MJF Throws Chris Jericho Off Steel Cage, Leads The Pinnacle to Victory At “Blood & Guts”

AEW presented the highly anticipated “Blood & Guts” Cage Match pitting Chris Jericho’s faction, The Inner Circle, against The Pinnacle, led by MJF. This match definitely had a War Games like vibe to it, as it incorporated similar rules from what remember from the WCW days. One member of each team enters until every member is locked inside the caged double-ring structure, then and only then can a winner be declared. The action was hard hitting and stiff from the onset. Sammy Guevara and Dax Harwood started things off and as the fight progressed the animosity from both teams only intensified, sometimes crossing the line. For example, chair shots to the head. Spots like those aren’t usually done anymore, especially with what we now know about head trauma and CTE. I appreciate the realism that AEW tries to portray in matches like this one but shots like Dax Hardwood absorbed aren’t necessary in wrestling today.

The drama truly unfolded when MJF & Jericho took the fight to the top of the steel cage, where it looked like “Le Champion” would get the last laugh and walk away with the submission victory after putting MJF in “The Walls of Jericho.” MJF countered with a low- blow on Jericho and reversing the hold in favor of his “Salt of the Earth” arm lock. After MJF was unable to get Jericho to tap, he took out his Dynamite Diamond Ring and struck Chris over the head, busting him open and unable to fend for himself. MJF dragged Jericho to the edge of the cage and got the attention of The Inner Circle members and threatened to throw Jericho off the structure if they didn’t give up. Sammy Guevara was left with no choice but to surrender, giving The Pinnacle the win. It looked as if for one split second that MJF would show some kind of  compassion to his former mentor, but in true heel fashion he threw Jericho off the cage and through the heavily padded stage floor. The show closed with a bloodied MJF looking down at an immobile Chris Jericho saying the words, “Thank you.”

MJF has always been one AEW’s top talents and held in high regards as one of the best heels in the business and his performance at “Blood & Guts” sealed the deal. MJF is one of the very best wrestler’s in the world today and you better put some respect on his name. While some fans will be talking about the way they shot Jericho’s fall and clearly landed on a padded stage floor, we should all be praising him making a star out of MJF and legitimizing The Pinnacle as a top faction in AEW. Tony Khan and company once again delivered another epic episode of  Dynamite and it will be interesting to see what’s next for The Inner Circle & The Pinnacle in the upcoming weeks.