MJF won't be allowed to break a major rule in WWE like he does AEW, says legend (Exclusive)
AEW World Champion MJF has been teasing a potential move to WWE for quite some time now, and with 2024 fast approaching, both promotions might be gearing up for a monumental bidding war. However, if Maxwell Jacob Friedman were to make the move, he may be required to tweak a few aspects of his on-screen character.
Speaking on Sportskeeda Wrestling's The Wrestling Time Machine hosted by Mac Davis, veteran wrestling journalist Bill Apter noted a specific thing that MJF does in AEW that would not fly in WWE:
“In a lot of his promos, he uses cuss words. He really does. And once he’s in WWE, it’s not gonna have that cool impact that he would have AEW ‘cause he’s allowed to do that there.” [3:43 onwards]
MJF's most infamous use of strong language on AEW programming involved him calling his boss, Tony Khan, a "f**king mark", while begging to be fired. It will be interesting to see how Friedman will adjust to WWE's more PG outlook, should he join the promotion next year.
Teddy Long does not see this being a problem for MJF in WWE
This point raised by Bill Apter, while entirely valid, was quickly countered by the legendary Teddy Long, who noted that MJF is smart enough to adapt as required:
“Well, I think that once he makes that move, and he goes to WWE, it’s a whole different story there. You know, you’re in a whole different era. And I think once they sit down and talk to him, and explain to him, you know, ‘This kind of language we can’t use because, you know, this is not real. This is entertainment.’ And if he’s laid out the laws of the land… He already knows that. He probably does that in AEW because he can get away with it. But if he can’t get away with it, I don’t see him not wanting to abide by the rules and get a big, nice paycheck. MJF is a smart guy, man.” [04:00 onwards]
While this hypothetical situation lies in a somewhat distant future, MJF will first need to worry about keeping hold of his Ring of Honor World Tag Team Championship later this evening.
He will take on Vincent and Dutch, of The Righteous, in a handicap match on tonight's WrestleDream pay-per-view, with his partner, Adam Cole, ruled out due to injury.
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