AEW Star MJF Responds To Cody Rhodes' Claims About Him Potentially Joining WWE

MJF has responded to Cody Rhodes' recent comments prophesying him joining WWE some time in the future. Rhodes, formerly an EVP and champion in AEW, caught flak from fans on social media after he suggested WWE could snap up the current AEW World Champion, especially prudent for MJF's long-running claims he is considering free agency in 2024. But MJF told Sports Illustrated that he didn't understand the backlash. 

"I saw fans absolutely s****** on him when all he was saying was his opinion, like, it's an opinion," MJF said of the comments, further justifying his belief that social media has given rise to sensationalism, "I just feel like everything's so radicalized and hyperbolic now ... In Cody Rhodes' mind and opinion, that was his way of putting over a friend, a prodigy, a former coworker, a former protégé ... He's a great guy, he's doing great things over there, I'm doing great things over here." MJF likened the situation to wider professional sports, referring to NBA and Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant. He said he is sure at some stage Bryant had made it publicly clear that he wanted to play on the same team as LeBron James — he had in fact named James as a dream teammate prior to his 2016 retirement — and it should speak to the fact that AEW has a hot commodity on their hands. 

"Listen, it's normal, of course we want MJF in our company. Who the f**** wouldn't want me in their company? I'm the best thing going today. I'm the AEW World Champion. Nobody dresses like me, talks like me, looks like me, walks like me, wrestles like me. I take it as a compliment and I think the AEW fans should take it as a compliment too because that means that their world champion, the face of their company, is a hot commodity. So that's the only way I feel it should be looked at."