"Tony screwed up" - Fans unhappy with major AEW storyline

For some time now, AEW has been criticized by fans and critics for its lack of focus on long-term storytelling. While the fans have always praised the in-ring action, the creative direction has been the Achilles heel for the Jacksonville-based promotion. Tony Khan's company recently received fan backlash on social media after the latest developments in an ongoing angle.

In the last few months, AEW's programming has featured a man with the Devil mask and his goons wreaking havoc in the lives of MJF and the people involved in his storylines. The story initially interested the fans, and the Devil's identity became a major talking point in professional wrestling. Fans speculated about the person behind the mask, with names like CM Punk, Jack Perry, Adam Cole, etc thrown around.

However, the story has not seen any significant development recently, and it seems the fans have started to lose interest in what seemed like one of the company's hottest angles.

On the most recent edition of Dynamite, Samoa Joe called out MJF and blamed him for being the Devil and orchestrating the backstage attacks. The Salt of the Earth responded by laying the blame back on the Samoan Submission Machine. Then, the duo fended off an attack by the masked men, and the man with the Devil mask challenged MJF for ROH World Tag Team Titles through an on-screen message.

Fans reacted to a social media post stating that the angle should end at the upcoming pay-per-view, World's End. Most believed that the story dragged on for too long and lost its momentum as a result.

Here are the reactions:

Thunder Rosa says another major AEW star moving to WWE could hurt the locker room

After AEW hit the professional wrestling scene five years ago, many former WWE Superstars jumped ship to Tony Khan's company, seeking new opportunities. However, some big names also went from AEW to the Stamford-based company, like Cody Rhodes and Jade Cargill.

There has been news of MJF's contract with the company expiring on January 1, 2024. Speaking on the Busted Open, Thunder Rosa recently stated if the company lost Maxwell Jacob Friedman to another promotion, it would be a massive blow and hurt the locked room.

"He has been a pivotal player in AEW since its inception. Losing someone like MJF would be very, very hard on the locker room and also AEW. This last year alone, the things that he's able to accomplish as a wrestler and individually as an athlete has been pretty amazing. I honestly have a higher level of respect for MJF for everything he has done inside and outside the ring," Rosa said. [H/T: Wrestlinginc.com]

MJF recently explained why wrestling fans hate All Elite Wrestling. Read the full story here.