And as for MJF... I don't think he's necessarily a 5 star match worker either. But I do think he's good at generating heat with the crowd. And thats especially important for a new fed. A lot of new viewers probably don't know who a lot of these wrestlers are, so his ability to stand out in that way without having tons of vinettes and promo time to build up his character I think is a pretty big asset.
As a sports entertainer, he's one of the biggest standouts on the product IMO at least (and yes, I'm not familiar with his stuff outside AEW... I can only judge what I'm seeing here and to me is he doing a good job catching my attention so far). I wouldn't even necessariy have him win th belt... but I think his ability to get heat would justify him in my mind at least being a front runner to chase after it.
Not that I have a problem with Page. He's good. And if you have a heel Jericho being the other contender, a face makes more sense booking wise.