AEW Broadcaster Jim Ross Addresses MJF's Return

At AEW Double or Nothing in Las Vegas, Maxwell Jacob Friedman made his first appearance of 2024. MJF confronted his former friend Adam Cole, who betrayed him at World's End last year, revealing himself as "The Devil" after Samoa Joe defeated Friedman for the AEW World Championship. Cole, who remains on the shelf with an injury, isn't medically ready for a full-on feud, but Double or Nothing saw MJF get at least a measure of revenge, hitting Cole with a low blow. Now, AEW commentator Jim Ross has provided his thoughts on the return of the former AEW World Champion on a recent episode of "Grilling JR."

Ross explained that MJF continues to be a key factor in AEW's success. He also went into detail about Friedman possibly communicating with WWE during his time off as he recovered from his own injuries.

"He's a main player, there's no doubt about it and he keeps people on their toes," Ross said. "He's got a great mind for wrestling and the drama, the dramatics and so forth. Talented guy, and apparently — I don't know this to be a fact, but it seemed like he was kind of fishing to see if he's going to get an offer from WWE, and apparently that didn't materialize and maybe it wasn't time."

While the offer from WWE may have been disappointing, Ross is happy to have MJF in AEW for the long haul, going so far as to compare Friedman to a recent WWE Hall of Famer.

"He reminds me of Paul Heyman in the younger days," Ross said. "Really, really smart, very perceptive, understands what's going on, and he's an asset. He's young, he's got that youth which you can't replace, so I'm excited that he's back." 

Ross also mentioned MJF reaching out to him when he was feeling ill and checked himself into the emergency room last month, which JR said he greatly appreciated. 

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Grilling JR" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.