Both AEW and Tony Khan have kept quiet about MJF since his Dynamite promo, and the wrestling star himself also seems to be maintaining his silence very well.
According to Fightful Select, the Salt of the Earth has effectively ‘vanished’ from the wrestling world. They have not heard from a single AEW talent who has admitted to hearing from the young star since his explosive promo.
Plenty of people who have worked with him or are close to the wrestling star have also denied having any communication with him. Tony Khan has not talked about him to anyone since his Dynamite appearance either.
The report noted that MJF remained in Los Angeles for a few days after his last AEW appearance. Although he was there conducting non-wrestling meetings.
His latest sighting was in New Jersey last week, where he was filming with crew members of Impractical Jokers. Though it’s not confirmed whether he was shooting something for the show.
There are people within the company that still believe MJF is on his way out. The belief is he wants to join WWE instead.
On the contrary, a lot of fans think that this is all a work and Tony Khan is holding off MJF’s return for a CM Punk confrontation. Whether or not that actually happens will be revealed when Punk comes back.
Posted August 5th, 2022 in AEW, News. Tagged: MJF.
One of AEW’s biggest success stories has been the rise of Wardlow, who will challenge Scorpio Sky for the TNT championship on this evening’s edition of Dynamite.
Mr. Mayhem’s journey towards being a babyface superstar went through the path of the company’s top heel, MJF. For years Wardlow acted as the Salt of the Earth’s muscle until he eventually turned and vanquished his former boss at Double or Nothing back in May.
However, Wardlow’s momentum would play second fiddle to the controversy caused by MJF, who for months had been butting heads with AEW President Tony Khan, which culminated in MJF begging for his boss to fire him during AEW’s debut show in Los Angeles. He has not been seen since.
Wardlow spoke about the MJF drama on the latest edition of the Wrestling Classic. The War Pig begins by saying he doesn’t even really want to discuss the issue, but feels like he has grounds to say something considering how much time he spent with the man.
“Honestly, I shouldn’t even give this subject the time of day, and I really don’t care to, but I do understand — people gotta understand, we were together for three years. He was the first three years of my career, he was a big part of my career. So if anybody is allowed to touch on this subject, it probably is me.”
Wardlow would then tear into MJF, calling him a horrible person and fitting of the character he portrays on-screen.
“I’ll just say this, he’s not a good person. He really is a piece of shit. It was not enjoyable working with him. He put me through more stress than anything and his behavior inside of the business and outside of the business is unacceptable. But that’s all I’m gonna say about that.”
There have been multiple sources speculating that perhaps the entire fiasco is an elaborate work, though it would be hard to see who it would benefit.
Maxwell Jacob Friedman was the talk of the wrestling world when he no-showed a meet and greet just one day before the Double or Nothing PPV. Conflicting reports later surfaced regarding a flight out of Las Vegas before the show.
Ultimately, MJF showed up at the PPV event and did the job for Wardlow.
Just days later on AEW Dynamite, MJF cut a shoot-style promo where he called AEW President Tony Khan a “f*cking mark.” AEW is running with the storyline but many are wondering where it will go as MJF hasn’t been seen on TV since cutting that promo.
Wardlow Doesn’t Care About MJF Situation
(via AEW)
During a K&S WrestleFest signing, Wardlow answered fan questions and naturally, the topic of MJF was brought up.
“Next question,” Wardlow replied when first asked about MJF.
He then said he has no clue about what’s going on with the MJF angle and he isn’t concerned about it.
“I know nothing about nothing. Nobody knows. I don’t care. I personally don’t care. Nobody knows.”
Wardlow on MJF situation
Finally, Wardlow said that pretty much all AEW stars cut promos to their liking as long as the end goal is met.
“For the most part, we write our own (material). They just hand us microphones and we go out there and say what we want. There’s really no monitoring what we say when we go out there,” he said.
Wardlow had served as MJF’s bodyguard on AEW TV. After being mistreated for months, Wardlow finally had enough and turned on Maxwell.
Pinnacle was a popular but relatively short-lived group in the history of AEW. Dax Harwood of FTR believes it may have been the most mishandled thing in all of modern wrestling. The FTR recently had an interview with Joseph Staszewski of the New York Post. Among other things, they talked about the rise and fall of The Pinnacle.
Cash Wheeler first talked about the recent controversy involving the former leader of the group, MJF. He said that he hopes the young star gets what he wants:
“With Max right now, I don’t really know. I try to stay out of all the office business because I’m not very good at it and I’m not very good at hiding my emotions as it is. It’s just, I hope he gets what he wants. I know what it’s like to be in a spot where you don’t feel like where you want to be. So I hope he finds that.”
Most Mishandled Thing In Modern Wrestling
MJF with Pinnacle
Discussing the end of the group, Wheeler said that he feels like they could have done things differently. Dax Harwood then shared his belief that it could have been one of the biggest angles in the modern wrestling history before claiming that he didn’t always see eye to eye with MJF on the plans for the faction:
“You called us to talk to FTR. I’m not here to talk about Max. I don’t care what Max does. I will say this, I think the Pinnacle may be the most mishandled thing in modern wrestling history because that could have been one of the biggest angles in the world, one of the biggest groups in the world. Max and I always didn’t see eye to eye and I’ll leave it at that.”
Apart from this, the duo talked about things such as the upcoming Forbidden Door PPV and what it would mean for them to win the IWGP tag team championships. The ROH tag team champions are set to compete in a triple threat match against the IWGP tag champs United Empire and Roppongi Vice in a winner takes all match at the show.
Last month one of the biggest stories in pro-wrestling was AEW superstar MJF and his contract dispute with president Tony Khan, a real-life incident that later morphed into an angle on AEW television. The Salt of the Earth’s last appearance was the post-Double or Nothing edition of Dynamite in Los Angeles, where he cut an epic promo asking for Khan to fire him.
In a recent interview with TalkSport top AEW superstar Chris Jericho spoke about the MJF situation, which included the Demo God questioning the former Pinnacle leader’s motives for a future deal with AEW, and how he believes that the 26-year old still has a lot to learn.
“He has a lot to learn. He’s not as good as he thinks he is and like I said, it really is nothing to do with me but I’m sure he’ll be back. 18 months is a long time to stay at home and that’s Tony Khan’s prerogative. You’re under contract, you want to stay at home? You can stay at home and not get paid and that’s what happens. We see it happen in other companies and that’s just how it goes. If you didn’t expect that, then why did you sign your contract in the first place?”
MJF has been teasing for months that he may jump ship and go to WWE. Jericho would be asked how he thinks MJF’s raw uncut character would be portrayed in the fed, a move he believes would be a bad decision but understands since he has switched companies multiple times.
“Oh absolutely [his character would be watered down in WWE]. He’s better off staying in AEW. But, again, don’t stick your finger in the light socket. You tell a little kid not to do that and they’re going to do it to see what happens. I’m not going to tell anybody not to go elsewhere because I did it. I did it for years. I did it to come to AEW. I walked away from WWE. When I signed my AEW contract Vince McMahon said ‘Can you get out of it?’ – No, you told me to go here!”
The Wizard ends his rant by saying that contract disputes happen in professional sports all the time, but that if a team wants to run smoothly they need to have talent that wants to be there.
“if they want to go elsewhere, that’s kind of the way it goes. That’s pro sports and that’s what pro wrestling is. It happens in the NFL, in the NHL, the Premier League – guys come and go. You got to have the best team possible with people that want to be there and if you don’t want to be there, it’s just not going to be conducive to your own performance anyways.”
Jericho and MJF feuded for a large portion of 2021, which included Jericho putting his career on the line at ALL OUT 2021. Since his Dynamite promo MJF has been noticeably absent from AEW programming, and even removed from the AEW intro. graphics.
If you needed more proof that MJF is a jerk in real life, we have it for you.
On a recent episode of “The Wendy Williams Show,” television personality Sherri Shepherd talked about a recent interaction she had with MJF and her kid at an airport. Shepherd’s child was too scared to ask MJF for an autograph, so Shepherd herself did it for him.
When she asked him if he was MJF, he said no. She then followed up and asked if people tell him he looks like a professional wrestler named MJF, he then abruptly responded, “yes” and turned away from her.
However, Shepherd did note her son tried to explain to her that, because MJF is a bad guy, he needs to stay in character all the time.
“When I was flying from Los Angeles to New York, I had an encounter with a former child star who appeared on The Rosie O’Donnell Show back in 2001. So at the time he was five years old, and some of you may remember him because his name is Maxwell Jacob Friedman.
“And Rosie had on as a guest, and he came on at the age of five and came on to sing … Now, young Max did not grow up to be a professional singer. He’s now 26 years old, and he goes by the initials MJF. And he’s a professional wrestler.
“He is a professional wrestler, and I guess the J in MJF stands for jerk. And I’m gonna tell y’all why – that’s what he was acting like when I met him at the airport when we were waiting in the lounge.
“Not nice at all. And see, my son Jeffrey, he’s a big wrestling fan and he knows all of the wrestlers. He spotted MJF while we were waiting for the plane. And you know, Jeffrey was really nervous going up to him and asking for an autograph.
“Because you don’t know. And so I said, ‘I’ll do it for my baby,’ because I’m mother bear. I said I would go up and ask him for an autograph. And I know how to be with celebrities, I know they don’t want you to do a bunch of talking.
“So I was very nice and I tapped him gently on the leg. And I said, ‘Excuse me, are you the famous wrestler MJF?’ He snapped back, he said, ‘No!’
“So I said, ‘Okay, well do people tell you that you look like the famous wrestler MJF?’ Then he snapped back and went, ‘Yes!’ and he put his headphones on and turned away from me.”
“And I wanted to say to him, ‘I don’t like your tone.’ That’s what I wanted to tell him. And I was like, ‘He has one more time to snap at me before I lay the smackdown on him.’
“I was not playing. You don’t — really? Jeffrey was standing right and he was smiling and everything. He goes, ‘No, mom. MJF is a bad guy. And he’s supposed to be a jerk.’
“And I’m like, I told my son, ‘No, no, you don’t know what a real bad guy is, unless he pisses off a black momma trying to get a photo for her son.’ I’m trying to get a photo for my baby. Like, I wasn’t bothering him, I just wanted a little picture, I was so mad at him.”
Currently MJF and his status with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) seems to be the big story surrounding the controversial star. He hasn’t been seen since his “pipebomb” promo on Dynamite a few weeks ago.
MJF swore on live TV, begging Tony Khan to fire him before the live feed was ended abruptly. It remains to be seen what will be next for the 26-year-old.
AEW’s MJF has taken more steps to distance himself from the promotion, by having meetings about a possible career in acting.
On last week’s Dynamite, MJF cut a scathing promo about AEW and Tony Khan, claiming that he is being underappreciated and undervalued by the company President.
Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful reports that many are under the impression that the “Salt of the Earth” is actively pursuing a career outside the ring.
“MJF has had a growing interest in pursuing Hollywood opportunities. According to his friends, as well as other consistent sources, MJF has been speaking more about the possibility of getting into acting. He’d mentioned this in an interview with Ariel Helwani, the same one that helped start the issues between him and AEW. He also claimed to have recorded a voiceover for an animated role that comes out next year. People within AEW have heard that MJF had meetings set up last week in LA later in the week to possibly explore that route. Many have heard this mentioned as far back as March.”
“According to his friends, as well as other consistent sources, MJF has been speaking more about the possibility of getting into acting.”
Sean Ross Sapp.
MJF no-showed a meet and greet with fans prior to AEW Double or Nothing and was destroyed by Wardlow at the Pay Per View.
While MJF was on last week’s Dynamite where he cut the now-infamous promo, there was no mention of him on last night’s episode.
Fans of MJF will be seeing far less of “The Salt of the Earth” following his explosive promo last week.
On the June 1, 2022, edition of AEW Dynamite, MJF laid into AEW and Tony Khan, claiming that he is underappreciated by the company President.
MJF even begged Khan to fire him, believing that he would be of more value to AEW if he was a former WWE Superstar.
A source within Warner Media Discovery told PW Insider this week that an edict handed down from AEW is for MJF to be removed from all promotional materials.
MJF is to be removed from any videos that air on TNT or TBS and replaced by other footage from AEW programming.
The source added that MJF may still appear in some promotional materials until they are fully fazed out.
This is the latest big move by AEW to distance themselves from the three-time Dynamite Diamond Ring winner.
After his promo, MJF’s profile was removed from AEW’s roster website and his merchandise has been pulled from AEWShop.com.
MJF has also been removed from the opening video packages for both AEW Dynamite and Rampage.
The 26-year-old wrestler has openly teased leaving AEW and joining WWE when his current contract expires in January 2024.
MJF’s most recent match to date saw him be destroyed by Wardlow at Double or Nothing 2022.
Per the stipulation of the match, Wardlow is now free of MJF’s contract and was confirmed to be All-Elite shortly after on Twitter.
Some of the “top stars” of All Elite Wrestling could be working for Vince McMahon in the WWE when the time is right.
In February, Cody Rhodes left AEW after a three-year tenure with the promotion and returned to WWE at WrestleMania 38: Night One.
To date, Cody is the only AEW star to make the jump but his booking may cause others to follow in his footsteps.
According to a new report from The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the impressive booking Rhodes has received has led many “top stars” in AEW to consider joining WWE when their contracts expire.
These top stars include names who had shown no interest in WWE and had made it clear that they would forever be loyal to AEW, before Cody’s return this past April.
While no names were given in the report, it’s known that MJF has teased joining WWE when his current contract with Tony Khan expires in January 2024.
On this week’s Dynamite, MJF cut a scathing promo against AEW and Khan and begged to be fired from the company he feels underappreciated in.
Worked shoots have been a part of pro wrestling for a long time. After all, there were years when wrestlers went to great lengths to protect kayfabe on the premise the business could only work if fans believed everything they saw to be legitimate sport. The matter grew more sophisticated after Vince McMahon openly acknowledged wrestling was a work, and all the more so during the Monday Night War era.
Particularly in the aftermath of the Montreal Screwjob, playing with the line between fact and fiction became a staple, and arguably a plot device WCW turned to too often and in clunky fashion. There’s still a place to blur the lines between a work and a shoot, though, and AEW and MJF have highlighted just how compelling creative choices around this line can be.
MJF was the Talk of the Wrestling World Heading into AEW Double Or Nothing
For Double or Nothing, AEW built an extremely compelling card with a number of matches hat looked great on paper, the promise of a historic moment or two, and a number of storylines appearing to reach a climax. However, when the day of the show rolled around, there was one aspect of it that superseded all others: what was going on with MJF, and would he even show up?
The rumors took a life of their own on the Internet. While it’s still not entirely clear what was real and what was for show, we do know AEW booked the PPV perfectly with MJF the first wrestler to walk out from behind the curtain. His appearance gave the show an electric feel out of the gate and prevented the questions around his status from distracting from the rest of the event.
Moreover, his match with Wardlow was executed perfectly. The extended squash paid off the storyline, with a babyface getting retribution and giving a heel his comeuppance, yes, but with the short, one-sided match also feeding rumors that MJF might be on poor terms with management, such that he was booked to look badly in the ring.
MJF Cut One Of The Greatest Wrestling Promos of Wrestling’s Modern Era
The buzz around MJF leading into Double or Nothing contributed to an equally buzzworthy performance on the Dynamite after the PPV. MJF cut the promo of a lifetime as he criticized management, weaving in very real issues like Tony Khan signing former WWE talent to big money contracts and pushing them over AEW mainstays.
MJF’s promo was well-timed to capitalize on speculation about him, as well as the momentum AEW had coming off a major PPV. While opinions still vary pretty widely on MJF’s in-ring abilities, there’s little question he’s one of the best promo guys in the world right now. The worked shoot scenario set him up to succeed, and MJF exceeded every expectation with his riveting delivery.
AEW Has Committed To The Storyline
Worked shoot storylines are difficult to pull off. Fans have seen enough variations on angles like MJF feuding with management that they’re inherently skeptical. Moreover, there are practical considerations like a wrestler keeping up the storyline on social media and shoot interviews, or questions about why a company would still be selling a performer’s merchandise if he’s on such rocky terms with them. Add on a never-ending stream of dirt sheets finding the inside scoop and it’s awfully difficult for the modern fan to suspend disbelief.
AEW and MJF have committed to what they’re doing, though. The degree to with The Wrestling Observer, Fightful, and others bit on the prospect of MJF potentially no-showing Double or Nothing after he skipped a meet and greet suggested that AEW had either artfully manipulated or deftly collaborated with these kinds of media outlets to sell their story, rather than having reporters undermine them.
The choice for MJF not to meet fans, itself, may have been part of the plan and while it’s ill-advised for AEW to make a habit out of false advertising or messing with the money fans put down for experiences like this, doing it one time to serve this story feels like a key part of making this angle work. Other choices like Tony Khan refusing to comment on MJF in the post-PPV media scrum and pulling MJF’s merchandise online have further reinforced uncertainty.
A Tradition Of Worked Shoots
MJF’s situation with AEW has drawn comparisons to other situations from the past twenty years. The degree to which MJF is publicly living his gimmick, with some fans suspecting he “went into business for himself” in skipping his meet and greet prompted memories of Brian Pillman’s “Loose Cannon” antics when he made a number of unorthodox choices on his own to cultivate a sense of chaos across his journey between WCW, ECW, and WWE.
In a similar time frame, the early stages of the New World Order angle in WCW had a similar ethos for the shock of seeing Scott Hall and Kevin Nash arrive in the promotion and hint that they were invading from WWE.
Moreover, MJF’s promo on Dynamite had harkened back to CM Punk’s Pipe Bomb on WWE Raw from 11 years. There’s a great deal of overlap when it comes to speaking to legitimate concerns about his employer within the confines of what was ostensibly a worked promo, complete with heeling on the crowd in the process. That promo and the angle to follow were key in elevating Punk to megastar status and the seeds are there for MJF to enjoy a similar type of growth.
Fans can’t yet know where AEW is headed with MJF, and it’s a testament to the success of the angle that there is a some doubt as to where the line is between a work and a shoot and whether it’s possible that, even if MJF is working, he still might be out the door to WWE when his contract’s up.
Nonetheless, for a promotion that has thrived off the quality of its in-ring product, AEW may well be telling its best out-of-the-ring story to date with MJF.
There is a slew of differing opinions on the MJF situation with AEW.
MJF has become the talk of the wrestling world ever since Double or Nothing weekend at the end of May. He failed to attend a scheduled meet and greet, forcing AEW to refund and offer exchanges to fans who paid to see MJF.
Reports had surfaced prior to the incident that MJF wanted more money as he felt his work has outperformed his current salary. The situation got more tense as a since-disputed report claimed there was a flight booked out of Las Vegas for MJF, which he never boarded.
Ultimately, MJF showed up at DoN and did the job to Wardlow. Then, on the June 1 episode of Dynamite, Max cut a scathing shoot-style promo where he called Tony Khan a “f*cking mark.”
AEW Stars React
While MJF’s promo was obviously planned, he did throw in some real-life elements. Fightful is reporting that some AEW talents believe this whole thing was a work from the start, while others feel it’s a shoot turned into a work.
One AEW star noted that they’d be frustrated if word got out that this was a work planned out before DoN weekend.
Another talent insisted that MJF became noticeably more frustrated at the start of 2022. That particular AEW star doesn’t believe MJF is always in character because he wouldn’t have a long shelf life in the business if he was.
The belief among some seems to be that MJF and Tony Khan hashed things out during a meeting on Monday to bring the shoot-style promo to life. Some are even sympathetic to MJF’s money gripes.
Chris Jericho has made it clear that he’s sticking with AEW and the company’s President Tony Khan following comments made by MJF during this week’s Dynamite.
Appearing on the show, MJF blasted Khan and AEW, claiming that is being taken for granted by the promotion.
MJF begged Tony Khan to fire him and has teased joining WWE when his current contract expires in January 2024.
While Jericho didn’t reference MJF by name, he did speak about “certain talents” who feel they’re under-compensated” and said that someone like this may not be as good as they think.
The former AEW World Champion also praised Tony Khan as the best boss he’s worked for and said a talent who leaves AEW will be begging to come back.
For the record @AEW is the best sports entertainment company I’ve ever worked for & @TonyKhan is the best boss I’ve done business with. If certain talents feel they’re under compensated, maybe ur not as good as u think u are. Go elsewhere PLEASE. You’ll be begging to come back!
Part of MJF’s appeal is that he refuses to break character, even during interviews or meet & greets with fans.
This has led many to question whether MJF is genuinely angry at AEW, or if this is just part of his character to rile up the company’s loyal fanbase.
It has been reported that while MJF did receive a pay rise from his initial AEW contract, he is still earning far less than signings made over the past year.
MJF may be a ratings draw for AEW, but it’s said he’s earning less than CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, and other ex-WWE talents.
On the other hand, some have suggested that allowing MJF to cut this promo this week is a sign that the situation is a work, or at the very least that what was a real problem has now been resolved but turned into a work.
All Elite Wrestling has removed MJF from its wrestler roster page following his promo segment on Wednesday’s Dynamite.
His merchandise page has also been pulled from AEW Shop.
On Dynamite, MJF cut a promo where he talked about how he has been the one to carry the company on his back, but is tired of watching AEW President Tony Khan be a mark who brings in former WWE stars and pays them more than him.
MJF demanded that Khan fire him before the audio to his microphone was cut. This appears to be a worked shoot storyline where they mix in reality and storyline with the idea of making fans guess what is real and scripted.
Brian Pillman did the same thing in 1996 when he was in a similar situation as he worked everyone into thinking that he was fired by WCW and even got his release from the promotion with Eric Bischoff in on it, but ended up doing it so he could get a big money deal from WWE.
Another work shoot situation happened in 2011 when CM Punk dropped his pipebomb promo and won the WWE Title on what was the final night on his WWE deal while pretending he was leaving when he actually signed a new contract.
MJF’s contract with AEW expires on January 1, 2024.
MJF and CM Punk had a brief interaction following Max’s scathing promo.
During the June 1 episode of AEW Dynamite, MJF was given a live mic and cut a promo fans won’t soon forget. This was very much shoot-style mic work from MJF, playing off of real-life events.
MJF has been the talk of the wrestling world since no-showing a meet and greet one day before Double or Nothing. His status for the DoN PPV event was a big question mark but he ultimately did the job for Wardlow.
CM Punk Attempts To Confront MJF
MJF’s promo included a diss aimed at Tony Khan for not upping his pay but opening up the checkbook for former WWE stars.
At the end of his promo, MJF called Tony a “f*cking mark” and demanded that he be fired.
This led to CM Punk limping down the ramp and trying to talk to Max. MJF would have none of it and left through the crowd.
MJF went scorched earth on AEW President Tony Khan.
We have a new pipebomb that won’t soon be forgotten. MJF made his way out for the June 1 episode of Dynamite and things got ugly in a hurry.
Maxwell started things off by discussing how banged up he is but he said all the fans wanted is for him to talk.
He said the fans weren’t there for him when they called him “unprofessional” for no-showing a meet and greet one day before AEW Double or Nothing.
Max also bashed fans for once claiming he couldn’t wrestle. He questioned why that was the case, mentioning that he works a safer style, doesn’t get dropped on his head, and doesn’t watch NJPW.
He then talked about being disrespected by the AEW brass for not paying him more despite being key to the company’s success in viewership.
MJF claimed Tony Khan doesn’t want to pay him because he’s too busy paying former WWE stars.
When a production member told him to wrap things up, MJF called him a “piece of sh*t.” He then demanded that Tony fire him and called him a “f*cking mark.”
MJF’s mic was then cut off and the camera faded to black before a commercial break.
The situation between MJF and AEW President Tony Khan has been a hot topic for months that escalated this past weekend for Double Or Nothing after MJF missed the fan fest on Saturday.
As scheduled, MJF showed up to Double or Nothing where he lost in a quick match to Wardlow. He later told Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp that he had a lot to think about after the match as his AEW deal runs through January 1, 2024 and is expected to have a bidding war for his services between AEW and WWE.
Khan spoke to Andreas Hale on The Corner podcast on Friday night where he was asked about MJF’s situation. However, he won’t comment on MJF’s contract details.
“I can’t…he’s been a big part of the company from day one, but I can’t really speculate on what he’s been saying about stuff that is unrelated to his match with Wardlow. It’s not related to what we’re talking about on television.”
MJF has stated that he will go where the money goes and will listen to an offer from WWE when he’s free and clear to do so. Khan was asked if he was surprised by MJF’s comments regarding his contract.
“No, I’m not surprised, for a variety of reasons. Coming out of this weekend, as of now and everything he’s done in AEW, he’s been a huge part of the success of the company and he’s signed here for a long time. It’s 2022, and 2024 is a long way away.”
MJF was spotted at LAX on Tuesday and is reportedly having a meeting with Khan this week. It’s likely that meeting is happening at Wednesday’s Dynamite.
PWTorch reports that MJF signed a starter deal with AEW back in 2019. This ranges from $40,000 to $70,000 per year.
With that said, the report notes that Maxwell is now making “hundreds of thousands of dollars.” It still pales in comparison to the salaries of some big names AEW has hired.
The PWTorch report notes that the gap in pay is a big reason why MJF has been at odds with AEW President Tony Khan.
MJF took the wrestling world by storm during AEW Double or Nothing weekend. He no-showed a meet and greet and had everyone wondering whether or not he’d appear at the PPV.
Ultimately, MJF did show up to do the job for Wardlow and an angle was shot where he was stretchered out of the arena.
Could things be taking a positive turn between MJF and AEW?
MJF was the talk of Double or Nothing weekend. Fans were left wondering if Maxwell would even show up at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada for the show.
He failed to appear at a scheduled meet and greet on Saturday, forcing AEW to offer refunds and exchanges for those who paid to see MJF.
There was a later disputed report of a flight being booked for MJF out of Las Vegas. Ultimately, Maxwell showed up on Sunday and did the job for Wardlow at DoN.
He was stretchered out of the arena after the match.
MJF In The Area Of AEW Dynamite
(via AEW)
PWInsider is reporting that MJF was seen at LAX on Tuesday afternoon. This week’s AEW Dynamite will be taking place in Los Angeles.
This could be a good sign as it was said that MJF and Tony Khan would be having a meeting in Las Vegas. Assuming they had the meeting, MJF’s presence in Los Angles could indicate that the face-to-face talk went well.
PWTorch reported that MJF was “in a bad place” on Saturday and had no business making a public appearance in the state he was in.
A recent AEW Meet & Greet had to go ahead without MJF as the “Salt of the Earth” was in “no place” to meet the fans.
MJF has been at odds with AEW President Tony Khan over his current contract, which MJF has made clear will expire in January 2024.
The Dynamite Diamond Ring winner has also teased joining WWE though some have questioned if this is all part of his character.
During a recent PWTorch.com audio show, Wade Keller detailed the issues between MJF and Khan and why the wrestler no-showed the recent Meet & Greet prior to Double or Nothing 2022.
“The way it was portrayed to us is MJF was in no place to be in public. He was in a bad place. And so it just seemed if not mutually agreed upon [it was] pretty obvious to everybody that it would be good for him to not make a public appearance.
“People in AEW were hoping that Tony and MJF could sit down and hash out their differences. There was just hope that cooler heads would prevail. Tony Khan on social media can come across sometimes as defensive.”
“MJF was in no place to be in public. He was in a bad place.”
Wade Keller
The issue between MJF and Khan is reportedly over money as the wrestler is earning substantially less than others in the promotion.
Keller explained that while MJF has received a raise, it is still less than several free agents signed to AEW contracts over the past year.
“MJF was given a raise once since he signed with AEW. So he’s making substantially more than the starter contract, like hundreds of thousands of dollars but it is modest compared to the contracts of more than a half a dozen free-agent signings AEW has made over the past year.”
Keller named Christian, Mark Henry, Malakai Black, Adam Cole, Bryan Danielson, and CM Punk as just some names signed to better deals than the “Salt of the Earth.”
He added that while MJF’s segments do better than most, his pay doesn’t reflect that performance.
MJF appeared at Double or Nothing 2022 where he lost to Wardlow, who earned a contract with AEW due to his win.
MJF was stretchered out of the arena after the match, indicating that he is being written off TV for the time being.
MJF was featured in the opening match of AEW Double or Nothing. He was ultimately squashed by Wardlow, paying off a long-term storyline. In story, the win has allowed Wardlow to sign with AEW.
The status of the match was very touch and go, however before Sunday night.
Maxwell didn’t fulfill his commitment to take part in a meet and greet on Saturday. PWInsider reported that this wasn’t a work and AEW officials attempted to contact him numerous times.
AEW ran an angle where MJF was stretchered out of the arena at Double or Nothing. PWInsider reported that Maxwell isn’t expected to be on the road with AEW for the next several weeks, possibly longer.
There are many within the industry who believe that the MJF ordeal started as a legit issue but has turned into a work.
Fightful was able to get in touch with MJF following AEW Double or Nothing. Maxwell said that he showed up just before his match began with Wardlow and immediately left after an angle was shot showing him being stretchered out of T-Mobile Arena.
He told Sean Ross Sapp that he has a lot to think about. He doesn’t know what decision he’ll ultimately make.
MJF’s contract with AEW is set to expire in 2024. It’s been said that Maxwell has had a bit of a strained relationship with Tony Khan as they aren’t as close as they once were.
MJF made a quick exit after AEW Double or Nothing and an update on his immediate future has surfaced.
The weekend of DoN was a hectic one for AEW officials. MJF and Samoa Joe failed to attend meet and greets but their situations couldn’t have been more different.
Joe didn’t attend Fan Fest because he was accidentally double-booked. He already had voice commitments during that time so he isn’t at fault.
The highly anticipated match between MJF and Wardlow did take place as scheduled at the AEW Double Or Nothing pay-per-view event despite the speculation regarding MJF’s status for the show.
The match had the stipulation that if Wardlow won then he’ll be free from the contract that he signed with MJF, but if MJF won then Wardlow can never sign with AEW. MJF was heavily booed by the fans, who chanted “he showed up.” MJF did a hurricanrana and MJF sold his leg like an injury. MJF tried to use the diamond ring, but was caught. Wardlow hit over 5 powerbombs in a row for the win. MJF was stretched from ringside.
Over the last 24 hours, MJF’s status has been the main point of conversation after he no-showed Saturday’s Fan Fest meet and greet. AEW has yet to comment publicly on the situation. Then he booked a flight out of Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday night to Newark, NJ, but didn’t get on the plane and stayed in Las Vegas.
Earlier this month, it was reported by Fightful that MJF is leaning towards leaving AEW when his contract expires in 2024. MJF signed a five-year deal with AEW in 2019.
AEW President Tony Khan spoke about MJF’s contract situation being mentioned on screen during a media call ahead of Double or Nothing and stated that he thinks it’s great that MJF has been able to address some real-life grievances and air his actual status.
It looks like the first match on the AEW Double or Nothing 2022 card has been revealed.
AEW DoN will be taking place inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada tonight (May 29). An AEW World Title match is set between Hangman Adam Page and CM Punk.
There are plenty of other matches such as a three-team tag title match, an AEW Women’s Title match, and much more.
Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated is reporting that opening the PPV portion of the card will be MJF vs. Wardlow.
Per sources close to AEW, the opening match of tonight’s Double or Nothing pay per view is currently scheduled to be MJF vs. Wardlow
Young Bucks-Hardys is second, then Jade Cargill-Anna Jay. Anarchy in the Arena is two before the main event, which is Hangman-Punk
“Double or Nothing pay per view is currently scheduled to be MJF vs. Wardlow.
“Young Bucks-Hardys is second, then Jade Cargill-Anna Jay. Anarchy in the Arena is two before the main event, which is Hangman-Punk.”
MJF vs. Wardlow is an interesting opener given the circumstances.
Maxwell no-showed AEW Fan Fest on Saturday. It was reported that AEW officials initially couldn’t contact him.
It’s been said that things got ugly between the two sides and there was a possibility that MJF could’ve taken a flight out of Las Vegas but ultimately stayed.
The AEW Double or Nothing PPV will begin at 8 p.m. ET.
Tension is building just hours away from AEW Double or Nothing and MJF is at the center of it all.
This weekend has been a wild one for AEW officials to say the least. MJF and Samoa Joe weren’t present at AEW Fan Fest but their situations were quite different.
In Joe’s case, Sean Ross Sapp reports that this may have been the result of an accidental double booking. Joe already had commitments for voiceover work, so this was an error on AEW’s part.
PWInsider reported that AEW officials initially couldn’t contact him despite attempts. Fightful followed that story up, reporting a flight out of Las Vegas was booked for MJF just one night before Double or Nothing.
PWInsider then reported that MJF remained in Las Vegas as he didn’t board the plane to Newark, New Jersey.
Is MJF Inside T-Mobile Arena?
(AEW)
Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer is reporting that as of about three hours before the AEW Double or Nothing Buy-In show, MJF has not been seen inside the building.
As of a few minutes ago MJF wasn't at the building.
Furthermore, AEW has removed its hype video on YouTube promoting the MJF vs. Wardlow match scheduled for tonight. Earlier today, the company removed a tweet hyping up the match.
Reports have insisted that this is a very real situation between MJF and AEW. It’ll be interesting to see if something was worked out and AEW is milking it or if MJF’s status will truly come down to the wire.
Update: The video hyping up MJF vs. Wardlow has been put back on the YouTube channel.
