MJF Speaks Out On Using Criticism To Fuel His Success

AEW

MJF has spoken out on how he has used goalpost-moving critique as fuel in his time as AEW World Heavyweight Champion.

Appearing on Busted Open Radio, MJF was seated for a ‘Town Hall’ style interview in which he got candid about his career.

Describing how the goal posts have been continually moved throughout his time in AEW, first with the critique that he was unlikely to be able to main event before he won the AEW World title.

Then once he achieved that goal, there continued to be feedback that MJF used as fuel, saying:

“‘Sure, MJF might have beaten Jon Moxley for the world title. But he can’t wrestle for an hour against Bryan Danielson.’ I’ll never forget… of all the takes, that was the one that made me the most mad. There’s a weird thing that has occurred in professional wrestling where 99% of the time, if somebody’s really good at this, they’re just okay in the ring. Because people rest on their laurels. They realize they can make just enough money and be just enough over by just being good on the microphone, so why put just as much time and effort into this as they do inside the squared circle?

“I don’t rest on my laurels. I’m a sicko. It’s not how I operate. I wasn’t raised that way. I was raised to be able to look people in the eye and say, ‘I’m better than you, and you know it,’ and mean it. So when I read that, I thought, ‘This is my favorite goalpost moment. Because not only am I going to prove I can go an hour with Bryan Danielson. Not only am I going to have the best Iron Man match in the history of the sport. I am going to make everyone go, ‘Can Bryan Danielson hang with MJF?’ Guess what the answer was? Nope. I won.”

MJF went on to describe how as he continued to hit career milestones, it seems the goal posts continued to move for him and why he thinks the discourse remains electric around him.

MJF feels that people have continued to discuss him as there has never been a previous example like him when it comes to watching a rise of this nature, saying:

“Because people aren’t used to watching history unfold in front of their very own eyes. It’s scary. I’m scary. I scare people. I’m not supposed to be able to be this good at 27. It’s weird. It’s never happened before in the history of the sport. Now there have been guys that have gotten huge opportunities at my age. But everybody knew that they had holes in their game. I’m not going to name names. You can think of these people, where they got a lot of TV time and you went, ‘Oh, this guy is next up, but he needs to work on this, or he needs to work on that.’ I don’t need to work on jack shit, bro.

“I’m MJF. I’m the best in the world right now by, in my opinion, a wide margin. I think that’s why. I think it’s so slowed down a tremendous amount. I think people finally have taken a step back and been like, ‘Alright, he talks a lot of shit, he cuts some corners, he’s kind of a scumbag, but he’s my scumbag.’ I think now, fans are excited to be along for the ride, as opposed to be contrarians, as opposed to going, ‘Everyone’s talking about how great this guy is, I’m sick of it. I don’t want to hear it anymore.’ Now, it’s ‘Alright, he’s pretty f**king good.”

MJF will work two matches in front of the historic scrowd of over 80k people expected at London’s Wembley Stadium.

First up on the pre-show Zero Hour, MJF teams with Adam Cole to take on ROH Tag Team Champions, Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis) for their title.

Then later in the main card’s main event match, MJF will defend his beloved AEW World Championship title against Adam Cole to culminate the historic event.

To keep up with all the latest details regarding the card for AEW All In at London Wembley Stadium, you can click this link. 

Transcriptions via Fightful

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• adam cole
• All In
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