Did AEW cross the line with its MJF-Juice Robinson segment? Absolutely.

Even if AEW can handle a topic like antisemitism with the proper nuance, this is the wrong time to attempt it.

Eliciting an emotional reaction from the audience is a pillar of professional wrestling and has been for the better part of a century.

Getting that emotional reaction, or heat as the wrestling zeitgeist has termed it, can be quite lucrative. The more fans invest with their emotions, the more likely they are to invest with their wallets. And we all know wrestling promoters have never shied away from the quickest route to a buck.

But to paraphrase the Wu-Tang Clan, cash rules everything around us, and for better or worse, that allure of attaining more of it can cause wrestling promoters to resort to unscrupulous tactics in an effort to garner more heat.

But is there a line? Is there a point where the attempt to gain heat does more harm than good? Is there a time where the emotional reaction isn’t a yearning to see the villain get their comeuppance, but instead deeply painful and hurtful?

In my opinion, there is — and AEW crossed it Tuesday night.

I was like thousands of other wrestling fans bouncing back and forth between AEW Dynamite and NXT. In the midst of my flipping, I did not get a chance to watch the post-match promo involving Bullet Club Gold and MJF.

Once I caught wind of it the next day, I couldn’t believe what I watched.

This may be casting a pretty wide net, but I don’t think any wrestling promotion should touch on any form of hate as a means to further a story. Obviously, professional wrestling is at its best when people don’t like each other, but there’s a difference between disdain for a singular person and saying hateful or hurtful things about entire groups of people.

For me, that list includes any form of racism, homophobia and body shaming. In this specific case, we have antisemitism.

Let me make this clear, I don’t believe Juice Robinson is antisemitic, but his character using a roll of quarters to make fun of a Jewish person is an antisemitic act. And if you don’t think what Robinson did was antisemitic, listen to the announcers reference MJF talking about having quarters thrown at him by bullies as a child.

Why a roll of a quarters? Let’s have MJF tell you himself:

Since this is clearly rooted in antisemitism, it crossed the line, in my eyes.

But what’s the big deal? It’s not even real, right? It’s all part of kayfabe. Maybe I shouldn’t work myself into a shoot. I call BS.

In this particular case, this is based on something that really happened to MJF, and the trauma he suffered from it is very real. And while I applaud MJF for talking about it and using that trauma to potentially help others, using it as a means to generate heat is simply uncalled for.

Any wrestler could easily be an advocate for whatever cause they choose. We’ve seen wrestlers support pro-trans and pro-choice messaging in the past. 

However, that did not involve someone that is pro-choice or pro-gender equality being made fun of on television. 

And yes, I know that movies and television shows sometimes delve into these areas, but do you think the writers at AEW or any other wrestling promotion are qualified to tell one of these types of stories with the proper context and nuance? Handling stories with care and subtlety is not exactly pro wrestling’s style.

Even with so-called qualified writers, we still suffer through white savior films, magical negro troupes, and sometimes, a blatant re-telling of facts.

Also, did you know that hate crimes have steadily increased in the largest cities in our country the last two years? That list of victims include African Americans, Asian Americans, Latino Americans, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and yes, the Jewish community. 

So why stay away from stuff like this? Because people are losing their lives over it. Literally.

There are thousands Jewish and Muslim people dying in a deep-rooted religious conflict that dates back thousands of years. This is happening as I type this.

Read the room, AEW. There is never a good time for an antisemitic segment, but that is especially the case now. 

MJF himself has defended the segment, and while I understand where he is coming from, I also believe he is still a little misguided.

Here is the problem with MJF’s point: This is bigger than you, Max. This is bigger than AEW. This is bigger than pro wrestling. This is about an entire group of people that are being harmed. Whether it’s happening on the Gaza Strip or even in our very own country, people have lost their lives over this.

That is bigger than the catharsis people may get from this. That is bigger than the so-called “hard conversations” this may start. Also, the conversation of not hating others for being different shouldn’t be all that difficult.

And guess what Max? You’re right. I don’t believe this can be accomplished through the avenue of professional wrestling, and you’re also right about it being an indictment of the industry’s past. That past includes racist depictions of Black people, Latino people, Asian people, Muslims, people from the Middle East, women and members of the LGBTQ+ community.

So forgive me if I don’t have faith in AEW to actually go forward with this story and make it the teachable moment that MJF is hoping for. And quite frankly, there is too much at stake for AEW to be playing around with content of this nature.