MJF isn’t holding back when it comes to today’s independent wrestling scene.
The AEW World Champion has recently made appearances outside of All Elite Wrestling, working select matches for promotions like House Of Glory and Limitless Wrestling.
With that added exposure to the current indie landscape, MJF has formed some strong opinions about the talent coming up through the ranks.
And in typical MJF fashion, he didn’t sugarcoat any of it.
“I think a lot of these guys suck,” MJF said during an interview with The Takedown on Sports Illustrated. “The guys that I’m wrestling on these independents are the guys that are working hard and making the towns and doing everything that they need to do to become better talents.”
That was just the start.
MJF went on to contrast today’s crop of wrestlers with his own experiences grinding on the independent circuit, emphasizing the work ethic he believes is missing.
“I think a lot of these new guys are lazy, they’re not getting in the car, they’re not traveling to do ring crew,” he continued. “Brother, when I was on the independents, I would get in my car, and I would drive to, name a state in North America, I drove there. Name a place in Canada, I drove there. Name a place in Mexico, I drove there. And I did it for $20 and a can of Coke and a hot dog and a handshake. I did it because I wanted to get better, and I needed reps.”
He’s not impressed.
And he’s not quiet about it.
Friedman also addressed a growing mindset among some indie wrestlers who question why they haven’t been signed by a major promotion yet, offering a blunt response.
“A lot of these guys that are coming into the industry, they’re thinking, ‘Oh, there’s AEW, there’s WWE, there’s TNA, there’s MLW, why aren’t I signed yet?’ You’re not signed yet because you f—ing suck. Get better. Apply yourself. Go to training three to four times a week. Find a ring. Roll around. Make yourself better. Do tape study. Become a student of the sport.”
Finally, MJF made it clear that anyone hoping to land in AEW shouldn’t expect an easy ride.
“Stop resting on your laurels, just assuming you’re gonna be handed something,” he said. “If you want to be a part of AEW, you better be ready. You better be ready to work, and work hard, and want it. We’re not the lazy promotion. Now if you wanna fk around and jk off, go somewhere else. So that would be my advice to these cats on the indies. Nothing’s going to be handed to you. If you want to come to AEW, be ready to work.”
