The last time we received news regarding AEW Fight Forever it was Full Gear, and Michael Jacob Friedman was hours away from defeating Jon Moxley — with the help of William Regal — to become the next AEW World Champion. The video that was released the weekend of Full Gear looked great and showcased some of my favorite things about wrestling games: belts, in-depth story mode, over-the-top moves, lots of weapons, and match types.
Yesterday, THQ Nordic dropped another little breadcrumb, this time showcasing All Elite Wrestling’s World Champion MJF, fully equipped with his Burberry scarf. Sure, we saw bits of him during the Full Gear reveal, but this showed more in-ring footage and extended clips from what we’ve seen previously. Here’s a look at the official character reveal of “The Devil himself” Maxwell Jacob Friedman.
He's better than you and you know it!
This #AEWFightForever spotlight trailer showcases a sneak peek of "The Salt of the Earth" @The_MJF
Reserve or wish list your copy today
➤ https://t.co/3Mt4mM3NX1#AEWgames @AEW @THQNordic @YUKES_AEW pic.twitter.com/CveiPIn0YZ— AEW Games (@AEWGames) December 21, 2022
He’s Better Than You, And You Know It!
When we first had a chance to see MJF in the Full Gear trailer, the first thing I thought to myself was, “Wow, that doesn’t really look a whole lot like MJF.” But after the most recent trailer, I’m starting to feel a lot better about how the current AEW Champion looks. In the latest video, which cuts between real-life images of MJF and his pixelated character, you get to see the similarities.
The entrance, for example, looks spot-on. The developers even made MJF come out of the tunnel arrogantly chewing his gum before flashing his beautiful Dynamite Diamond ring to the camera. Even the scarf looks like it moves when he walks, which shows just how much little detail they’ve put into each wrestler’s quickened entrance. Of course, most wrestlers have a bulkier build to them — as AEW FF looks eerily similar to WWF No Mercy — but I think it fits MJF well. I also like what they did with his tattoo, which is accurately portrayed.
In the ring, we see some of MJF’s signature moves, including an excellent double underhook shoulder breaker and his iconic side headlock takedown. Unfortunately, we do not see his finishing move, “The Salt of the Earth.” But we did get to see what appears to be his alternate finisher — and boy does it look devastating. Of course, I’m talking about his knockout punch with the Dynamite Diamond Ring.
Dynamite Diamond Ring
One of the things I liked about the MJF reveal is just how prominent the Dynamite Diamond Ring is. As many wrestling fans know, AEW holds a Dynamite Diamond Battle Royal every year, where the winner faces off against the current ring holder, which is MJF. Whether or not this will find its way into career mode is anyone’s guess, but it’s definitely a trademark of the current AEW champion. And as we see in the video, MJF’s use of it can be match-altering.
In this video, we see a confused “Hangman” Adam Page standing behind “The Devil Himself” while MJF casually puts the ring on his hand right before laying a vicious right hand on Page. However, my favorite part about this animation is how the camera shakes with contact. And then, the slow-mo camera angle of it connecting with Page’s jaw that follows? Absolute chef’s kiss. The move looks deadly, and as we’ve seen before, very few kick out of the Dynamite Diamond knockout punch.
Could We See Custom Belts In AEW Fight Forever
Shortly after becoming the new All Elite Wrestling world champion, MJF did something that no other AEW Champion has before: he got himself a custom belt. Much like we all remember Daniel Bryan’s recycled WWE title or John Cena’s spinner belt, MJF has his own title — and, of course, it looks eerily similar to his scarf. This wasn’t something we saw in the trailer, but with all the customization options we can expect with AEW Fight Forever, I have to wonder if we don’t see little details like custom belts eventually find their way into the game.
We still don’t have a release date, but with every new reveal and trailer that releases, my excitement continues to grow. Now, all we can do is hope that with the year 2023 right around the corner, so too is the release of my most anticipated video game in years, AEW Fight Forever.
