MJF Explains Why He Plans To Defend AEW World Championship At Upcoming Indie Show

Maxwell Jacob Friedman reclaimed the AEW World Championship at the recent Worlds End pay-per-view after pinning Samoa Joe in a heated four-way clash that included other former World Champions, Swerve Strickland and Hangman Adam Page. After a successful defense this week against Bandido on "AEW Dynamite: Maximum Carnage," Friedman is taking the belt to Limitless Wrestling, where he'll defend the title against Alec Price. The AEW World Champion sees it as giving back to the independent scene.

"The independent wrestling scene is the lifeblood of our sport," MJF explained during an interview with "Undisputed." "Now I get to come back to Limitless, a place where I got to cultivate my career when I was grinding it out...There was a point where I was wrestling four shows a week, every week, for the entire calendar year for over two years in a row." 

MJF didn't spend a lot of time on the independent scene, however.

"My second year in the business, I got signed to MLW. I was signed there for three years," MJF recalled. "Now I've been signed to AEW for seven years. In only a few years, I became a bedrock of independent wrestling."

Despite being a far bigger name in AEW compared to his time on the indies, Maxwell Jacob Friedman claims he's been watching the scene and is concerned about the young talent being exploited, and also sees a lot of promise in his opponent.

"I could see right away that [Alec Price] could talk and he could wrestle," he said. "He was smaller than my f**king left calf. Now he put on size, and he's added even more attitude and charisma."

Price also got the chance to comment on his upcoming match against the AEW World Champion, describing it as a career-changing opportunity. 

"MJF is the biggest star with the biggest title, and I respect that, but I have something to prove," Price said, noting the increased platform wrestling a TV star will bring him and the promotion. "When the bell rings, I can't wait to prove that the indies are strong and that I belong on TV."