The Pinnacle represents one of the most significant missed opportunities in AEW's history, but the company could fix that in short order, based on how the pieces are falling into place. On the October 12 episode of Wednesday Night Dynamite, FTR summoned Shawn Spears to the ring to help them deal with The Embassy. Wardlow and Samoa Joe had just dispatched Nick Comoroto and QT Marshall of The Factory when Brian Cage led The Embassy to the ring to confront WarJoe. FTR came out to make the save, but not before introducing Ontario's very own Spears.
Spears, Wardlow, and FTR were all in The Pinnacle together at one point, with MJF as the leader. The faction was a part of some stellar stories, but one can't help but shake the feeling that the group had much more to give. There was a genuine modern-day Four Horseman vibe, and AEW could use another top-flight group to work with. Blackpool Combat Club and the Jericho Appreciation Society are going strong, but now that House Of Black is out of commission for the time being, The Pinnacle returning could make a lot of sense.
AEW Has Already Teased MJF's Split With The Firm
AEW used a new faction, The Firm, to help MJF win the poker chip as the joker at All Out. The group seemed dead on arrival, with Tony Khan trying to use the rising tide of Friedman's return to lift the boats of a handful of also-rans. That's a terrible way to leverage The Salt Of The Earth's explosive popularity. All Elite Wrestling doesn't need to put MJF's momentum into W. Morrissey, Lee Moriarty, or The Gunn Club. It's a total waste of the most over act in the company, and thankfully, it seems like Khan realizes that. The Firm interfered during MJF's recent match with Wheeler Yuta, and he didn't appear happy about it. Friedman momentarily seemed to consider shaking Yuta's hand after the bout, adding another layer. On commentary, they spoke about how Friedman seemed reluctant as he placed the Dynamite Diamond Ring on his finger to deliver a knockout blow to Yuta. William Regal made the save, but AEW appeared to plant the seed for a split between MJF and The Firm.
That tension wasn't a one-off either. Friedman cut an impassioned promo on Dynamite, but not before laying into Stokely Hathaway. He told Hathaway that he was on strike two, threatening to fire him if he interfered without being asked to again. MJF then went on to say that, early in life, he'd learned the hard way that nice guys finish last. He talked about how he woke up every morning knowing he had to be the bad guy if he wanted to win. "I've broken my hand many a time, punching my own reflection," he said. "So you don't like me? Tough s***, because guess what? When I walk through that curtain, I don't like me either. But that is what it takes to become champion of the World." That might just be MJF being MJF. But it could also be the start of an organic redemption angle similar to the one FTR experienced over the summer.
Pros and Cons To A Face MJF
The biggest problem of reuniting The Pinnacle would be turning MJF face. Some AEW fans love cheering for Friedman, while others see him as one of the last true heels in professional wrestling. Here's the thing, though. It doesn't matter what wrestlers are listed internally as or what Tony Khan wants them to be. Fans will cheer whoever they want to cheer, and during live shows, at least, they are aching to root for MJF. It's not like he'd need to change any aspect central to his act to make a Pinnacle reunion work. A young man who feels irredeemable but still pushes himself to be a better human being as he matures would be remarkably relatable, and MJF has the chops needed to tell such an intricate and layered story.
He'd end up standing next to FTR, who underwent similar character transformations on screen too. Dax Harwood spoke about wanting to be a better example for his daughter, which drove him to the light side of AEW. This vulnerability made Harwood and Cash Wheeler empathetic for the first time in their careers, and fans were happy to go along for the ride. At this point, it doesn't seem like FTR could return to their heel roots, even if they wanted to. The faction's history (especially between Wardlow and MJF) would allow for some excellent long-term storytelling while also giving AEW arguably its top faction. Even Blackpool Combat Club could wilt under the collective glow of MJF, Wardlow, FTR, and Shawn Spears. Of course, there's a real chance that Spears only appeared on Dynamite because it aired from Ontario, but Harwood did refer to The Pinnacle while doing his intro for Shawn, who returned as a face. Coupled with MJF's recent character arc, AEW doubling back to fix one of its most enormous missed opportunities in The Pinnacle isn't out of the question, given the pieces in motion.