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MJF: ‘Tony Khan Is Definitely Trying His Hardest To Keep Me Here’

MJF on his impending free agency, his involvement in The Iron Claw, and headlining Full Gear

Justin Barrasso

MJF: ‘Tony Khan Is Definitely Trying His Hardest To Keep Me Here’
MJF: ‘Tony Khan Is Definitely Trying His Hardest To Keep Me Here’ /

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MJF on current run: “It’s just me being myself”

Maxwell Jacob Friedman always believed he could be the top villain in wrestling.

A healthy chunk of his success stemmed from an abundance of confidence that this was his destiny. His words were sharp, and well-chosen, as there was truth behind every word he uttered. And, just like Friedman believed he would, he became the number-one heel in AEW.

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But this current stretch has been altogether different. In what could be his farewell to AEW–he is scheduled to become a free agent in January–Friedman is embracing a new role as crowd favorite.

“It’s just me being myself,” said Friedman. “One of the biggest indictments of this sport is that people claim professional wrestling is this archaic, one-dimensional thing. People love to throw the terms babyface and heel around, but look at the history of it. Why do we cheer the good guys? Why do we boo the bad guys?

“This was a progressive, very slow change. To me, that’s so much more relatable–and so much more realistic. I think people know how hard it is to change, and that’s why I’m connecting with people on the level that I am.”

Courtesy AEW
Courtesy AEW

The reigning AEW champion, Friedman wrestles twice on this Saturday’s Full Gear pay-per-view. With Adam Cole injured, he will defend the Ring of Honor tag titles by himself against The Gunns, then close the show in a world title defense against “Switchblade” Jay White–all while the crowd roots for him to succeed.

If it still seems peculiar that MJF is a fan favorite, you’re not alone.

“I had zero confidence in this,” said Friedman. “For the longest time, when I walked through the curtain, my only goal was to make people viscerally hate me. I never wanted people to like me. Getting liked is hard because it opens the door up to be rejected. So when the fans started chanting my name, it really shook me. There was even a wave of MJF support when I won the belt. I remember thinking to myself, ‘No.’ And that was out of fear. And I’m still scared, but it’s a lot less.”

In singles and in tags, as a babyface and a heel, Friedman has captured the spirit of pro wrestling as MJF. Throughout his 360-day run as world champ, he has continually kept people guessing about what will come next.

“This is truly the best AEW title reign of all-time,” said Friedman. “At the beginning of this reign, I was the most hated man in professional wrestling. Now I’m the most loved person in All Elite Wrestling. I take a lot of pride in that. This can tend to be a very one-dimensional sport with one-dimensional characters. Luckily for me, I’m not a character. I’m Maxwell J. Friedman, 24/7.”

Courtesy AEW
Courtesy AEW

Highlighting his versatility has been a critical emphasis throughout his title reign. That was on display last month when he defeated Kenny Omega on Collision, ensuring that he would surpass Omega and become the longest-reigning AEW champion.

“I want to be the best AEW champion,” said Friedman. “The only other person that came up in my mind was Kenny Omega. Here I was coming up on his reign, so I decided I needed to start needling this f------ guy. I needed to prove I am the most complete world champion in the history of AEW. Kenny is the best bout machine. Jon Moxley is this incredible brawler. Chris Jericho is an incredible linguist. All these guys are superb at a lot of things. But I can do it all. I can make you feel any feeling I want you to feel.”

Friedman encouraged AEW owner Tony Khan to book the match. Omega, who is an Executive Vice President in AEW, worked his spectacular style, and the two delivered an unforgettable title match.

“I wanted a match with Kenny Omega, the best in the world in a pay-per-view main event–but on free television because I’m salt of the earth,” said Friedman. “That is the best match in Collision history, and it’s one of the best matches in AEW history. It was a really big deal for the company, and it really felt like the handing of the baton of who the top dog, bell-to-bell is in AEW. I couldn’t be more grateful that Kenny gave me that opportunity.”

Only 27 years old, it is difficult to predict Friedman’s next move. He is likely to hold on to the world title at Full Gear, but this devil storyline is bound to play a role in the match or its aftermath. It is also possible that he is the devil, turning heel on a fan base that is relishing the chance to cheer him.

Set to enter free agency in 2024, MJF was noticeably left off the posters advertising next summer’s All In extravaganza at Wembley Stadium–further adding to the mystery of his next move.

“Tony Khan is definitely trying his hardest to keep me here,” said Friedman. “There are a lot of things about All Elite Wrestling that I like, but there’s also a lot of things about WWE that I like. What I’m most interested in is money.”

Friedman’s otherworldly stretch continues next month with the release of The Iron Claw. Directed by Sean Durkin, the movie captures the tragic story of the Von Erich brothers. Starring Zac Efron and Jeremy Allen White, it also features Friedman playing the role of Lance Von Erich–a wrestler who fans were told was a Von Erich even though he was not.

In addition to the on-screen role, Friedman is also an executive producer for the film.

“It meant the world to be involved,” said Friedman. “Sean Durkin is one of the brightest, most creative human beings I’ve met in life. I learned so much from him and Efron.

“I never thought I’d say this, but I genuinely think I love acting as much as professional wrestling. When I first walked into a ring, I felt like I belonged there. When I walked on set, I felt like I was supposed to be there. Acting excites me, and I’m going to keep exploring that. I just did an indie flick comedy called Floaters with Steve Guttenberg and Seth Green and a lot of other great people–and I just did voice work for an animated feature for DC Comics, which was a blast. There is a lot more to come.”

Before the red carpets and praise for the film begin to flow, Friedman’s priority is Full Gear this Saturday. Will he turn heel on his fans? Or stay loyal to those cheering him?

Friedman gets the chance to wrestle twice on Saturday, all against different opponents. The Gunns have established themselves as a legitimate tag team, and White is a former IWGP champion and global star from his time starring in New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

“I don’t like these guys, but I’m not going to pretend they’re not immensely talented,” said Friedman. “The Gunns have proven they are more than Billy Gunn’s sons, they are a very talented tag team. And Jay White stole my belt because he knows that’s the only way he’s going to hold it. But–but–he’s also beat some of the biggest names in our sport. He’s that good. But I’m ready to defy the odds and deal with three different men at the Forum in LA.

“I’m ready to make it to 365 days as your world champion. It’s an uphill battle, but I’m ready for November 18.”

The (Online) Week in Wrestling

Drew McIntyre is in the midst of a compelling run, and it looks like he is the newest member of Judgment Day. This is some really interesting storytelling, especially how there are still members of the roster who haven’t forgiven Jey Uso for all his misdeeds in The Bloodline.

Bryan Danielson returns to the ring next week on Dynamite.

Gunther isn’t a fan of the Ultimate Warrior. But in terms of showmen, was anyone better than the Warrior?

Logan Paul details the moment when he caught Rey Mysterio at Crown Jewel.

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Mysterio is out of action for the foreseeable future with knee surgery. The storyline was a turn from Santos Escobar, who is a phenomenal heel.

Tweet of the Week

I’ve always been a Hacksaw fan.

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Justin Barrasso
JUSTIN BARRASSO

Justin Barrasso has been writing for Sports Illustrated since 2014. While his primary focus is pro wrestling and MMA, he has also covered MLB, NBA, and the NFL. He can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com and followed on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.

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