"Everything about Max, from head to toe, is fake"

Adam Cole: "I think I know the answer, but who's ready for story time with Adam Cole, Bay Bay? [Crowd cheers]

First and foremost, Roddy, Matt, Mike, I love you, but as I told you, I have to do this on my own. [stutters] Because I did talk or I did think about coming out here and talkin' about my yearlong road to recovery, all the challenges I went through and how DAMN happy I am to be back in this ring. [Crowd cheers] But, truth be told, I don't think anyone wants to hear about that. I think what they DO want to hear about is me talking about the worst human being that I've ever met and his name is MJF. [Crowd boos]

Boys and girls, life is filled with shades of gray. Constantly trying to decide right from wrong, good vs evil, and if I learned anything, over these past 12 months, I learned that sometimes you gotta fight evil with evil! Because MJF will tell you that I betrayed him for absolutely no reason. And MJF will tell you that-that I broke a promise, that I destroyed his trust. And trust is a very, very... Interesting word, because trust is indeed the foundation of every single good friendship. Without trust, you have nothing.

Adam Cole may be a lot of things, but stupid is not one of them. [Crowd cheers] And ANYONE... ANYONE who thinks you should EVER trust a guy like MJF is STUPID! The MJF that we see now, boys and girls, that is the real MJF! The one I saw behind close doors, uh, the one that's terrorized this company for 5 years! The one who pretends to say he cares about AEW, when in reality, all he cares about is himself, that is the real MJF!

You know, if I-- [laughs] If I could describe MJF in-- in one word, it's quite simple. Fake! [Crowd goes 'Ooh!'] Everything about Max, from head to toe, is fake. I mean, look at his hair, it took 2 surgeries, but it's on his head, right? [Crowd goes 'Ooh!'] That's FAKE! Or, huh-- [laughs] or-- or better yet, his brash attitude. Acting so much like he does what he wants, when he wants, he doesn't care what anyone has to say, but the reality, MJF is a scared, insecure, little boy. [Crowd goes 'Ooh!']

And--And if you want to put this to the test, everyone in this arena, if you go on social media and trash MJF, everyone who's watching at home, if you go on social media and trash MJF, he's gonna act like he doesn't care, but I [crouches up and down] SWEAR to god, he'll be crying in a little corner, by himself, in his hotel room! [Mild crowd reaction] MJF is a phony, [Mild applause] MJF can't be trusted... And everyone in that locker room, right now, is smiling and agreeing with every single thing that I'm saying.

And I do want to talk about our locker room. Because, we do have the best professional wrestlers in the entire world! [Crowd cheers & applause] We also-- we have a young group of guys who are hungry, trying to get better, week after week, these are gonna be the guys that carry AEW into the future and continue to make US the best pro wrestling company in the world! [Crowd cheers] And, it-it makes me sick to my stomach to imagine these young talent, looking at MJF and thinking that is the path to success. Well-Well the path that MJF is on is nothing but failure and loneliness! [Mixed reactions] MJF thinks that he's someone special, MJF thinks he's the best there's ever been in AEW! And I swear, with every fiber of my being, Max, EVERYBODY HATES YOU! [Mixed reactions]

I hate you, Max. I hate everything you are and everything you stand for, I hate the way your voice sounds, I hate the way your face looks, I hate the fact that I have to share a BUILDING with you! So Max, I got an idea, let's not waste anymore time... 'Cuz, you know, we're gonna fight, Max! So how about right here, right now [Crowd cheers] in San Jose?! You bring yourself down this ramp, you show me what kind of man you are and I whoop that ass, what do you say, brochacho?!"

[MJF's music plays with no entrance as a video plays of him on the screen above the entrance.]

MJF: [Sips wine glass] "Hey, brochacho. I've done a lot of growing in this industry. I've been at this since I was a teenager, a full decade later, I can say I've learned a lot. Through immaturity, through lose, through gain and as a multi-millionaire at 28, there's been A LOT of gain. [chuckles] Then learning how to trust others and then, later learning... The hard way. In this sport, there's no such thing as trust. There's a lot of jackals in professional wrestling, especially when you reach a top level at a young age. They are looking, hoping, waiting, watching, LICKING their chops to see if you trip... So they can chew you up and spit you out. And after years of letting people in and paying the consequences, I told myself 'I'd never let it happen again.'

And then you came into my life, Adam, you tricked me into letting my guard down and you made me pay for that, didn't you? Yeah. You stabbed me in the back, leaving a void in me... Forever. Because of you, I can't trust and I'll never ever EVER trust again! The man I am, today, is not my fault. The despicable actions and mayhem I create isn't my fault, Adam... It's yours. This void you made, [beats chest] it's yours! And yet, these unwashed heathens cheer you... Typical. So I'm gonna leave you with a void, Cole, I know you want nothing more than revenge, I know you want nothing more than to beat me with an [grids teeth] INCH OF MY LIFE! Well, it's not gonna happen. You'll never get me inside that ring and for my amusement, I will keep dangling the carrot of sweet revenge right infront of your sunken little face! You will die with a void of unfulfilled vengeance... And for that empty, cold, sad, lonely, wittwe life... [smirks] You can thank... Me... Later." [Sips wine]

Adam Cole: "Okay, Max, But-but please never EVER forget, because I know you can hear me, I know you better than anybody. And you know that I mean this when I say it, you can run but you can't hide! [Crowd cheers and applauses] And I promise you, with every FIBER of my being, when I get my hands on you, I will give you the ASS BEATING OF A LIFETIME AND MAKE YOU WISH THAT WE NEVER MET!" [Throws mic and leaves the ring]

- Credit: Thanks to inmate JediSaiyanMaster1203 for transcribing this promo.