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Following the shocking conclusion to the AEW Full Gear PPV in November 2022, fans were treated to a heel turn from William Regal, as he would assist MJF in winning the AEW World Championship. In the weeks following, it was revealed that Regal was leaving the company, creating a level of confusion about the booking of the match, which was only added to with MJF attacking Regal and then Regal sending in a pre-taped message explaining his actions. While the route to get there may have been made messy due to Regal's exit from the company, fans can expect an extremely hot, emotional feud to take place in early 2023 as Bryan Danielson will look to avenge his mentor by chasing MJF.
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After Missteps In 2022, AEW Needs A Hot Start To 2023
While fans now know that William Regal's exist was less of a misstep on AEW's part, and more of Tony Khan trying to do solid by the veteran by letting him walk from the company so that he could work alongside his son and Triple H in WWE, there were still a number of major issues that plagued the hot company throughout 2022. A seemingly non-stop run of injuries would take out a large portion of the roster this year, which led to stars being off of television for extended periods of time, hurting the product in a number of ways.
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On top of injuries, Tony Khan's booking also began to show holes, with an endless spotlight on Ring of Honor causing mass criticism from the fanbase. There of course were also the real-life issues between Khan and MJF earlier in the year, AEW Rampage becoming a meaningless show, and the now infamous press conference breakdown from CM Punk and the subsequent brawl between Punk, Ace Steel, and The Elite at All Out. While 2021 saw AEW reach an all-time high, garnering great ratings and praise from critics and fans alike, 2022 was a much harder year for the promotion. Kickstarting 2023 with a major feud between Danielson and MJF is just the shot in the arm that the product desperately needs.
With MJF Attacking William Regal, The Feud Can Be An Emotional One
With Regal's departure from AEW, it remains to be seen how he will be referenced within the upcoming storyline between Danielson and MJF, though if his write-off was any indication, it will be the inciting incident for this feud. As Regal is Bryan's mentor, this feud is going to be presented as an emotional one, as MJF attempted to seriously injure the former NXT General Manager by knocking him out with a shot to the back of the head with brass knuckles.
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Regardless of Regal's lack of involvement, Bryan Danielson and MJF are both two of the best storytellers within AEW, and after a year that saw Bryan stuck in a never-ending feud with the JAS, and MJF off of TV for several months, these two will likely want to deliver a home run as their first programs of 2023.
So Far, None Of MJF's Feuds In AEW Have Been Bad, So A Feud With Danielson Should Be Great
One area of praise that AEW and MJF both deserve is in the presentation of his feuds. While some may lament the ending of his feud with Chris Jericho in 2021, the overall program was still a great one. That has been the case with all of his rivalries in the company since its launch in 2019. In terms of delivering with high quality and consistency, there is no wrestler in AEW who has knocked it out of the park as much as MJF.
Through his legendary feud with CM Punk and his great feuds with Darby Allin, Cody Rhodes, Chris Jericho, Wardlow, and Jon Moxley, MJF has proven time and time again that he is one of the best wrestlers in the company, and when paired against arguably the best wrestler in the world, Bryan Danielson, the two should be able to make magic in terms of an all-time great feud for AEW. With Danielson having spent much of 2022 on the sidelines, a jump into the main event scene with a fresh dance partner in the form of MJF is just what the American Dragon needs to begin one of his final years in pro wrestling.
