New York Times Names AEW’s ‘Le Dinner Debonair’ As One Of 2020’s Best Performances

December 4, 2020

‘Le Dinner Debonair’ is one of the most memorable segments in All Elite Wrestling history. It might go down as the most unforgettable segment in all of pro wrestling this year. MJF’s musical performance earned him so much acclaim, even amongst non-wrestling fans. Wesley Morris of The New York Times recently named MJF’s rendition of of “Me and My Shadow” as one of the best performances of the year. In the article, Morris put MJF squarely in the spotlight:

“Some weeks the athleticism at this professional wrestling start-up is more exciting than anything happening in Vince McMahon’s empire. And no one in the WWE has this kid’s combination of diction (Juilliard by way of Long Island), intensity or cheesiness, either. Even when Friedman’s lost his cool (his nom de ring is MJF), he still has astounding control. The character is part heel, part tool (hair gel, loafers, Burberry bling — tacky, tacky, tacky) and part goodfella wannabe; his mouth does more running than he does. For reasons only the producers of this show can explain, a long segment in October between MJF and the veteran Chris Jericho culminated in a version of “Me and My Shadow” complete with dancing women and live singing. It was less than spectacular, though not for anything Friedman did. He wasn’t embarrassed at all. He was smooth in a way that should worry Ric Flair. This kid makes you wanna say, “Woo!”

Chris Jericho, MJF’s co-star in the famous segment, commented on this recognition. In a Tweet, he said it’s proof that wrestling can cross into various styles.

HUGE props from @nytimes for @The_MJF & #DinnerDebonair! Once again proof that Pro Wrestling comes in many shapes & forms…but the most important thing is that it ENTERTAINS! In other news, the Louisville Dipshit Times is still whining about it… ??

https://t.co/NmO5YBu6QQ

— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) December 4, 2020