Ahead of losing his world title at AEW Worlds End, the now former AEW World Champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman, best known to fans as MJF, wrote a heartfelt article about why All Elite Wrestling is the best to happen to pro wrestling in a long time. Additionally, he recalled cutting a promo on wrestling legend and Hall of Famer Bret Hart and why it made him know AEW was the right place for him.
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MJF is an AEW original and part of a group of homegrown stars in AEW. He has risen up the ranks of the AEW roster to become the longest-reigning AEW World champion of all time. He has had his issues with AEW and Tony Khan, but how much of it is real and how much is storyline is unknown. However, recently MJF wrote an article for The Players’ Tribune before his AEW World Championship match with Samoa Joe and had this to say about people who are critical of AEW:
“So while I welcome anyone being critical of AEW (God knows I am)….. if you’re actually actively rooting against us? Against us EXISTING? Guess what, you’re the f*cking worst. You’re rooting against workers. And that’s the truth. Because out of all the incredible things that AEW has done over these last five years, #1 with a bullet is ‘put MJF on TV.’ But #2 is “make the wrestling industry just a little bit better to work in.”
MJF via The Players’ Tribune
MJF ON WHY AEW PROVIDES A GOOD WRESTLING ALTERNATIVE FOR FANS
AEW has given wrestlers a very good second option besides WWE in the United States. TNA has good wrestlers, but they simply aren’t on the same level as WWE or AEW. AEW has also made WWE take notice of AEW as a possible future threat.
This group of homegrown stars has been called the “Four Pillars of AEW’ which is an homage to AJPW’s “Four Pillars of Heaven” from the ‘90s. It is composed of MJF, Sammy Guevara, “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry and Darby Allin.
This past weekend at AEW Worlds End, MJF had his historic AEW World Championship reign ended by Samoa Joe. This weekend didn’t just mark an end to his title run but perhaps MJF in AEW.
IS FRIEDMAN STAYING WITH AEW OR GOING TO WWE?
AEW has given wrestlers a very good second option besides WWE in the United States. TNA has good wrestlers, but they simply aren’t on the same level as WWE or AEW. AEW has also made WWE take notice of AEW as a possible future threat.
This group of homegrown stars has been called the “Four Pillars of AEW’ which is an homage to AJPW’s “Four Pillars of Heaven” from the ‘90s. It is composed of MJF, Sammy Guevara, “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry, and Darby Allin. This past weekend at AEW Worlds End, MJF had his historic AEW World Championship reign come to an end at the hands of Samoa Joe. It didn’t just mark an end to his title run but perhaps MJF in AEW. The wrestler has since been taken off the roster of AEW’s official website.
While it’s not yet been confirmed, it’s possible that MJF may have become a free agent. In previous months, he’s claimed that his AEW contract ends on Jan. 1, 2024, and he teased “the bidding war of 2024.” He’s also talked about joining WWE many times during promos. He is currently off TV and is recovering from a serious torn labrum injury, but where he will wrestle next is unknown. There have been unconfirmed reports that MJF re-signed with AEW, and this free-agent status is just part of a storyline.
Before joining AEW, MJF was still fairly young in the business and early in his career. But he made the most of his opportunity. In his Players Tribune editorial, MJF explained the moment he knew AEW was the right place for him. He continued:
“But I’ll never forget the moment before I went out there. I mean, picture it: I’m 21, barely a few years into the business, and I’m being told to cut a promo on Bret Freaking Hitman Hart. Over 10,000 people in the arena, something like 100,000 watching on PPV. So before I walk out, I ask Tony and those guys what feels like a pretty f*cking good question: ‘Ummm…… what do I say??’ And they just look at me for a second with these blank-ass stares. And they’re like, ‘……..what do you mean? You know how to talk.’
“That’s when I realized what AEW was going to be like — and that it’s where I was meant to wrestle. Because, yeah, O.K., they brought me in as fodder. Tough luck. But they also gave me a chance to make my own luck. You know what I mean? Like — they threw me into the deep end, floaties off, and said sink or swim. Get over with our fans or don’t.”
MJF via The Players’ Tribune
RISING TO THE OCCASION
MJF took his opportunity and ran with it. Right from the start it was apparent that he was something special. He knew his character and knew what he needed to do to get the most out of his segments. MJF seems to like the pressure of making his own luck. In WWE the entire product is very structured and everything needs to be approved.
Tony Khan and AEW are very different. Khan’s willingness to allow freedom to his wrestlers has allowed many of his wrestlers to soar like MJF. Khan has also found out he needs to be more strict because his laid-back nature towards his wrestlers has allowed a few backstage fights. MJF breaks down what AEW is and offers deep down in its core. AEW is the framework to show the world who the wrestlers are and what they can do given the freedom to do so. MJF added in his guest column:
“Bottom line: AEW = opportunity in every sense of the word. If you’re good, it’s an opportunity to show that. If you’re mid, it’s an opportunity to show that. If you’ve still got it, it’s an opportunity to show that. If you’re washed as f*ck, it’s an opportunity to show that.”
MJF via The Players’ Tribune
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In WWE it has been the case forever that great wrestlers aren’t used properly and their talent is wasted. Fans claim certain wrestlers are being buried and if only they were given a chance to show the world what they are capable of. Many of those recent wrestlers went to AEW and some sank and others rose to their full potential. AEW is a place where wrestlers can put their money where their mouth is.
Do you agree with MJF as to why AEW is good for wrestling? What other ways is AEW good for wrestling as a whole? Do you think the “sink or swim” approach to wrestling is good or bad? Will it lead to wrestlers with potential giving up because they weren’t guided enough early on? Do you think MJF will or has re-signed with AEW or is WWE bound? Let us know on social media if you think MJF would have been as successful if he started in WWE/NXT.
SOURCE: The Players’ Tribune
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