10 Biggest Heat Magnets In Wrestling Right Now

9. MJF

CM Punk
AEW

MJF is a 24/7 heel.

He generates elusive, earnest heel heat in the portrayal of his character. That remains a staggering achievement in 2022. His manipulative supervillain origin story was sensational because you wanted to believe - as an adult! - that there was some good lurking underneath the sociopathy. Of his fictional character. As it transpired, he was even worse than you thought. He was the devil himself.

If he's not quite considered that bad in the locker room, and again, this is written on a two-sides-to-every-story basis, he appears to have drawn a level of heat more earnest even than the heartfelt boos echoing around the stands.

Nobody knows the extent to which this deal with Tony Khan was a work, past tense, although it's clearly a 100% work now. It would appear that MJF has elected to tell an experimental and risky story with Khan's blessing - one that has pissed off at least one member of the locker room in Wardlow. He told Digital Spy that "All the crap with Max and everything he was pulling" ruined what should have been the greatest night of his career.

Several more, per Fightful, were pissed at MJF following the events of Double Or Nothing, during which he no-sold a meet-and-greet, and, as was effectively exposed on the very next Dynamite, began his Brian Pillman odyssey.

All for CM Punk to steal his heat within five minutes.

Isn't he meant to care about "the boys"?

 
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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champion Kenny Omega, present AEW World Champion MJF, and surefire Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!