5 unexpected directions for MJF after AEW Full Gear: Rivalry with former WWE Champion, First title shot in over a year?

MJF, Maxwell Jacob Friedman. The Salt of the Earth. One of the Four Pillars of AEW. He's better than you, and you know it.

MJF is one of the top wrestlers in AEW today, possibly one of the top wrestlers ever. He stands out in promos and has grown his persona and identity. He knows how to get the crowd to hate him, and you probably clicked this because you hate him too.

If anything, his match at AEW Full Gear put his wrestling skills front-and-center. True, cheating to win didn't do him any favors. But MJF knew his actions would upset fans even more. A man of his word, he beat Darby Allin with a headlock-takeover.

Now that he's defeated the last pillar, MJF should move on to his next target. There are still a few other stars that MJF could go up against to get even more heat and showcase his skills.

5. MJF could continue his feud with Darby Allin

The Salt of the Earth's victory was dishonorable. It was also a blow to Darby Allin's ego, who will not take it lying down. He might pursue MJF for a few more weeks before having it settled.

MJF set out to humilate and break Allin, but the daredevil has proven to be resilient and could attack MJF during a promo. Allin is known to take revenge when someone cheats to defeat him, and Friedman just might experience this first-hand.

There are also other avenues to explore in their feud. MJF and Darby Allin have only had one match. In his previous rivalry, MJF faced Jericho numerous times before settling things. He could be challenged to wrestle by Darby's rules to prove himself.

4. MJF could begin a feud with Bryan Danielson

Bryan Danielson is the number one contender for the AEW World Championship, but one could say MJF is a far more deserving candidate.

The Salt of the Earth has also never gone up against a technical wrestler of Danielson's caliber. If they square off, this could be a fantastic opportunity for him to improve and learn. Danielson has a knack for drawing out the best of his opponents, and fans need to see MJF's best.

Danielson might not be as good on the mic, but his promo's are more human. His ability to appeal to the good nature of people could stand well against MJF antagonizing everyone.

The only other person that MJF faced with a mountain's worth of experience was Chris Jericho. Picking up a win against Danielson could give him more credibility. Yet, AEW might not write up this feud right now as Danielson is slated to face Hangman Page.

Friedman could bring out Danielson's meanstreak during their rivalry. Nothing is hands-off for him; he could even make Danielson look like a man defending his family. It's a near-perfect hero vs villain storyline, one AEW should capitalize on soon.

3. MJF could start a feud with CM Punk

The wrestling world is still getting used to CM Punk's signing. So far, Punk has been fighting off guys who don't accept him. We've yet to see Punk at his best, and maybe the wrestler is likely just warming up.

Punk's recent feud with Eddie Kingston was hyped up with an amazing promo. The match itself fell short of what could have been, even if Kingston made it seem like he could win. Punk might continue his feud with Kingston, but this is an opportune moment for MJF to step in.

MJF could critique the match, the promo, even its authenticity, riling Punk up and aiding Kingston in the process. If there's one person who could bring the worst out of Punk, it would be Friedman.

He could bring up his childhood picture with Punk in a fantastic promo. Even better, Punk could push MJF to his limits and that's what fans need to see.

Going up against Punk will add some legitimacy to MJF, even more so if he can end his streak. This, and going against Danielson, is exactly what he needs to mirror Randy Orton's rise in WWE. Whether or not he can pull this off believably is the only issue.

2. MJF could take a shot at the TNT title

Sammy Guevara and MJF have a long history, so this rivalry is highly likely. During the heated feud between The Pinnacle and The Inner Circle, Guevara was targeted by Friedman. This could be revisited as Friedman now goes after the title instead of just trying to discredit him.

Guevara is currently not in any long-term feud and could do with one. However, it might be too soon for him to drop the title.

The other problem is that both factions came from a lengthy feud not too long ago. Seeing the same faces again so soon could get boring for fans. There's very little that The Pinnacle and The Inner Circle haven't gone through already.

If both men end up going toe-to-toe for the title, it's best if they do it without their teams. Friedman might still cheat, but he could rather use the title instead of backup from his posse.

1. MJF could set his sights on the AEW World Championship

Adam Page has just won the AEW World Championship and is set to face Bryan Danielson. But as much as it's an achievement, the title is also a major target. Page will no doubt have challenges from many other wrestlers who believe they're more deserving. One of them is MJF.

The two have faced each other before, and MJF stole the win the last time. Wardlow might not be around this time to knock Page out, which means Friedman might have to go at it alone. Facing AEW's most beloved babyface currently will establish him as AEW's top villain.

Both men can put on a great bout as we saw in their match together. MJF defeating Page to become the AEW world champion is the type of legitimacy he could do with.

The timing for this might be off for now. MJF will have to go through other major stars before getting his shot. Yet, it's only a matter of time before we see him with the AEW Championship.

When he does, nobody will deny that he's better than you, and you know it.