All Elite Wrestling Champ MJF shares all

In an exclusive Town Hall held at SiriusXM’s New York City studios, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) World Champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF) sat down with Busted Open‘s Dave LaGreca to discuss his career journey and his highly anticipated main event match against Adam Cole at AEW’s All In, taking place at Wembley Stadium in London on Sunday, August 27th. The interview touches upon everything from his childhood fascination with action figures to his decision to join AEW. He provides insights into his mindset, his rise to prominence, and his commitment to excellence as the self-proclaimed “Best in the world.”

Watch MJF’s full Busted Open interview on the SiriusXM App

Writing History Each Week:

MJF talked about his career in AEW, discussing the challenges he faced, especially during the COVID-19 lockdown period when wrestling before empty arenas became the norm. MJF’s triumph over Bryan Danielson at AEW’s Revolution PPV in 2023 highlights how he continues to prove his dominance, leading to a discussion about the ever-moving “goal post” set by critics.

“People aren’t used to watching history unfold in front of their very own eyes,” MJF said. “It’s scary, I scare people. I’m not supposed to be able to be this good at 27. It’s weird. It’s never happened before in the history of the sport.”

Signing with AEW Over WWE:

Addressing his decision to sign with AEW rather than WWE, MJF discussed his choice to bet on himself and his desire to become a cornerstone of the burgeoning promotion. He attributed his success to AEW’s unique platform that allowed him to be a central figure from the start.

“What I saw it as was an opportunity for me to make it something,” MJF explained. “I saw the opportunity to be the quarterback. I saw the opportunity to be the face of this promotion, and I jumped on it.”

MJF’s gratitude towards AEW is noticeable as he reflects on the pivotal role played by Cody Rhodes in offering him a chance to shine. He reminisced about his memorable match against Matt Cross at the inaugural All In event, acknowledging that it paved the way for his contract offers from AEW and WWE.

“I am thankful for that opportunity that he got me because if I didn’t wrestle that match against Matt Cross in the opener of All In, I wouldn’t have been offered a contract, and I wouldn’t have had interest from both the two major promotions at that time,” MJF added.

A New Renaissance in Wrestling:

The interview also delved into the changing landscape of professional wrestling, with MJF emphasizing camaraderie and mutual support regardless of company affiliations. He encouraged fans to appreciate the plethora of quality wrestling content available and stressed the positive atmosphere in the industry.

“We’re all rooting each other on because, realistically, the better the two companies are doing, the more money we’re going to make.” MJF continues, “I’m watching LA Knight and Cody Rhodes [on WWE programming] every week, and I’m having a blast… there’s so much great professional wrestling going on, and there’s more than enough room for it.”

“This is not hyperbole; wrestling is, unfortunately, a very hyperbolic sport. [AEW is about to have the biggest crowd] ever in the history of the sport, and I’m headlining it.”