MJF Returns to Create-A-Pro as Special Guest Referee for Road Dogg's Ten-Man Tag Team Match
Well, apparently MJF has found another way to make himself the center of attention. And this time, he doesn't even have to wrestle.
Create-A-Pro Wrestling has announced that Maxwell Jacob Friedman will serve as the special guest referee for a ten-man tag team match at BaseBrawl on Saturday, October 24, in North Merrick, New York. And considering the personalities involved, I'm not entirely convinced putting MJF in charge of enforcing the rules is the wisest decision.
The match will feature a team assembled by WWE Hall of Famer Road Dogg against a group representing independent wrestling personality Sidney Bakabella. Road Dogg's team consists of Brian Myers, Anthony Greene, Aaron Rourke, Bobby Orlando, and Nick Robles. They'll face Leo Sparrow, Dante Drago, Bryce Donovan, Vinny Scalice, and TJ Crawford.
And somehow, MJF is supposed to maintain order. Good luck with that.
The appearance carries additional significance because Create-A-Pro is where Friedman began developing his professional wrestling career under the guidance of Brian Myers and Pat Buck. And to be honest, I love this announcement because I've always held Create-A-Pro in high esteem, largely due to the immense respect I have for both Pat Buck and Brian Myers from my own time on the independent wrestling circuit. Add to that the fact that I always played Road Dogg on WWF SmackDown! 2, and I can practically hear his entrance music now!
Long before becoming one of AEW's most recognizable personalities, MJF was another aspiring wrestler learning the fundamentals and attempting to establish himself in an incredibly competitive industry. And I appreciate seeing performers maintain relationships with the people and promotions that helped them get started.
Professional wrestling is a business built on connections, opportunities, and an enormous amount of hard work that audiences rarely get to see. Before the championship matches, major television appearances, and elaborate entrances, there are countless hours spent training, traveling, and working in front of considerably smaller audiences.
Those experiences matter. And the people who help you navigate them can have a lasting influence on your career.
Friedman's appearance also follows a change to the event's original lineup. Billy Gunn was previously scheduled to participate in a meet-and-greet alongside Road Dogg but withdrew because of contractual obligations. Create-A-Pro subsequently announced MJF and AEW broadcaster Alicia Atout as additions to the event's meet-and-greet opportunities. Friedman's involvement was then expanded to include his special guest referee assignment.
And from a character standpoint, that's where things become particularly entertaining.
MJF has spent years establishing himself as somebody who manipulates situations to his advantage, bends the rules whenever convenient, and generally believes he's the smartest person in any room. Now he's being asked to enforce those same rules. That's a pretty amusing contradiction.
But it's also an opportunity for him to contribute to an independent wrestling event without necessarily competing. And I think there's value in that.
Not every appearance needs to involve a championship match or an elaborate storyline designed to dominate national television. Sometimes a recognizable performer returning to a smaller, yet highly respected promotion can generate attention, create opportunities for developing wrestlers, and remind audiences that professional wrestling exists well beyond the major companies.
Hence, Create-A-Pro. It's not just a cool name for a wrestling promotion. It's a mission statement from men who know exactly how to do that.
BaseBrawl will also serve as a fundraiser for Merrick Bellmore Little League, giving the event a community purpose beyond the matches themselves.
For the wrestlers involved, sharing the ring with someone of MJF's visibility could provide valuable exposure. For Friedman, it's an opportunity to return to familiar territory.
And for the audience?
Well, they'll get to watch one of professional wrestling's most notoriously untrustworthy personalities attempt to officiate a match involving ten competitors.
"Ohhhh, you didn't know???"
What could possibly go wrong...
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