"People love to hate him" - WWE Hall of Famer claims major AEW star bears similar attributes to Ric Flair
Ric Flair is one of the most famous heels in wrestling history. AEW star Maxwell Jacob Friedman could be walking in the 16-time world champion's footsteps, according to Diamond Dallas Page.
Maxwell Jacob Friedman is widely considered one of the four pillars of AEW. He signed with the promotion back in 2019. His rise to fame came after he won the Dynamite Diamond Ring Battle Royal. Following that, his first major feud was against Cody Rhodes. The Salt of the Earth is the current AEW World Champion after beating Jon Moxley at Revolution 2022.
During a recent interview with Wrestling Inc., Diamond Dallas Page shared his honest thoughts on MJF. DDP mentioned that the current AEW World Champion is not interested in being a babyface and is enjoying his heel run. The legend also believes that he is the current generation's Ric Flair.
"Like Ric Flair, people love to hate him. I mean, because nobody did it better than Flair. But I'll tell you what, this kid can cut a promo as good as anyone ever. And what I tried to do with him was explain to him the dos and don'ts, because I took him under my wing to a certain degree, because I loved being around him, thought he was a great kid, and I knew he had a lot of potential," DDP said. [H/T Wrestling Inc]
#AndSTILL! #AEW World Champion @The_MJF walks away with both the title and the Dynamite Diamond Ring, after an incredibly physical battle against @starkmanjones!
Watch #AEWDynamite: #WinterIsComing LIVE on TBS! https://t.co/v7ib6bXqhy
DDP compares MJF to former AEW World Champion Chris Jericho
During the same interview, the WWE Hall of Famer talked about Friedman's promo skills and felt that if it was back in the day, he may not have lived to tell the tale.
DDP mentioned that in the modern era, the only person that is as good as MJF was former AEW and ROH World Champion Chris Jericho.
"This kid [MJF] has it at a different level. I've never really known anyone who understood a promo or a character like he did. If it was the '70s, someone would've shot him already. He would've been stabbed multiple times. He's at the perfect time, because besides Jericho, you don't really see any guys who are so over be able to want to take the heat." [H/T Wrestling Inc].
Following his successful title defense on last night's episode of Dynamite: Winter is Coming, Friedman was chased out of the building by Bryan Danielson. It remains to be seen whether a feud between MJF and The American Dragon is in the works.
What are your thoughts on MJF's promo skills? Share them in the comments section below.