being? Maybe not. But I respect him as a businessman. Look, this is the same guy who I whipped several times as I watched his wife cry and weep. I'm not saying we're buddies, you know, I'm not saying I like the guy, but what I am saying is I respect what he's doing as a businessman, and quite frankly, by 2024, if people have an issue with me leaving to go make real money, then me and him are going to be fighting on the same exact island… Now, was Cody Rhodes a big weapon in our arsenal? Absolutely. That's why I look forward to seeing what he, as a weapon, does for the rest of his career.”
Though, as usual, MJF stayed in character, throwing out that he doesn’t like Rhodes even as he praises him, the fact that he praised him while he’s so committed to living in kayfabe everywhere he goes, shows the real respect that he has for Cody underneath the character.
That respect goes back years, to 2018, before AEW even existed, when MJF told Fightful, "Me and Cody Rhodes -- best friends. Sometimes we go out and do caviar tastings. We do wine tasting, as well. Tremendous guy. I always enjoyed flying out to visit him. Quite frankly -- and he’ll admit it, too -- I kind of remind him of a younger him. Somebody who is so immensely talented at a young age. Someone who just gets it, just like Cody did. If you look back at those original years of Cody's career, he was well beyond where he should have been in his age range. Why wouldn't he be? He's the son of one of the greatest professional wrestlers In the history of the industry; Dusty Rhodes.”
Was some of that said as a joke? Probably. It’s highly doubtful that the pair went out for caviar and wine tastings. But for MJF to compare himself to Cody and to praise his father, the late Dusty Rhodes, says a lot, even coming from a heel who finds a way to make everything about himself.
RELATED: MJF Reveals What Cody Rhodes Has To Do To Get Him In The Ring
Will Cody Rhodes And MJF Ever Be Reunited In A Wrestling Ring?
Cody Rhodes may be with the competition now, but he hasn’t been forgotten in AEW. Back in September, when MJF first returned, he delivered a scathing promo, where, as he likes to do, he teased going to WWE in 2024. He even brought up Cody Rhodes, calling him his “friend and hero.”
You have to imagine that MJF and Cody Rhodes get a kick out of it. And who knows, in 2024, maybe they’ll get a chance to work together again in WWE. As Cody’s friend, or as a despicable heel who stabs that friend in the back, MJF would have a great chance to tell another chapter in his story with Rhodes for a whole new audience. Only time will tell if it happens, but if they end up on the same roster again, they’re sure as heck going to be working together as soon as possible.
