Despite not even having reached his 30th birthday, MJF has achieved blockbuster success in the world of professional wrestling.
However, long before he became All Elite and went on to win the AEW World Championship, he was a top star in the world of independent wrestling, winning championships in multiple promotions. One of these promotions was the Ethan Page-founded Alpha-1 Wrestling in Hamilton, ON, and back in May of 2017, he captured the A1 Outer Limits Championship from Page.
However, his victory celebration with manager Stokely Hathaway was short-lived as he was attacked by Joey Janela moments after winning the title, instigating a match for the newly-won belt.
The match was held under falls count anywhere rules, and while Hathaway was present for the start of the match, he was less than helpful as he filmed the melee on his phone. The action soon moved outside the venue, and the two men brawled on the lawn outside the building before moving to the parking lot, where Friedman slammed Janela’s head inside a dumpster.
A grey car containing wrestling fans soon appeared on the scene, and the driver of the car motioned for Janela to get in. He did, and delivered a lariat to his opponent while the car’s owner drove forward. In the end, Janela was victorious, and MJF lost the title the same day he won it.
Speaking in a recent interview with Fightful, Janela recalled the unique title match, saying that anything was on the table as far as the action went.
“Everything was on the fly in that [match]. And I jumped in and I gave [MJF] probably the most vicious lariat of all time from the car window.”
Joey Janela Joked About His And MJF’s Different Levels Of Success
Continuing, Janela, who parted ways with AEW in May of 2022, joked about the fact that MJF is now a successful television champion while Janela himself is once again grinding away on the independent wrestling scene.
“Now MJF is a millionaire, and I’m still on the indies getting a hot dog and a handshake, so maybe I should have been the one on the receiving end of that clothesline… Maybe go back, maybe I’m the one that takes the clothesline from the car. He’s the one giving it, and I’m the one now with the Ferrari. I’m the one with the million dollars.”
h/t WrestlingInc