MJF has formed a new stable of his own featuring stars such as FTR, Wardlow, Shawn Spears, and Tully Blanchard after getting kicked out of the Inner Circle.

Chris Jericho had announced an Inner Circle War Council for this week’s episode of Dynamite after he and the former MLW star failed to capture the tag team titles at the Revolution PPV this past Sunday.

The segment then saw the former world champion teasing some changes to the group and as they were discussing their next move, Sammy Guevera showed a video of MJF. In the video, the AEW star was trying to convince Jake Hager, Santana, and Ortiz to go against Jericho and telling them that it was time to remove Y2J from the leadership. MJF told the guys to get Jericho after the reveal but they sided with the former WWE star instead. However, MJF came prepared and he revealed that he had been building a group of his own this whole time.

MJF Turns on the Inner Circle

The lights then went out and FTR, Wardlow, Shawn Spears, and Tully Blanchard were present when it came back. The new group attacked the Inner Circle.

The new AEW stable dominated the Inner Circle in their first outing and the show ended with the faction power bombing Chris Jericho off the stage:

It appears we will get a feud between these two groups in the coming times and it would be interesting to see if this stable helps MJF in reaching the main event status and capture the world title in future.

• AEW Dynamite Results (3/10): TNT Title Match, Inner Circle War Council, Christian Cage

You can watch the entire segment here:

AEW Star MJF recently appeared on the Wrestling Perspective podcast. Maxwell Jacob Friedman discussed a number of topics during the show, including how he learned from Jim Cornette whilst working in MLW.

“So I worked with Jim Cornette more than I think people realize when I was in Major League Wrestling” MJF began. “And getting to go back and forth with him — look, is he a fan of guys on my roster? Absolutely not, but if I’m being honest, neither am I.”

MJF on Jim Cornette

“But he’s a very smart guy” MJF continued. “He understands how to manipulate an audience. I loved his work, I loved Bobby ‘The Brain’ Heenan’s work. Even Grand Wizard. He might not have necessarily been the greatest promo of all time? But the guy understood how to manipulate a crowd without even speaking.”

• Tony Khan Discusses AEW Programming Plans For This Year

MJF finished by praising one of WWE’s biggest managers/special councils. “I mean, there’s been so many great managers of the past. Paul Heyman obviously. We’re both Jews, we’re both very affluent. And we’re both very good at speaking and we’re both from New York. so Paul Heyman also another guy who is most certainly a big influence on me.”

MJF and Chris Jericho will be taking on The Young Bucks at AEW Revolution in March.

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.”

• MJF Reveals The Length Of His AEW Contract

You can listen to the full appearance in the YouTube player embedded below:

MJF is just one of many talented wrestlers who were under the radar before because WWE officials did not see value in them but have become big stars after getting a platform in form of AEW.

During his recent interview with MMA Fighting, the young star talked about things like how AEW has provided a platform to many young wrestlers and more.

Talking about how AEW does not restrict its stars, MJF said that you are the only person to blame if you don’t make it in the promotion. He then went on to reveal the length of his current contract:

“We’re all going out there and doing our thing, we’re doing our version of what we feel the sport of professional wrestling is supposed to be and what I feel the sport is supposed to be — which is just me, my face, 24/7 and if we can be honest here, it’s working out for AEW which is why they signed me to a five-year deal.”

• CM Punk Reveals If He Watches NXT

MJF signed his current deal with the company back in 2019 which means that the 24-year-old wrestler will be staying with the promotion at least until 2024.

Apart from this, the former MLW star talked about things such as why he stands out from the rest of the AEW roster and more. You can check out his full interview at this link.

The New York Times has named its Best Performances of 2020.

Alongside distinguished actors and actresses in big budget dramas by Netflix and HBO sits Maxwell Jacob Friedman for his performance in Le Dinner Debonair.

Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Wesley Morris gushes about MJF’s talent, stating that nobody in WWE matches what he brings to the table.

“Some weeks the athleticism at this professional wrestling start-up [AEW] is more exciting than anything happening in Vince McMahon’s empire. And no one in the WWE has this kid’s combination of diction (Juilliard by way of Long Island), intensity or cheesiness, either.”

The critic continued, “Even when Friedman’s lost his cool (his nom de ring is MJF), he still has astounding control. The character is part heel, part tool (hair gel, loafers, Burberry bling — tacky, tacky, tacky) and part goodfella wannabe; his mouth does more running than he does.”

Morris said that Jericho & MJF’s rendition of Me and My Shadow was ‘less than spectacular,’ but credits MJF for making it so memorable.

“He wasn’t embarrassed at all. He was smooth in a way that should worry Ric Flair. This kid makes you wanna say, ‘Woo!'”

MJF defends his Dynamite Diamond Ring against Orange Cassidy next week on AEW Dynamite.

You can read the full feature at the New York Times. 

All Elite Wrestling’s Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF) believes his championship match against Jon Moxley gave the current AEW Champion the “best match of his title reign.”

Joining The Wrestling Inc. Daily podcast, MJF looked back on his championship opportunity against Moxley at All Out:

“I wish I could say enjoyed it, but he cheated. He cheated. He used an illegal maneuver in order to beat me because that’s the only way ‘Dictator Jon’ could beat me,” MJF stated. “Let’s face the facts, I gave him the best match of his title reign. If you don’t believe me, just watch it back. It was bar none the best Jon Moxley match he’s ever had in All Elite Wrestling, and it’s all thanks to me.”

MJF added how Moxley’s actions were “unfortunate.”

He stressed how Moxley had resorted to using “such a disturbingly, debilitating maneuver that was outlawed in that match-up.”

MJF added how, as he is an “honest human being,” cheating was something he would never do. He then shared how looking back on the match is a “bittersweet” experience.

Despite the loss, however, MJF acknowledged his personal pride in competing in the main event of a pay-per-view at only 24 years old. He then proclaied that it’s only a matter of time before he holds the AEW World Championship.

MJF recently defeated Chris Jericho at Full Gear. His victory means he will now be a part of Jericho’s Inner Circle.

The unlikely match between Chris Jericho and MJF took place at the AEW Full Gear pay-per-view event in Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place.

The match featured a stipulation, which was if MJF won then he could join up with the group. Jericho was a babyface with the fans and MJF a total heel. That was the dynamic of this contest. Near the end, they did some near falls with Jericho connecting with the likes of Walls and codebreaker.

The finish saw Wardlow distracting the referee and Jericho was going to hit MJF with a bat, but MJF did the famous Eddie Guerrero fake sell to roll him up. MJF is now in the group. 

After a few weeks of slow build up to this match, AEW had some interesting segments in the final three weeks of Dynamite. On the October 21st show, AEW did a “La Dinner Demonair” segment. 

The segment started off with both men ordering dinner while going back and forth Tension increased as they tried to one-up each other until they started signing.

Fast forward to the October 28th episode, Inner Circle held a Town Hall Meeting to determine if MJF could join up with the group. Obviously, a decision wasn’t made, but it turned out to be an entertaining segment as Eric Bischoff got to ask a question about how they would know the other wouldn’t attack them once in the group.  The end of the segment saw Jericho toss out the challenge to a match at Full Gear. 

• Tony Khan Talks Pitching AEW Dynamite To Other Networks

All Elite Wrestling star Wardlow recently appeared on Vickie Guerrero’s Excuse Me! Podcast. The ‘bodyguard’ of Maxwell Jacob Friedman discussed a number of topics during his time on the show.

These topics included his first match on AEW television against Cody Rhodes and MJF’s match against Chris Jericho this weekend at Full Gear. Full Gear takes place tonight (Saturday 7th November) and is available to purchase on FITE TV (for international viewers). The PPV is available on B/R Live in the United States.

Wardlow on First AEW Match

“My first match, for those that don’t know, my very first televised match was against Cody Rhodes” Wardlow began on the podcast. “[That was] in the main event, in the first ever steel cage match [on AEW programming].”

Wardlow would then discuss the pressure of being put in that position. It seems as though AEW have huge plans for the star, with his size and ability leaning towards him becoming a main event level talent down the road.

“And it…you literally couldn’t have put any more pressure on me” Wardlow continued. “But that’s when I thrive. I love pressure, I love that feeling. I’d known that I was ready for TV for a long time. I’m not gonna sit here and say I’m perfect. I still have a lot to work on. But at the end of the day? I was…I was ready for TV.”

• Tony Khan on Eddie Kingston: “He’d Be a Great AEW Champion”

MJF’s ‘bodyguard’ would finish by definitively stating that he was ‘always’ ready for a platform as big as TNT. “I’ve always felt ready and prepared. I think I’m right where I belong.”

Do you think that AEW has big plans for Wardlow? Is he a potential future AEW Champion? Let us know your thoughts in the comments

All Elite Wrestling star Wardlow recently appeared on Vickie Guerrero’s Excuse Me! Podcast. The ‘bodyguard’ of Maxwell Jacob Friedman discussed a number of topics during his time on the show.

These included his first match on AEW television against Cody Rhodes and MJF’s match against Chris Jericho this Saturday at Full Gear. Full Gear takes place on Saturday 7th November and is available to purchase on FITE TV (for international viewers). The PPV is available on B/R Live in the United States.

Wardlow on The Inner Circle

“As far as my opinion, or how I feel about the Inner Circle? I’ve never been one to need a bunch of friends or need to be in a group or whatever” Wardlow stated on the podcast. “At the end of the day? I’m Max’s guy. Where Max/MJF goes? I go.”

Wardlow would talk directly about the leader of the Inner Circle, Chris Jericho. MJF and Jericho are currently feuding and will be facing each other at the aforementioned Full Gear this weekend. Wardlow would say that MJF is ‘welcome’ to join Inner Circle if he wishes, and he’ll always have his back.

Tony Khan on Cody’s TNT Open Challenge Wish List: “There Were Some People That I Didn’t Want on That List”

“Whatever he wants to be a part of? I’m there to have his back. At the end of the day, Chris Jericho is Chris Jericho. So to be associated with him? I don’t find any negative. I don’t think there’s any negative that could exist in that situation.”

Do you think that MJF will join Inner Circle? Do you think that Chris Jericho will end up getting booted from the group? Let us know in the comments

Former WWE Superstar Ryback recently discussed the contentious AEW Dynamite segment featuring MJF and ‘Le Champion’ Chris Jericho.

The musical segment caused a ton of conversation since it aired on Wednesday, with the actual low rating for that quarter hour of the show adding to the back and forth. It would turn out that the quarter hour had an audience of 676,000 viewers.

Chris Jericho, however, would tout the success of the actual musical number, saying that the minute by minute rating proved it was a success. Jericho tweeted, “Just saw minute by minute ratings for #LeDinnerDebonair. I’m stoked that almost 800k checked out our song and dance! Fifth highest demo for #AEWDynamite as well. Add over a million views on Twitter & it looks like our experiment paid off!”

Ryback’s Take

“I watched the entire thing and was entertained by it” Ryback began on the Shooting Blanks Wrestling podcast. “It caught me completely off guard, I was not expecting that at all. I don’t know if anybody was expecting that!? We’ve ever seen it.”

“I’m not against stuff like that at all” The Big Guy would continue. “Because I think you do need to try things. I mean, that was why I asked that question ‘let’s see what the rating said and if the rating showed an increase? It’s not something you’re gonna do every week. They’re not gonna have Jericho and MJF just do Broadway’s every week you know?”

Ryback would further praise the pair for the creativity of the segment. “I think it was a way to do something outside the box in a creative way at a time where creativity is kind of. We need creativity right now with everything going on. I didn’t hate it at all and I enjoyed it. I watched the entire thing, and I go ‘whoa I’ve never seen anything like this before.’ And I thought, both of them? They pulled that off as well as they could have.”

• Jim Cornette Questions Charlotte Flair Signing with VaynerSports Agency

The Big Guy would finish by discussing how the segment worked from a character standpoint. “They had the the character stuff up front, and I thought it created a really interesting dynamic and story with them. Just how they’re both kind of scumbags and dropping the girls at the same time and doing little things like that. I thought it was really cool and interesting.”

Do you agree with Ryback? Did you enjoy the segment? Will this help the MJF and Chris Jericho feud? Let us know in the comments

Chris Jericho recently spoke with Chris Van Vliet about his faction, The Inner Circle.

The Inner Circle is one of the most dominant forces in All Elite Wrestling. During his discussion with CVV, the Demo God spoke about how the group was formed, who else was considered to be an original member and more.

In the lead-up to the first AEW Dynamite one year ago, Tony Khan approached Chris Jericho and said he wanted him to be part of a faction. Jericho was a bit reluctant at first, but grew to like the idea.

Jericho said he wanted the members of his new group to include a tag team, an up-and-comer and a heater/enforcer. For the tag team, he first looked at the Lucha Bros. before going with Santana and Ortiz. MJF was a great fit for the up-and-comer spot, but Cody had a longterm program in mind for MJF, so Jericho hand picked Sammy Guevara. Boxer Anthony Ogogo was suggested as the enforcer, but Jericho had Jake Hager in mind since he had so much untapped potential from his WWE days.

Before going with the name Inner Circle, Jericho thought about calling the group The First. During a cameo appearance on Being The Elite, Jericho casually mentioned his ‘inner circle’ and the Young Bucks loved the name. It stuck and the rest is history.

The Inner Circle officially formed at the conclusion of the premiere episode of AEW Dynamite. They did a photo shoot backstage after the show. Jericho says they looked like early Guns ‘n Roses, since they were 5 guys that don’t look like they belong together, but “it just works.”

Jericho is proud that the Inner Circle is still going strong one year later. He thinks WWE does not have the patience for longterm storytelling and would have broken them up after 3 months. He loves working with the group and says they’ve become really good friends thus far.

He finished by saying that he would “absolutely” consider adding new members to the Inner Circle.

You can check out Chris Van Vliet’s full chat with Chris Jericho in the video player embedded below:

MJF is interested in wrestling one of the top stars on WWE’s NXT brand.

The 24-year-old AEW star held a Twitter Q&A session with fans Friday afternoon. Taking time out of his busy schedule, MJF answered 5 questions from fans who used the hashtag, #imabigdumbmark.

One fan asked if he could if he could have a jacket too, a reference to MJF giving members of the Inner Circle jackets this past week on Dynamite. MJF “forgot” to give a jacket to Sammy Guevara and referenced his snub of the Spanish God during the Q&A. He wrote, “I’m still trying to find Sammy’s [Jacket]. Poor little guy is probably somewhere freezing cold right now.”

MJF was asked who he wants to wrestle that is not currently on the AEW roster. He replied, “#Betterthanyou vs. #BayBay.” The tweet has since been deleted.

Of course, this is a reference to former NXT Champion Adam Cole, husband of AEW star Britt Baker. Aside from his wife, Cole has history with many of AEW’s core performers. The Undisputed Era leader would be a huge addition to the AEW roster if he ever decided to jump ship.

• Jim Ross Talks Adam Cole’s Appearances at AEW Backstage Parties
• Britt Baker On If Adam Cole Is Allowed To Attend AEW Shows
• Adam Cole On NXT Competing Against AEW

After weeks of build, MJF finally got his chance to wrestle AEW World Heavyweight Champion Jon Moxley. 

The battle took place in the main event of the AEW All Out pay-per-view event. It was a really good match that saw them have various near fall spots. It had everything from brawling to old school spots and even blood thanks to MJF blading. 

The finish was clever as Warlow tossed in the diamond ring and distracted the referee, but it allowed Moxley to hit the Paradigm Shift for the win. The finisher was banned for the match but used anyway. 

This feud started back on the July 29th episode of Dynamite when MJF, who is the #1 ranked wrestler in the men’s division, started a presidential election-style campaign to become the next AEW World Champion. 

While doing a “State of the Industry” address, the rising prospect stated that Moxley had failed to be a leader and that he would lead All Elite Wrestling for the next 25 years. He ended the speech by challenging Moxley to a match.

Shortly after, AEW confirmed that MJF would not only be next in line, but also challenge Moxley for the top prize in the promotion at All Out. 

• Top AEW Star To Be Out Of Action For Extended Time

What are your thoughts on retaining Jon Moxley retaining the AEW World Heavyweight Title? Was this the right call by AEW officials? Sound off in the comment section.

AEW Champion Jon Moxley recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. The former WWE Superstar discussed a number of topics during his appearance on the show, including his wife Renee Young’s status, the ALL OUT PPV and his ambition to go for the AEW Tag Team Titles.

“I don’t know if I’m surprised? But yeah there’s definitely like some guys that get it and some guys that don’t” Jon Moxley began on the show, discussing the younger talent in AEW. Moxley would also have some extremely flattering words for his ALL OUT opponent MJF. “Some guys got it and some guys don’t, and he definitely gets it and has definitely got it.”

• Bully Ray on Brock Lesnar: “This Is a Once in a Lifetime Opportunity for AEW”

Moxley would also discuss the opportunity that some of the younger talent in AEW have. With the company appearing on a massive network like TNT, younger stars are getting the chance to ply their trade on a much bigger level than the independent scene that Moxley was part of.

Jon Moxley on MJF

“I’m envious of these guys” Moxley continued. “They’re just…like they get to immediately step onto the national stage, like MJF and some of these younger guys. And they just get to be in this really healthy, fertile environment for creating ideas and learning and getting better. They’re just gonna keep getting better, I mean this is the next generation.”

Jon Moxley would finish by once again praising MJF, before of course stating that he would destroy him on Saturday. “When I’m broken down? That’s gonna be any day now, these guys are gonna be leading the way. He [MJF] talks about that, he’s not joking like he will be one of the guys that leads this company in the future. I’m gonna kick his ass for sure on Saturday, but you know, in the future? He will be one of the guys to lead the company.”

Do you agree with Jon Moxley about MJF? Let us know in the comments

Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF) has revealed how a fan once attempted to kidnap him whilst dressed as a pilot. In an interview with the New York Post, MJF shared how this fan attempted to convince security that he was scheduled to fly him on a private jet following an episode of AEW.

“At AEW, a fan tried to dress up I believe like a pilot and was trying to convince our security that they were supposed to fly me out on a private jet after the show,” MJF said. “I can assure you that that guy was most certainly not my pilot, so there was once a fan who literally tried to kidnap me. I’ve seen it all. When I was in Mexico, people threw a car battery at me and urine at me. That’s because I don’t tiptoe around. I don’t hide how I feel.”

During the same interview, MJF made his overall intentions in wrestling clear. According to him, he wants people to remember him as the “greatest professional wrestler in the history of our sport.”

MJF is set to face off against AEW World Champion Jon Moxley at this weekend’s All Out event. The show takes place on September 5 from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida.

MJF is just days away from the biggest match in his tenure as a pro wrestler and spoke with The New York Post to promote it. 

During the interview, he was asked about his ultimate goal in pro wrestling, which he revealed to be remembered as the greatest of all-time. 

“My ultimate goal is when I pass away for people to go, ‘That guy was the greatest professional wrestler in the history of our sport.’ That’s my only goal.”

The rising prospect will challenge AEW World Heavyweight Champion Jon Moxley at the All Out pay-per-view this Saturday night.

MJF knocked Moxley for coming from WWE and how he plans to be in AEW for the rest of his career. 

“It’s great that they had their handheld sometimes by VKM, awesome. But I didn’t. I didn’t come from that product. I didn’t come from that land. I am AEW born and bred. I will be AEW until I die. This is my company. This is where I started. This is the company that I’ll end in.”

You can check out the full interview here. 

• MJF Talks AEW Needing “Different Flavors of Ice Cream”

AEW star MJF recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio show. The ‘Salt of The Earth’ appeared on the show to discuss his ongoing role with All Elite Wrestling, including how he feels the show stacks up to the competition.

“It makes my job a lot harder” MJF began on the show, discussing the move daredevil aspects of his peers’ style and how he perceives that AEW President Tony Khan ‘prefers’ that version of pro wrestling for AEW to his own mat-based offense. “The issue at hand that I would say is this: If you do that eventually you’re going to jump the shark.”

MJF on Hardcore Wrestling

“And what I mean by that is this,” MJF continued. “If we go out there every week and we bump into thumb tacks. If we go out there every week and we are chewing on panes of glass? What if we go out there every week and we get hit by cars? What if we go out there every week and we’re hitting each other over the head with kendo sticks? For the first couple of times? It’s great.”

MJF elaborated on this point further, “here’s a great analogy. If an elephant takes a giant sh*t on your neighbor’s yard? In the morning you open the door and you see it and you go, ‘Whoa, that’s crazy. That elephant just took a huge dump in my neighbor’s yard!?’ And then the next day the elephant shows up and does it again. ‘Whoa, that’s pretty nuts!’ And then the next day the elephant shows up. o’h, okay, the elephants here again.’ And then the next day and the next day and the next day. Eventually you’re gonna go, ‘here’s that stupid freakin elephant again.'”

The top ranked AEW star would finish by saying how he wants to bring a different element to AEW’s presentation. “That’s what’s happening here and that’s what I don’t want to happen. And that’s why it’s so important to give our fans different flavors of ice cream, and that’s all I’m offering. I’m the flavor maker baby!”

Do you agree with MJF’s analogy? Let us know in the comments

Also Check Out:

• Jon Moxley On Match Against Darby Allin, MJF’s Interference
• Matt Cardona Makes AEW In-Ring Debut, Post-Match Interview (Videos)
• Eric Bischoff Appears On AEW Dynamite As Special Guest Moderator

AEW star MJF recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio show. The ‘Salt of The Earth’ appeared on the show to discuss his ongoing role with All Elite Wrestling, specifically his recent promo on AEW Dynamite where he called out AEW Champion Jon Moxley.

During said promo, MJF stated that he would be wrestling for AEW for “another 25 years.” Maxwell Jacob Friedman clarified those statements on Busted Open, comparing his career trajectory to that of Chris Jericho.

MJF on Chris Jericho

“That’s just accurate, nothing, nothing that came out of my mouth wasn’t something that I hold true” MJF began on the show. “There was no hyperbole, it was just all facts. I said, ‘grab a calculator’ because in fact, right now? Who’s one of the top stars in pro wrestling? The guy’s name is Chris Jericho, my hat’s off to him. The man’s 49.”

“In 25 years from now? I will be 49” MJF continued. “So that is why I was so comfortable saying that, and to be honest with the way I wrestle? My style? I’m probably going to be able to wrestle till I’m 70 on top. Because I’m not being an idiot.”

MJF would elaborate on this further, saying this his in-ring style is not the ‘car-crash’ that his peers appear to have adopted. “I’m not doing what everyone else in my generation is doing; which is succumbing to this car-crash style that ‘Dictator Jon [Moxley]’ wants us to succumb to. I’m not going to jump into that style, because I want to make sure that I am helping our company. I want to help them go from being the alternative, I’m not saying I want to monopolise professional wrestling, that didn’t come out of my mouth. What I am saying, though? Is I want AEW to be number one, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”

Do you think that MJF will be a major star for at least the next 25 years? Let us know in the comments

Also Check Out:

• Eric Bischoff On RAW’s Declining Viewership, Dynamite’s Recovery During COVID-19
• Chris Jericho Considered Retirement In 2015, Shares Future Retirement Plans
• Matt Cordana Confirms AEW Contract Length, Talks Goals
• AEW Dynamite Episodes To Be Preempted By The NBA On TNT

AEW star MJF recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio show. The ‘Salt of The Earth’ appeared on the show to discuss his ongoing role with All Elite Wrestling, specifically his recent promo on AEW Dynamite where he called out AEW Champion Jon Moxley.

Busted Open co-host Bully Ray asked Maxwell Jacob Friedman how he felt being relegated to the ‘sidelines’ of the show over the past couple of months. MJF has not been a prominent figure on AEW programming really since the COVID-19 pandemic forced the company to film exclusively from Jacksonville.

MJF on The ‘Sidelines’

“You know what, it might be okay for somebody else on the roster to be on the sideline? But it’s not okay for me, I am the franchise player” MJF began on Busted Open. “I’m the guy who boasts on the microphone and in the ring, I’m a once in a lifetime professional wrestler.”

“I’m something that people are never going to get to see again” MJF would continue. “So no it wasn’t okay [that I was sidelined], and that’s why I wanted to make perfectly clear. The reason I was on that sideline? Is because certain people in our company don’t want to give up their spot. And that’s fine. You don’t want to give up your spot? I’ll take yours if that’s what I have to do.”

Feud With Jon Moxley?

MJF would then discuss his recent promo on Dynamite directly, “that’s precisely what I did this week [on Dynamite]. So, the auditory speech that I gave? It will go down in history as a career defining moment, and as a defining moment in the history of All Elite Wrestling. Because what I did was a real paradigm shift, not a fake one. I caused a real paradigm shift. I wasn’t a guy who was a top guy elsewhere, I’m a guy who BECAME a top guy inside of my company, a company that I’m so proud to be a part of.”

MJF would finish by saying how dedicated he is to the AEW brand. “Like I said, I bleed black white and gold. I’m not leaving. This is a place I’m going to stay in and make better. And that’s why it’s so important to me to be spotlighted, front and centre. Because I know when I’m on the TV screen? We ain’t losing viewers. And it’s very important to me.”

Do you think that MJF will get an AEW Championship match at All Out on September 5th? Let us know in the comments

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Maxwell Jacob Friedman will challenge Jon Moxley for the AEW World Championship at the upcoming All Out pay-per-view. AEW announced the news on Monday afternoon.

MJF has been the top ranked men’s singles competitor on the weekly AEW Rankings. In recent weeks, he has been campaigning against Moxley using hashtags including #NotMyChampion.

Last week on AEW Dynamite, he delivered a blistering promo on Dynamite during his State of the Industry address. MJF criticized Moxley for holding him down and referred to him as a ‘dictator.’

Moxley has been AEW World Champion since February when he dethroned Le Chamion Chris Jericho at AEW Revolution.

Both Jon Moxley and MJF will appear this Wednesday on AEW Dynamite. Moxley will defend the AEW World Championship against Darby Allin. MJF will be on hand to deliver his next State of the Industry address. You can be sure MJF will have some things to say about AEW officials deciding to award him this championship opportunity.

AEW All Out takes place on Saturday, September 5th from Jacksonville, FL. The show will stream live on BR Live and FITE.tv (Internationally).

AEW has released updated top-5 rankings ahead of tonight’s edition of Dynamite. MJF continues to top the men’s single’s rankings with an undefeated 6-0 record.

#3 Penelope Ford and #4 the Dark Order also made gains in the rankings this week.

AEW Men’s Single’s Rankings

AEW World Champion: Jon Moxley (13-0)
TNT Champion: Cody (12-1)

1. MJF (6-0)
2. Lance Archer (6-1)
3. Brodie Lee (5-1) 
4. Kenny Omega (4-0)
5. Chris Jericho (2-1)

There was no movement in the men’s single’s division this week in AEW. TNT Champion Cody successfully defended his title against Marq Quen. #2 Lance Archer picked up a single’s victory on Dark. Champion Jon Moxley, #1 MJF, #3 Brodie Lee, #4 Kenny Omega, and #5 Chris Jericho all had the week off.

#4 Kenny Omega will team with Hangman Page tonight to defend the tag belts against the Natural Nightmares. #5 Chris Jericho will team with Sammy Guevara to take on the Best Friends with the winners facing the champions at Fyter Fest. #1 MJF will face Billy from the Gunn club tonight as well.

AEW Women’s Division

Champion: Hikaru Shida (11-1)

1. Nyla Rose (6-2)
2. Kris Statlander (4-4) (injured)
3. Penelope Ford (4-3) (+2)
4. Britt Baker (4-4) (injured) (-1)
5. Yuka Sakazaki (1-1) (-1)

#3 Penelope Ford moves up 2 spots after pinning the champion in tag-team action last week. She teamed with #1 Nyla Rose to earn the victory over champion Hikaru Shida and #2 Kris Statlander last week.

Unfortunately, Statlander announced this week she’s out with a torn ACL that will require surgery. #4 Britt Baker is also on the shelf/in a “Role’s Royce” for awhile.

AEW Tag Team Division

Champions: Kenny Omega & Hangman Page (7-0)

1. Best Friends (9-3)
2. The Natural Nightmares (5-0)
3. Private Party (4-2)
4. The Dark Order (6-0) (previously unranked)
5. Young Bucks (2-2)

SCU drops out of the tag rankings this week and #4 the Dark Order are ranked once again. Stu Grayson and Evil Uno picked up a win on Dark this week after having been absent for weeks due to travel restriction between the US and Canada.

It’s a big week for the tag division tonight, however. The tag titles are on the line as the champions defend against #2 the Natural Nightmares. #1 The Best Friends will put their previously earned title shot on the line against Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara (Le Sex Gods) as well.

• Chris Jericho Back In AEW Top-5 Rankings, Full Rankings Report

Maxwell Jacob Friedman evidently had quite the high school experience. The #2 ranked wrestler in AEW’s male single’s rankings recently boasted on Twitter that he sang in both an acapella group and choir while attending high school. Footage of him singing an acapella version of Sugar Ray’s “Someday” has recently surfaced online.

The name of MJF’s group was the “Acafellas.” He is featured prominently in the group’s rendition of the Sugar Ray song. MJF comes in around the 4:08 mark of the below video:

MJF noted on Twitter in response to the video that he is the only graduate of his high school to be All-State in football.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman in AEW

All-round nice guy and salt-of-the-Earth Maxwell Jacob Friedman holds a 5-0 record in single’s matches.

• 2/10/19: defeated Brandon Cutler on AEW Dynamite #1
• 11/27/19: defeated Adam Page to win the Dynamite Diamond Ring on AEW Dynamite #9
• 1/21/20 defeated Joey Janela on AEW Dynamite #16
• 2/12/20 defeated Jungle Boy on AEW Dynamite #19
• 2/29/20 defeated Cody Rhodes at AEW Revolution

He is 3-0 in tag matches:

• 7/13/19: Maxwell Jacob Friedman, Sammy Guevara & Shawn Spears defeated Darby Allin, Jimmy Havoc & Joey Janela at Fight for the Fallen
• 1/15/20: The Butcher And The Blade (The Blade & The Butcher) & MJF defeated Diamond Dallas Page, Dustin Rhodes & QT Marshall at AEW Bash at the Beach
• 3/11/20: MJF & The Butcher And The Blade (The Blade & The Butcher) defeated The Jurassic Express (Jungle Boy, Luchasaurus & Marko Stunt) on AEW Dynamite #23

He is 1 win and 2 losses in multi-person matches.

• 5/25/19: 21-Man Casino Battle Royal won by Adam Page
• 6/29/10: Adam Page defeated Jimmy Havoc, Jungle Boy, and MJF at Fyter Fest
• 11/20/19: Adam Page & MJF were the final two left in the Dynamite Dozen Battle Royal and advanced to their single’s match for the ring the next week.

Cody Rhodes vs. MJF finally happened. 

Rhodes didn’t go over MJF as he got his revenge at Saturday’s AEW Revolution pay-per-view event in Chicago, IL. The finish saw MJF counter a third Cross Rhodes by hitting Cody in the face with a diamond ring for the win. 

The promotion finally announced the match after the February 19th episode of AEW Dynamite on TNT in Atlanta, GA when Rhodes beat Wardlow in a Steel Cage match.  

This comes after Rhodes completed all of the stipulations that MJF demanded. These stips included lashing Cody and Rhodes beating Wardlow. 

After months of MJF acting like he was Rhodes’ friend, he turned on the fan-favorite last November.

Chris Jericho retained as AEW World Heavyweight Championship over Rhodes in the main event of the AEW Full Gear pay-per-view event.

The stipulation coming into this title match last November was the fact that if Cody didn’t beat Jericho then he would never allow himself to challenge for the AEW World Title again. 

MJF threw in the towel while Jericho had Cody in the Walls of Jericho, which resulted in the finish. After the match, MJF kicked him in the nuts and stood over Cody. Since then, the two had been exchanging words to build to this moment. 

Bully Ray Calls Cody Rhodes’ Moonsault from AEW Dynamite “Selfish”

All Elite Wrestling’s Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF) has shared what he believes makes him stand out amongst today’s wrestling landscape. Speaking with Sports Illustrated ahead of his highly-anticipated matchup against Cody Rhodes, MJF credited his old school mentality as his defining characteristic.

“The funny thing about the independents is you got bookings based off of GIFs, the GIFs you see on Twitter,” MJF stated. “Someone doing a 759-30-splat-yada-yada, Darby’s coffin drops with the f—ing skateboard attached to his back, Orange Cassidy kicking people in the shins real slow, Jungle Boy doing flippity do-dahs and flippity-ays, the list goes on and on. I had a chuckle after my match with Jungle Boy when I saw everybody saying, ‘I had no idea MJF was such a great wrestler!’ Well, I knew. But why on earth would I put myself in a situation where I have to take these stupid moves? I’ll watch other matches and see moves and ask myself, ‘Why?’”

He argued how he’s “as old-school as it gets in this modern era” before stressing how he’s the last of a dying breed. MJF shared how he doesn’t care about GIFs or making people happy. “I didn’t care about people going, ‘Oh, my god, his work rate is absolutely fantastic. I can’t wait to see his next five-star match.’”

MJF On His Old School Attitude

MJF noted how he cares about making sure that people remember him, but only for the right reasons. He wants to be the last thing fans think of when they go to sleep. He stressed how it wouldn’t be because he’s hitting the coolest moves or putting on his body on the line. It would be because of how he captivated them.

MJF stressed how he doesn’t do things to make people happy, he does things his way because it’s what he wants to do. As far as he’s concerned, that mentality is “what makes me different.”

MJF clashes with Cody Rhodes this Saturday at AEW Revolution. The pay-per-view takes place at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois.

All Elite Wrestling’s Dustin Rhodes has reflected on the recent AEW segment featuring his younger brother. Cody recently featured in a whipping segment, where he received ten lashes from Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF). Speaking with the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling Podcast, Dustin recalled how emotional the process was.

In the build-up to the lashings, AEW ran a few promos featuring people speaking about what Cody was heading towards. One of the people interviewed was Dustin. He stressed how they were intended to help to get “people invested” in the feud and lashings—something he believes they achieved.

Dustin Rhodes’ Reaction

“Cody sold it so well and his acting was so good and the way he was taking them and Arn comes out, his big brother comes out and we are all rallying behind him and I wanted to take the lashes for him,” Dustin said. “I think the only thing that might have been a little bit better is if MJF told me to give him the last five lashes, but this was after I was thinking of all these different scenarios.”

“[…] They were invested and they were standing, and you get some audience shots of them saying “Oh my God” and people are just really upset about it. It is uncomfortable. Whippings are always uncomfortable.”

Dustin admitted that it was “really cool” being out there for that moment. He praised Cody for doing a tremendous job. As far as he is concerned, Cody has really come into his own and is taking the world by storm.

Dustin Rhodes challenged Jake Hager to a matchup on this week’s episode of AEW: Dynamite. The two will face off at AEW’s next pay-per-view, Revolution, on February 29th.