Tony Khan says AEW thrives when major star is "at his worst as a villain"

AEW President Tony Khan recently opened up about the importance of one of his most prominent stars, MJF, playing the role of a villain. Khan said that the Jacksonville-based promotion thrives when Maxwell, one of the most hated men in wrestling, is at his worst as a villain.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman has been a polarizing figure in AEW since his debut in 2019. He is a skilled wrestler, but his arrogant and vicious persona has made him one of the most despised characters in the company.

However, at All Out 2022, MJF received a surprisingly positive reaction from the crowd. This led some to question whether he should be turned into a fan favorite or a "babyface" character.

During an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Tony Khan explained that MJF is a talented young wrestler and an exceptional villain who can antagonize both wrestlers and the audience.

"I listen to the fans. When the reactions were so massive, I had to at least think about [making MJF a good guy], but MJF is the world's best young pro wrestler and one of the best pro wrestling heels of any age I've ever seen, and I think his ability to antagonize the other wrestlers and the crowd is unparalleled. AEW is at its strongest when MJF is at his worst as a villain," Khan said. [H/T - Fightful]

MJF returns to AEW at All Out #AllOut #AEWAllOut https://t.co/zJlay85iGC

AEW President Tony Khan discloses dealing with MJF backstage is difficult

All Elite President Tony Khan has named MJF as the most challenging star on his roster, both on and off-screen. Despite this, The Salt of the Earth is currently the reigning World Champion and is the face of the promotion.

In an interview with TODAY.com, Khan briefly discussed his experiences with MJF backstage, stating that he found it difficult in some ways off-camera.

“My own experiences dealing with him, I’ve found him to be more difficult in some ways off camera, if that’s even possible. [laughs]”

“Thats the way I found him (MJF), was on MLW. I was watching a ton of wrestling and other people liked him too,

Like once I started talking to Cody (Rhodes), he’s 1 of the names Cody brought up that he thought would be great (for AEW)”

- Tony Khan
(via Wrestling With Freddie) https://t.co/kH7AkiOM2s

Nonetheless, MJF's on-screen persona as a ruthless heel has won him a dedicated following, and his in-ring abilities have been praised by many.

Do you want to see MJF turn babyface? Sound off in the comments section below.