AEW star MJF recently claimed that frustration with WWE and TKO Group Holdings is pushing more wrestling fans toward AEW. His comments came after recent reports about WWE talent being asked to restructure their contracts following WrestleMania 42.
MJF believes the situation is causing some fans to lose interest in WWE and become more open to trying AEW.
MJF says fans are disenfranchised with WWE and TKO
Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, MJF said wrestling fans currently feel frustrated with WWE and TKO’s direction.
“And I feel that right now, wrestling fans are a little bit disenfranchised with WWE and TKO. And again, there are plenty of people on that roster that I’m a big fan of. There are plenty of people in that office that I’m a big fan of. But it is allowing people to finally, if they’ve not taken that leap yet, to be like, ‘Okay, I’ve been drinking Diet Coke.”
“Let me try Pepsi.’ So now people are trying Pepsi and they’re going, ‘Hm, not bad.’ Right? And it’s a cool time. It’s a cool time to be an AEW fan. It’s a cool time to be MJF, it’s a cool time to be a professional wrestling fan because it feels like, once again, there’s another paradigm shift happening, to quote Jon Moxley. A paradigm shift happened in 2019, and now there’s a paradigm shift happening in 2026.”
MJF also added, “Well, now people are a little disenfranchised with seeing their favorite wrestlers be asked to take a 50% cut.” Or they’re a little disenfranchised with the show as a whole, and they’re going, ‘Maybe I should give this thing a look. Oh sh*t, they’re talking positively about AEW.’ What can we do here right now?”
“Again, I’m not coming for anyone. I’m not saying anything negative. I’m not even saying it’s a bad thing. It’s a smart business tactic, but it’s a business tactic nonetheless. And I do think it’s very disingenuous when people pretend it’s not.”
Read More: MJF Calls Aleister Black the Biggest Offender of Using AEW as a Stepping Stone to WWE
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