MJF has been one of AEW’s breakout performers since the promotion’s launch last year. The 24-year-old prodigy from Long Island, NY holds his own in the ring, but it’s his work on the microphone that has pundits comparing him to some of the best talkers in wrestling history.
MJF recently appeared on MMA Fighting’s What the Heck podcast. He displayed his trademark confidence when asked about comparisons to two of the UFC’s best trash talkers, Conor McGregor and Colby Covington.
“I think it’s cute in comparison to me,” he began. “It’s laughable, but I think they’re great in the world of MMA. If either of those two guys came into the world of AEW, they would be in a lot of trouble. They’d get absolutely verbally bent over, if you know what I mean.”
MJF acknowledged that McGregor and Covington are entertaining, but things would get ugly if they ever tested him on the mic.
“For what they do, I really enjoy what Conor McGregor did in the UFC. Colby Covington is somebody who understands how to get a reaction out of a crowd, whether positive or negative. And yeah, I enjoy what both of them did. But could they spar with me? No, absolutely not. That would not be good. I don’t think that would be good for anybody, honestly. It would be uncomfortable.”
What Got MJF Into Wrestling?
MJF revealed the match that got him ‘instantly hooked’ on pro wrestling was The Undertaker and Mankind’s Hell in a Cell match from WWE King of the Ring (1998).
Years later, he attended WWE Survivor Series 2002 from Madison Square Garden. When he saw Shawn Michaels win the first-ever Elimination Chamber match, he knew he wanted to be a pro wrestler.
“I remember Shawn Michaels won the match, and he was a bloody mess with his weird haircut. He hit the pose, and I just looked to my left and looked to my right and everybody was standing and screaming and yelling and crying. I just remember tugging my dad on the arm and saying, ‘Yeah I can do that.’ So, that’s where we’re at now, and I was right.”
MJF also spoke in-depth about AEW, why he believes we are currently in a “golden era” of wrestling and his love of being a heel.
“I love, love, love making people lay down in bed at night, put their head on their pillow, and go, ‘God, I hate that guy. I better tune in next week.’ And that’s that… You’re not being held back in AEW. Nobody is handing me a script in AEW because they know if they did, I’d chew it up and spit it in their face. That’s what All Elite Wrestling is – we’re all going out there and doing our thing, and we’re doing what we think the sport of professional wrestling is supposed to be.”
You can listen to the full appearance in the YouTube player embedded below:
