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Cody Rhodes returned to WWE last year amid much fanfare at WrestleMania 38. And he’s going to be headlining the marquee event this time around. Before coming back Rhodes played an influential role in the development of many stars in AEW but no one has quite come to the forefront than Maxwell Jacob Friedman or simply MJF.

He has overseen a meteoric rise in the Jacksonville-based promotion in recent times becoming their top champion. And with the heel performer’s contract with the company reportedly coming to an end, there have been musings about him joining WWE. Rhodes recently broke company barriers to heap massive praise on the 26-year-old.

Cody Rhodes discusses the rise of MJF

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The 2023 men’s Royal Rumble match winner interacted with Ariel Helwani recently and delved into many topics. He also discussed at length about MJF. The second-generation superstar said, “I think he has all the tools because he is so young, he has all the tools to develop and you are not seeing his final form yet”.

“His final form is probably going to be 10 years from now, like that’s who he is. But that all depends on if he sticks to the good side of this and doesn’t lose his head and his ego doesn’t get too big.” added Rhodes.

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With so many years of experience behind him who could be better than Rhodes to comment on the villainous performer? Friedman has skyrocketed to the top echelons of the industry through his stellar character work in AEW. But he reportedly recently indicated that he may soon join WWE.

Read More: “Best Worker on the Mic Since The Rock”: Fans Shower Top AEW Star With Praise After He Hints at Following in Cody Rhodes’ Footsteps

The 26-year-old is so invested in his gimmick that he always stays in it even during public appearances. And the former Intercontinental champion has seen his career from the very start.

Cody Rhodes played an influential role in MJF’s initial part of AEW career

Rhodes also served as a creative force with his former employer other than being an in-ring competitor. He was MJF’s first major feud in the business and helped him get over with fans. MJF was also involved in a stellar rivalry with the experienced campaigner CM Punk. And as expected, their tussle involved a lot of blockbuster promos which included MJF slamming Punk for his past in pro wrestling.

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Rhodes believed that Friedman need not go through the traditional mid-card route in his quest to reach the very top of the roster. Rather he was in favor of throwing the wrestler to the deep end at the nascent stage of his career. And the results of that are for all to see and admire.

It’s a testament to MJF’s impressive work which has garnered widespread acclaim and put him in the public eye. And the fact that there are already talks of him potentially joining WWE serves as further evidence that the sky is the limit. Cody Rhodes’ recent remarks have made it apparent that he is a huge fan of the AEW star. Much like many others are.

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What do you think about Cody Rhodes’ recent praise for MJF? Let us know in the comments.

Watch This Story: Cody Rhodes Recalls Behaving Arrogantly With A WWE Legend Prior To ‘The Worst Fight Of His Career’, “I Don’t Know What I Was Thinking’

Written by

Ritvic Pratap Singh

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Ritvic Pratap Singh is a WWE and AEW writer at EssentiallySports. Ritvic is very passionate about WWE and pro wrestling as the image of a wrestling ring always filled him with excitement and AJ Styles his favorite WWE superstar. Besides the wrestling world, Ritvic also has a profound love for soccer and is an ardent Manchester City fan.
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Edited by

Sherjeel Malik