MJF Calls Out Talents Who Saw AEW As ‘A Parachute’ for Their Lapsed WWE Runs

MJF has been touted as one of the defining heels of the current generation of pro wrestlers and it is not hard to understand why. MJF is also the AEW World Champion but that doesn’t mean he isn’t above calling out people whom he feels have been complacent in the company.

MJF has been a driving force in AEW, showing off the qualities of a company figurehead. Fans see him as a potential locker room leader due to his influence and actions in the promotion.

This is also attributed to the fact that MJF has always been outspoken and put AEW above anyone else, as he is never afraid of calling out even his own peers in Tony Khan’s company.

MJF had a lot to say in The Player’s Tribune, where he decided to take aim at some talent in the company who have not been there since day one. MJF stated that Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley set the blueprint for established wrestlers joining AEW with an understanding from Day One.

He sees Bryan Danielson as a blueprint for those coming in later. However, not everyone has followed suit. Some established wrestlers viewed AEW as a parachute between forgettable WWE runs, lacking respect for AEW’s foundation and purpose. While he refrains from naming names, MJF notes that such attitudes become evident in their work, expressing his lack of respect for those individuals.

”The Originals — Jericho and Moxley, they’re the blueprint for established guys coming in and understanding AEW from Day One. Someone like Bryan, he’s a blueprint for coming in later and doing the same. But this won’t shock you: Not everyone has been like them. Other established dudes came in, thought of us as a parachute between forgettable WWE runs, and didn’t respect what this was built on — or who it was built by, or why it was built in the first place. And while it would be so fun to write a few names down right now, what’s even more fun is I really don’t have to. Because guys like that, their laziness comes out in the wash. It shows up in the f*cking work. Doesn’t mean they’re bad people!! I just don’t respect them.

They never understood what Mox or Jericho or Danielson understood, or what The Elite understood, which is that the core of AEW’s success came from two places: 1. Our fans, and 2. The Originals. And it gets easier and easier to overlook the work the Originals put in, the further we get away from it. But I f*cking remember. I remember how we just tried sh*t in Year One. I remember how we not only stayed afloat in the pandemic — we came together and flourished. I remember how influential so many of our ideas were, and how shamelessly they all got copied, because they were new and different and good. Bottom line: Growth is important…… but so is what made that growth possible. I’m proud of the Originals and proud to be one.”

MJF also dismissed critics who want AEW’s demise. MJF will remain a flagbearer for the company, even though he doesn’t consider himself a locker room leader. Regardless, only time will tell whether more ex-WWE talent will leave AEW in the end.

What’s your opinion on what MJF had to say? Do you feel he is right in this regard? Let us know in the comments section below!