AEW's MJF demands compensation after NFL team posts viral meme on TikTok
While Kenny Omega and CM Punk can claim their fair share, MJF may have spawned more memes over the past five years than any other AEW talent. The former World Champion is now demanding payment after the NFL's Washington Commanders posted one of his most popular rants on TikTok.
Back in September 2021, Maxwell Jacob Friedman ran down the city of Cincinnati, OH, and the American Midwest in general before being confronted by hometown star Brian Pillman Jr. MJF's rant went viral on TikTok and helped further popularize the term 'mid.'
Last night, the Washington Commanders handed the Cincinnati Bengals a 38-33 loss, and the Commanders took to TikTok to gloat. The team posted an edited clip from Friedman's famous promo, which you can check out below:
This meme didn't go unnoticed by The Wolf of Wrestling. He took to Twitter/X shortly after to let the Commanders know that he expected compensation for the clip:
"Hey @Commanders. The check better be in the mail," Friedman wrote.
The original clip of Maxwell's 'mid' promo became so popular on social media that it caught on with non-wrestling fans, some of whom posted videos of themselves lip-synching the speech. It seems that even after three years, MJF's words remain relevant.
MJF claps back at fan regarding The Bidding War of 2024
Throughout his first few years in AEW, Maxwell Jacob Friedman frequently brought up The Bidding War of 2024, in which he expected All Elite Wrestling and WWE to bid for his services. Ultimately, Maxwell stuck with Tony Khan's promotion and allegedly signed a huge contract.
The former AEW World Champion never fully addressed the result of the "bidding war," leaving some fans to wonder whether it was simply a storyline all along. When one fan noted this week that the bidding wars had been for every major talent other than MJF, The Wolf of Wrestling struck back, claiming that it did indeed happen:
"It's almost like MJF quietly signed a multi million dollar contract and AEW won or something?!?!? Wild stuff. Also sorry original post got deleted. Think my finger slipped in between takes for the movie I’m shooting. B**w me," he wrote on X.
Friedman has been absent since his victory over Daniel Garcia at All Out 2024. The 28-year-old is allegedly involved in a new film project, which could be keeping his schedule tight. Whether he returns to set up an angle before WrestleDream next month remains to be seen.