MJF is the Salt of the Earth and he had one of the best feuds in AEW history back in 2021 and 2022, as his feud with CM Punk truly solidified the company in many ways. While Punk is no longer in AEW, MJF definitely learned a lot from Punk and he has now revealed how Punk was a mentor through hatred.
Due to CM Punk’s AEW tenure ending abruptly, the feud with MJF never reached proper conclusion. Despite this, MJF has acknowledged the influence Punk had on him in a big way.
While speaking in a recent interview on the Casual Conversations podcast, MJF was asked to describe various superstars. When it came to Cody Rhodes, he referred to him as a mentor through a positive, supportive relationship.
In contrast, when talking about CM Punk, MJF described him as a mentor through a more challenging, antagonistic dynamic, explaining that he learned from Punk through “hate” rather than affection.
“I think I would use the word mentor through hate. So I was mentored by probably two of the most intelligent guys in the business. One was through love and one was through hate.”
MJF previously shared his views on CM Punk’s return to WWE last year. Regardless, many fans will always feel disappointed in the fact that MJF and CM Punk never had a proper end to their feud and that will always remain one of wrestling’s biggest regrets for many.
What do you think of MJF’s stance on CM Punk as a mentor? Do you feel there might be a chance he and CM Punk will finish their feud one day? Sound off in the comments section below!