MJF Calls Out “Weird” WWE Fan Mentality for Refusing to Tune into AEW Shows

MJF has slammed the weird mentality that's gatekeeping WWE fans from checking out what AEW is all about.

MJF Calls Out “Weird” WWE Fan Mentality for Refusing to Tune into AEW Shows

MJF [via- Cageside Seats]

MJF recently sat down with Chris Van Vliet for a full-fledged conversation. Among the litany of things that he talked about, the 29-year-old shared what he thinks about a hardcore WWE fan that has never tuned into an AEW show by fearing being disenfranchised by their so-called base company. The reigning AEW Champion said he didn’t understand what’s stopping them from checking out their product.

‘The Salt of the Earth’ underscored how their PPVs and matches are always superior to the competition out there. Friedman also hailed himself as the best trash talker in the business. The New Yorker then asked the viewers to at least give AEW a watch if they haven’t yet.

Max then singled out those who still wouldn’t watch what they’re churning out on Wednesdays and Saturdays across TBS, TNT, and HBO Max just because they feel indebted to a certain company.

First of all, it was weird, and second, MJF felt sorry for them, as he firmly believed they’re missing out on a lot. In another excerpt in the aforementioned interview, host CVV asked Maxwell how close he actually was to signing with WWE. Before elaborating on that, the ‘Two-Year Vet’ said that the version of pro wrestling didn’t exist around the time he was trying to get into this industry.

But then he grew older and heard about Ring of Honor, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, Evolve, etc. Max revealed he and Tony Khan talked over the phone for two hours the first time around, and all they did was discuss their penchant for territory pro wrestling. ‘Mystic Max’ had figured out that AEW was the place for him to be after speaking to Khan.

‘The Devil’ said he would’ve been successful even if he’d gone to WWE back then. Jacob Friedman, for a moment, mentioned how he’s respectful of the way WWE conducts business, and they surely do respect AEW as a company, which becomes abundantly clear whenever they resort to counter-programming every now and then.

Circling back to why he eventually sided with AEW, the Happy Gilmore 2 star said he was aware of being given more leeway based on Tony Khan’s vision for pro wrestling. In late 2023, when MJF’s AEW contract expired, and he disappeared from the company for months, the fans started drawing conclusions that he was WWE-bound.

‘The Salt of the Earth’ shocked everyone by re-signing with the Jacksonville-based promotion. At last, even though he admitted he didn’t know what would happen in the future, Max stated he does think he would stay in AEW, as he’s proud to be a part of it and willing to carry it on his back.

MJF gives his Mt. Rushmore of pro wrestlers

In the same interview as above, MJF was asked about his Mt. Rushmore of pro wrestlers. ‘The Devil’ immediately said he hated that question because there’s never an adequate answer to justify the gravity of it.

But purely from the perspective of the biggest money-drawing names in the industry, the current AEW Champion said it has to be Dusty Rhodes, Ric Flair, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, with Max having the itch to fit The Rock in there, but he resisted due to ‘The Great One’ not having had an extended run in his heyday.

MJF
MJF (via- WrestlingInc)

So he went with John Cena, as he called the correct thing to do. Max gave honorary mentions to Hulk Hogan and Bruno Sammartino as well.

On a personal level, the Happy Gilmore 2 actor still included Steve Austin and Randy Orton, with Friedman saying that ‘The Viper’ had a massive influence on him. ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper came in at number three, with Jacob Friedman struggling again to pick out a single name for the last spot.

MJF said he would probably have different answers on different days with a gun being pointed at him. If that were the case, he could’ve gone with the likes of Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Chris Candido, or even Don Muraco, whom Max said was massively underrated. ‘The Devil’ even brought up Paul Heyman later on and hailed him as one of the GOATs.

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