Latest Update On MJF's AEW Status
So much has happened in the world of pro wrestling since this past May, but that hasn't stopped fans from wondering where Maxwell Jacob Friedman — or MJF as he's better known — has been. On the post-Double or Nothing episode of "AEW Dynamite," MJF verbally tore into his boss, the owner and President of AEW, Tony Khan, by pointing out how the additions of former WWE talent to their roster have skyrocketed since they were first formed. He would even go as far as to say the additions to the AEW roster were "ex-WWE guys who can't lace his boots" before getting heated enough to yell, "Fire me, [Tony], you f—ing mark," as his microphone was cut off.
Since then, Friedman has essentially vanished from the world of pro wrestling. How legitimate his grievances to Tony Khan were remain unclear, as MJF has always been skilled at treading a thin line between reality and kayfabe. The company made sure to remove all traces of 'The Salt of the Earth' from its website, merchandise store, and social media pages, showing that it's either a legitimate situation being handled accordingly or the company is going above and beyond to sell the legitimacy of the story.
A new update from "Fightful" notes that despite countless attempts to follow up on what happened, not a single AEW talent or staffer has admitted to communicating with Friedman since his promo. People who work with him in other avenues or are close to him have also stated that he's avoiding them without contact. As noted, Friedman had opportunities lined up in Los Angeles the same week his "pipebomb" promo on Khan occurred. It seems he is still pursuing potential media and entertainment projects, as Friedman was reportedly in New Jersey last week filming with the cast of Impractical Jokers from TruTV. It's unclear if he will be appearing on the show Impractical Jokers or will appear in some other project that features the cast members of the show.
It was added in the report that no one has even overheard Tony Khan talking about MJF or his feelings about him. Anyone asked about Friedman in the pro wrestling community emphasizes that they haven't spoken to him since he walked out of AEW this past May.
We noted how the Wrestling Observer Newsletter previously said AEW is willing to forego short-term financial gains to achieve a long-term payoff with the storyline. AEW wants "people to think he's gone," which would explain why the announcers no longer mention him. Furthermore, AEW asking Warner Bros. Discovery to pull MJF from promotional spots and commercials for AEW programming, unfollowing MJF on Twitter, and removing his profile page from their website are all strategic moves designed to make people believe he is done with the company.
Stay tuned for more updates.