AEW’s MJF Talks Married Life, Tony Khan’s Leadership & Losing His Hair

There is more than a title on the line when Maxwell Jacob Friedman faces All Elite Wrestling’s World Champion Darby Allin at the aptly named Double or Nothing pay-per-view. The braggadocious challenger must regain the beloved “Triple B” during the May 24 event or lose his hair. MJF doesn’t want to fall under such a high stakes stipulation, especially before a relatively hometown crowd inside Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York. 

This marquee rematch comes after Allin shocked the world by dethroning MJF during the Spring BreakThru episode of Dynamite on April 15. Given their respective track records, the battle between two of the company’s franchise players is sure to deliver. 

Regardless of the result, MJF’s star inside and outside AEW continues to shine. Just last year he played one of Adam Sandler’s kids in Happy Gilmore 2 with more acting projects on the horizon including Violent Night 2. The 30-year-old also wed broadcaster Alicia Atout in September. 

Here the outspoken personality talks married life, AEW’s future, and cementing his legacy. 

You’re putting your hair on the line at Double or Nothing. What does your hair mean to you? 

MJF: Look, my hair means everything to me. I have broken just about every record in the history of my company. A part of the reason I’m able to sell so many tickets and get so many eyeballs on the product is because of the way I look. MJF should not have even one stray hair come off his head because MJF is the golden goose of All Elite Wrestling. If my head gets shaved bald, AEW’s stock goes down dramatically. This isn’t  just about me or as Darby would say my vanity. This is about professionalism, my career, my livelihood. I’m not going to walk around bald. I can’t think of a worse fate. It’s not going to happen. I don’t even like talking about it quite frankly. I resent people that claim my hair isn’t real. That’s absurd. My hair is very real. Just as real as my Dynamite Diamond ring, my mansion, and as real as my very hot flexible wife. 

Speaking of which, how is married life going? 

The dynamic is great. I can sleep with her whenever I want. We live in a gigantic house with a massive pool. We have a beautiful dog and beautiful cat. We are incredibly rich and incredibly famous. It’s kind of the perfect life, and I’m just saying kind of to be humble. 

When was the moment you knew she was the one? 

I knew she was the one when I took her out on the first date, and I kept getting noticed left and right. Obviously, I told everyone to kick rocks, and she didn’t seem deterred. She has been in the industry for honestly longer than me. She has been interviewing people since she was 13. She is not a stranger to this business, but at the same time she manages to be in this business and not want to be a professional wrestler. As you know, female professional wrestlers are bar none the most insane women to ever live. I’ve dated my fair share of them, and it wasn’t for me. 

 

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How is it for her to be in the same company and see her get an opportunity to work on this bigger platform in recent years? 

She worked so hard to get out of that cesspool known as Canada. I’m very proud of her. I’ve gotten to see her to introduce the biggest names in the sport on Dynamite and Collision. She is the “Interview Queen” for a reason. She is very good at her job. 

Compared to when you started, what do you make of today’s locker room? 

It’s easily the best the locker room has ever been, the most talented it has ever been, the most tightknit the locker room has ever been. It’s a team atmosphere. Not a team I care to be a part of, but I’m a lone wolf baby. The lone wolf of wrestling. 

How is it for you to work with emerging talent and help elevate them. You’ve had some standout outings with the likes of  Kevin Knight and “Speedball” Mike Bailey that come to mind. . 

Listen, that’s all I do. I elevate everybody. That’s why this is AEW’s second biggest selling pay-per-view in the U.S. of all-time. The fact of the matter is people are just standing across the ring from me, and I don’t think there is any bigger rub in this sport frankly. Guys like Kevin Knight, “Speedball” Mike Bailey, Bandido, Brody King, Darby Allin too. They should be so happy they get to live in the MJF era. What I will say, and I’ll give credit where credit is due, there has not been a single person I’ve stepped into the ring this year, and I’ve stepped foot in the ring with a lot of people, that I feel didn’t belong in a company that uses the words “where the best wrestle.” That’s really saying something because I’ve wrestled the best of the best, and I am the best of the best. Even though I don’t like any of these guys, I’m willing to put my stamp of approval on everyone I’ve stepped in the ring with in 2026. 

Do you think an increased interest may be from some fans becoming disenchanted with the other side in terms of high ticket prices and the treatment of talent in terms of recent cuts? 

I think it’s a combination of things. With love and respect, I’ve got no issue with WWE or TKO. I’m sure people are going to say, “Oh, an AEW wrestler talking about WWE.” It’s an interview you schmucks. I’m asked about it, so I’m going to answer the question. Yeah, a lot of people who work there aren’t particularly happy. People are taking pay cuts. The show right now, to each their own, but to a lot of people right now pretty disenchanted with the product. I think they have an insane amount of talent there. They have a proven track record of doing incredible business, but I think people are so ready for an alternative. I can’t think of a better alternative than All Elite Wrestling, probably in the history of any sport. Dude, the thing is this we had a black eye on us because there was so much bulls*t that went down. I don’t need to get into it, but the year 2026 every Dynamite has been incredible, Collision has been incredible, pay-per-view. 

You have the hottest professional wrestler on top…me. I’ll give Darby Allin his credit, even though I hate his stupid face. He is putting on easily the best matches, but also doing it twice a week on all our major flagship shows. He is putting on better matches than any other place you watch professional wrestling. So do other guys on the roster. Now am I a match guy personally? Not necessarily. I’m a win guy. I’m a money guy. I’m a sell tickets guy. I’m going to get people to buy a pay-per-view guy, but I’m not going to sit here and pretend that we don’t have superior wrestling. Whether that’s weekly shows or pay-per-views, which nobody can touch. Nobody has touched or will ever touch on these. And do you know who is in the main event of most of the pay-per-views?…This is not a rhetorical question? 

MJF

You’re damn right. That’s the end of my statement. 

One of the things about the pay-per-views is they are jam-packed with matches and go on for a long time. When you get to the main event, I’m sure it’s a bigger challenge to get people to stay invested. 

The crowd gets tired. I hate that. 

Do you think AEW should move in the direction of less is more or stick to the formula? 

It depends on the night because fans, even by the end of the night, have been rocking and rolling and louder than they have been the whole night even though they are tired. We’re making sure you live belly full as opposed to starving. 

You’ve gotten to know Tony Khan over the years. He has taken his share of hits. What do you make of his approach of turning the other cheek with all the talk about the status of the company, TV deals, where AEW stands with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD)?  

What I’m about to say will induce vomit out of my mouth. This is going to sound weird because he is older than me, but I’m so proud of Tony Khan. I think all the years of experience and everything he has gone though, he has become an absolute leader. The fact he swallows all this absolute bullsh*t and doesn’t throw it in anyone’s face. He just flushes it down the toilet. He is constantly being the bigger man. People are constantly spouting out bullsh*. Those are ones trying to try to make up for a sh*tty product or treating wrestlers sh*tty. Like, “Let’s see if we can leak out that they are in trouble.” Alright bro, let’s see what happens when this [TV] contract goes up. I’ve got a good f*ck’in feeling about it. You know why I got a good feeling about it? Because I’m on the roster, Jon Moxley is on the roster, “Hangman” Adam Page is on the roster, Swerve Strickland is on the roster. Samoa Joe, Chris Jericho, I can go on and on. It’s an embarrassment of riches.

Also, when you look at cable, the only thing that draws is news and live sports. We’re sitting pretty, man. It’s such a joke I have to read bullsh*t. You know what’s so cool about Tony Khan? The man is a billionaire. He doesn’t have to do this sh*t. He can just be sitting pretty doing soccer, the NFL, but this guy loves professional wrestling. What the f*ck can you hate about him? Do you hate the fact he can start a company and you can’t? Okay. We’re the listening company. He is trying to give everybody what they want. Is that going happen 10 times out of 10? No, but the man is trying. Me and him have had our differences, but if you don’t see all he is doing look in the g*ddamn mirror. He is giving you an alternative. He is making sure you don’t have to eat food you don’t want to eat. You have options.

Last year you were in Happy Gilmore 2 and the upcoming Violent Night 2. How is it building your acting resume while wrestling? 

The bigger name I make outside the wrestling bubble, the more eyes on the product. We’ve seen that to be true. Happy Gilmore 2 did not only wonders for me but for my promotion. Violent Night will do the same, and so will the next movie and next one after that. I need to, not want to, become the next breakout pro wrestling turned actor. I want to do that while being a pro wrestler because I love both equally. I love wrestling. I’m not using one thing or the other as a stepping stone. I want to build both at the same time and create an empire. All Elite Wrestling is sitting pretty, MJF is sitting pretty, and I get to build a legacy that stands the test of time. 

Anyone you got advice in that realm? I know you’ve had some interactions with John Cena. 

You said it. John Cena, every time I see him he makes time for me. He is the most incredible, down-to-earth, human being. Just a great person. It definitely kills me that I never got to wrestle him, but it’s an eras thing. One of my favorite wrestlers was Roddy Piper. I didn’t get to meet him before he passed. That’s just wrestling, man. 

What do you think it will take for AEW to make it to the next level? 

I think it’s literally happening right now. Year over year in most markets we’ve sold more tickets. This year we’ve done more pay-per-view buys. We’re hot right now, when I hear people ask how we can get bigger, the answer is time baby. WWE and TNA have both been around for  a long time. We’ve been around on television for six years bro. Think about what we have been able to create here in six years. Think of a six-year-old child. That’s us. So, give us time to grow. 

You responded on social media to a question regarding where AEW should run an event with Madison Square Garden. Is that the place you want to run most? 

That’s my Mecca. I know we’d sell it out easy. It would be a joke, especially if I’m in the main event. That’s a big goal of mine to wrestle in MSG. I’ve managed to accomplish the old checklist in this industry, but the scary thing is I’m doing a speed run. There is not much left. MSG is definitely on that list. 

You just turned 30 a few months ago. Are you looking to be wrestling for a long time or have an end game younger? 

Look, I love wrestling. I think I’m going to be involved in wrestling in some shape or form the entirety of my life. I love this sh*t. I love more than anything shutting people up, making them angry, saying I’m going to do something and then doing it, pissing people off more. I love making people angry. I’m really good at it. I live on spite. I’ve had a chip on my shoulder since day one, which is why people think at Double or Nothing that Darby Allin is winning and shaving me bald, you’re out to lunch. 

But by all means buy the pay-per-view thinking that is going to happen. I can tell you right now what is going to happen is I’m going to become a three-time world champion by 30. That’s history happening in front of you. Even though the bald thing isn’t happening, no matter the outcome of this match, you’re going to witness history in front of your face. Either one guy is shaving bald or that guy could have been shaved bald is becoming a three-time champion at 30. There is a select few in all this business that has been around since the 1800s has ever accomplished that. And I’m going to be doing that in front of a sold-out crowd.

AEW Dynamite, Wednesdays, 8/7c, TBS & HBO Max

AEW Collision, Fridays, 8/7c, TNT & HBO Max

AEW Double or Nothing, May 24, 8/7c, Pay-Per-View & HBO Max