"Gonna sue for gimmick infringement" - Twitter explodes to Finn Balor making subtle AEW reference on WWE RAW this week

AEW star Maxwell Jacob Friedman has been calling himself "the devil" ever since his return at All Out. WWE Superstar Finn Balor recently called himself by the same moniker, and fans immediately made the connection.

Balor has arguably had his gimmick for much longer and has used it to physically portray himself as "The Demon King" in the past. MJF's version is simply figurative, as he takes on the attributes of a trickster instead of painting his face.

In response to the comparison, fans were quick to point out who first called himself "the devil". Some even went as far as claiming that Balor outright stole the character from the AEW World Champion and could face a lawsuit for gimmick infringement.

Finn Balor just stole the "Im the Devil" gimmick from MJF didn't he? Watch this clip.. #WWERaw #WWE #AEW #MJF #FinnBalor #JudgementDay #Rise https://t.co/LH2lXhkIm4

“You think I’m a bad guy? I’m worse. I’m the Devil.” - Finn Balor
I wonder what mjf thinks about that 😂 #WWERaw

Finn Balor: “I’m the devil!”
MJF: https://t.co/hO5y4jyz7J

Finn Balor just called himself the devil

MJF gonna sue for gimmick infringement

Finn Balor says he’s The Devil I thought MJF was?! 👿 #WWERaw

A few fans reminded everyone that Finn Balor has been calling himself "the demon" for quite some time and that it is synonymous with being "the devil."

@ryansatin Demon Finn Balor was around before MJF ever started wrestling lol

Oh but I'm sure "the devil and demon aren't the same thing" people will chime in.

Finn could have just been in the moment or he could be trolling. It's not that serious.

@TexMex42066 @ryansatin You do realize Finn Balor called himself the devil/demon before AEW existed right? He was calling himself that when MJF was the face paint dummy for Balor.

Additionally, a handful of fans took a jab at Friedman, with one even sharing a picture of when WWE used the star as a "paint dummy" for one of Finn Balor's "Demon King" paint variations.

@ConnerPW_ @WWE @FinnBalor Mjf literally wishes he was Finn Balor 👀😂.

#WWE #WWERaw https://t.co/IaSnGStyvC

@SKWrestling_ To me, Finn Bálor is the Demon, MJF is the 😈.

@SKWrestling_ Mjf has really impressed me as of late but finn balor is the demon king so

Unfortunately, AEW likely won't have a lot of grounds for a lawsuit, making this just another fan speculation. Balor, however, has notably been "The Demon King," meaning that he either had a slight slip-up or WWE instructed him to use the moniker to get a reaction.

Catch up with this year's AEW Full Gear results here.

Another AEW star has also claimed that WWE stole his gimmick and created The Judgment Day

Aleister Black's faction might stand out on All Elite Wrestling's roster, but many have claimed it would be at home in WWE as well. However, ever since The Judgment Day was formed, fans have been comparing the two stables.

During one of his live streams from his Twitch channel, Black addressed the comparison.

“I was well aware that WWE were going to basically mimic the House of Black. Y’know, what can I do? It is what it is. It only tells me that what we’re doing is clearly something that is very interesting and going very well. Nothing I can do. I’m going to continue what I do because I’ll always be one step ahead. I have no cuffs.” (H/T: SEScoops)

Who’s the best wrestling faction Judgment Day or The House Of Black? #AEW #WWE #prowrestling https://t.co/CcW3fCaRWr

For weeks, fans were speculating that Black would be WWE-bound, but now that the faction seems to be back in AEW, Aleister could be gearing up to prove why his faction is superior.

What are your thoughts on WWE subtly referencing the Jacksonville-based promotion on RAW? Give your thoughts in the comments below!