MJF: I Had Zero Confidence In Being A Fan Favorite
MJF didn’t know if being “our scumbag” would work.
Throughout 2023, MJF has gone from the most despicable man in AEW to one of the most beloved thanks in part to his friendship with Adam Cole. While everyone, including Cole, expected MJF to turn his back the man who became his best friend, MJF embraced him.
“It’s just me being myself,” MJF told Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated. “One of the biggest indictments of this sport is that people claim professional wrestling is this archaic, one-dimensional thing. People love to throw the terms babyface and heel around, but look at the history of it. Why do we cheer the good guys? Why do we boo the bad guys? This was a progressive, very slow change. To me, that’s so much more relatable–and so much more realistic. I think people know how hard it is to change, and that’s why I’m connecting with people on the level that I am.”
MJF’s acts throughout his career made him one of the most vile men in wrestling, and while some of the tactics are the same, he’s delivered them in a different manner that has gotten the crowd behind him.
“I had zero confidence in this,” he said. “For the longest time, when I walked through the curtain, my only goal was to make people viscerally hate me. I never wanted people to like me. Getting liked is hard because it opens the door up to be rejected. So when the fans started chanting my name, it really shook me. There was even a wave of MJF support when I won the belt. I remember thinking to myself, ‘No.’ And that was out of fear. And I’m still scared, but it’s a lot less.”
MJF has remained true to his best friend by defending the ROH Tag Team Championships in his absence and taking on all comers to his AEW World Title.
MJF will defend his AEW World Title against Jay White at AEW Full Gear. Fans can check out the current lineup for the show by clicking here.
