If confidence received again world titles, Maxwell Jacob Friedman would haven’t any challenge defeating AEW World Champion Darby Allin at upcoming pay-per-view occasion “Double or Nothing.” However even in a non-legitimate sports activities competitors like skilled wrestling, persona alone can solely carry one to date. The excellent news is MJF can deal with himself on the mat about in addition to he can on the mic.
Final month, Allin shocked the wrestling world by defeating the champ on AEW’s weekly episodic TV show Dynamite. This weekend, Friedman will get his probability for revenge. Usually in these conditions, it’s the champion (now Allin) with probably the most to lose — the belt — however Sunday’s primary occasion received’t be your run of the mill match. If the challenger (Friedman) takes one other “L,” he received’t simply lose his head, MJF will lose his hair. For somebody who loves his personal look as a lot as Friedman does, such a destiny for his ‘do simply won’t do.
MJF’s boss, AEW owner Tony Khan (the son of billionaire Jacksonville Jaguars proprietor Shahid Khan), is as large a wrestling fan as, nicely, his firm’s wrestling followers. Khan very a lot appreciates his large dangerous — or on the very least, he tolerates him.
Requested how he offers with a persona like Friedman, Khan begins with the superlatives. The Burberry-draped, smack-talking, strolling warmth machine is “a hugely charismatic wrestler,” Khan tells The Hollywood Reporter. It’s true: Friedman is as over as anybody in professional wrestling, AEW or past.
“He is so self-obsessed, and his pursuit of greatness is so singular in its focus on himself that one has to admire it,” Khan continued. “At the same time, as a villain, he’s so detestable.”
Additionally true.
If Friedman was not a self-described “illiterate,” at this level within the learn, proper about now, he’d be questioning when this changed into a Tony Khan story and now not one in regards to the actual star of AEW: himself. MJF is a real throwback — a heel who loves himself as a lot as we like to hate him — and he won’t ever, ever allow you to neglect that. Not for one minute.
Learn The Hollywood Reporter‘s Q&A with MJF beneath.
So your actual title is Maxwell Tyler Friedman, initials MTF. Your character is Maxwell Jacob Friedman, stylized right down to MJF. Who owns the rights to the character?
I’ve it absolutely trademarked, each choices.
That’s actually necessary for the licensing piece of the enterprise — and should you transfer on to a different firm.
We’re positively a extra staff’-rights-focused skilled wrestling firm, and that’s not me taking a shot, it’s only a reality.
You’re in all probability the most important star in AEW—
That’s an understatement.
Properly there are different stars: Jon Moxley (Dean Ambrose in WWE), Chris Jericho, Cody (Cody Rhodes in WWE) when he was right here…
They’re not me.
What’s the correct quantity of TV time for MJF? You by no means need to overexpose your greatest attracts, however you want them there reliably.
If the tv present was two hours, I’d put me on the market for 2 hours. If it’s three hours, put me on the market for 3, and so on. Look, I’ve confirmed time and time once more that I’m the most important draw within the firm. Now, that doesn’t take away from the truth that I can’t try this alone. I want a group, and boy, do I’ve an important group. AEW is chock filled with among the finest skilled wrestlers within the sport, [some of the best] skilled wrestling has ever seen. However after we have a look at issues metrically within the yr 2026, I’ve been on high this whole yr. Our homes are up year-over-year everywhere we’ve been to. Pay-per-view buys are up in each single pay-per-view we’ve had, and I’ll simply use the pay-per-view this Sunday for instance. We’re about to do the second-largest gate domestically within the historical past of our promotion, with me on high in the primary occasion — and the No. 1 was a stadium present at International Life Subject.
That is the facility of MJF that I wield: I get folks to look at; I get folks to tune in; I get folks to purchase a ticket, as a result of you possibly can’t go and stay your life a wrestling fan with out having the expertise that’s Maxwell Jacob Friedman, whether or not that’s stay or in your TV display.
Sports activities, together with professional wrestling, draw comparisons between eras. It’s simply one thing for followers to speak about. Off the highest of my head I’d in all probability say your character jogs my memory of The Rock, possibly “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Who do you suppose finest compares with MJF?
It’s humanly unimaginable [to compare me with someone else]. I’m an amalgamation of the nice of the greats, frankly. As a result of when folks — it’s so humorous, folks use their favourite wrestler to explain me. Each dialog I’ve, when folks pull me apart: “Oh, you remind me of The Rock. Oh, you remind me of Terry Funk. Oh, you remind me of Ric Flair. Oh, you remind me of Nick Bockwinkel. Oh, you remind me of Steve Austin. Oh, you remind me of The Rock.” You’re by no means gonna have anyone say, “Oh, you remind me of Barry Horowitz.” what I imply? There’s ranges to this shit. God bless Barry, he’s a part of the tribe, I like him. However that’s the factor about me — I’m a generational expertise, and I evoke the identical emotion folks had once they had been youngsters, freaking out and marking out over whoever their favourite wrestler was.
I believe what’s actually cool is — though I convey folks collectively by way of hatred, I’m nonetheless bringing them collectively as a result of I’m giving them that punch of nostalgia. With love and respect to all people else in my business, no one’s like me anymore. I’m the final of a dying breed. No one can discuss the way in which that I discuss, no one that may stroll the way in which I stroll, no one can wrestle the way in which that I wrestle, no one can pull a crowd in the way in which that I pull a crowd in. That’s simply all of the a part of recipe of MJF.
Darby Allin within the ring throughout AEW Collision on Oct. 3, 2024, on the Huntington Middle in Toledo, Ohio.
Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire/Getty Pictures
Who’s closest to your mic expertise in or out of AEW? Is it (WWE’s) Miz?
No. He’s an important man although. Miz is a superb man.
In my firm, who’s shut? I believe gun to my head, among the most intense verbal battles I’ve had has been within the ring with “Hangman” Adam Web page.
Completely satisfied Gilmore 2 was an important alternative for you. How was that have?
The factor is, I’m a psycho, and what I used to be doing was I used to be flying from (AEW) TV to (the Completely satisfied Gilmore 2) set on an nearly weekly foundation. So, I used to be doing each, and I’m gonna proceed to try this, as a result of I like wrestling and appearing equally.
However attending to work with Adam Sandler — I imply, he’s my dad, actually, figuratively, fake-ly. He’s the person. I like every little thing about him. He’s probably the most down-to-earth man, and I like him, dude. I completely love him.
You’ve acquired a pleasant IMDb going for a comparatively new star who’s booked like 52 weeks of the yr. What’s the final Hollywood ambition?
Mount Rushmore has 4 heads, and while you have a look at the Mount Rushmore of wrestlers-turned-actors, it’s Dave Bautista, John Cena and The Rock. There’s a lacking a part of that Mount Rushmore.
It’s not as a result of I’m manifesting it or something, it’s only a reality — I’m going to be that fourth head. We’ve acquired Violent Night time 2 popping out in theaters. It’s a Common image that I used to be part of, that’s occurring in early December. There are quite a lot of issues I acquired cooking that legally I’m not allowed to say but — I’m not at liberty to say but.
WWE is well-represented within the upcoming Road Fighter film — what if Roman Reigns or Cody Rhodes takes that last spot?
Hey, man, God bless them. I hope that film does nicely, and I hope they do nice. I like seeing skilled wrestlers succeeding outdoors of the skilled wrestling bubble.
I’m extra of a Mortal Kombat man anyway.
There you go.
Your character is a pointy dresser who all the time has a really recognizable scarf over his shoulders. Actual Burberry?
Solely actual Burberry. What, are you accusing me of being poor?
[Friedman says he has seven of the same Burberry scarves in his house, and “they’re all steamed and they’re beautifully, beautifully laid out.”]
What occurs to AEW should you transfer on full-time to Hollywood, or to WWE?
It dies. It dies in all probability a quick — not even a sluggish and painful dying. And that’s OK, you realize. I like AEW, I like all people that works there, however, like I mentioned, I can’t be within the place I’m in with out having the go the ball, but when they couldn’t go the ball again to me? Jesus Christ. God bless ’em. I’m the most-important piece of the puzzle.
So does “passing the ball back to you” imply you’re successful the belt again this weekend?
Oh, I’m successful the belt. Yeah, if anyone tells you in any other case, they’re out of their thoughts. You suppose I’m gonna let that little twink shave my head bald. What are you nuts? Completely not. That’s not occurring. Have you ever seen my hair? I’ve acquired an attractive head of hair. I’m not dropping my hair.
How do you see the match going?
There’s no actuality, the place I’m not successful the belt again, I imply, different to me is an impossibility. I believe I beat him 5 seconds, 30 seconds flat — quick.
One clip that went particularly viral for you—
You’ll must slim that down.
You covertly stepped on the back of each of your loafers simply earlier than taking a Ricky Starks spear, which allowed your footwear to fly off your ft and out of the ring. It was an important promote that I don’t bear in mind having seen earlier than.
Sheer happenstance. I don’t know what you’re speaking about.
That was unlucky then, as a result of it actually made your opponent look additional robust.
By happenstance, for some unusual cause, I all the time find yourself making folks I’m within the ring with look 10 occasions higher than they’ve ever regarded of their complete lives. It’s odd.
Similar to the outdated greats.
Yeah! I generally is a klutz generally, and generally it’s to the advantage of others.
