MJF Explains Why AEW Feels Hot And An Alternative To WWE, ‘I Don’t Feel Like I’m Watching Someone Play A Character’

MJF weighs in on the AEW vs. WWE debate.

AEW has been branded as the alternative to WWE with the tagline, “Where the best wrestle,” promoting the in-ring ability of everyone on the roster.

Appearing on The Ariel Helwani Show, MJF gave detailed thoughts on why AEW feels hot at the moment and is branded as the alternative to WWE.

“We have an embarrassment of riches in the AEW locker room. It’s exhausting how many incredible pro wrestlers we have. We have, bar none, the best wrestling on television. It’s not even close. Sorry. WWE has incredible wreslters, they’re putting on great matches. TNA has great wrestlers and are putting on great matches. NXT has great wrestlers putting on great matches. I can look at this camera and say, point blank, I feel we put on the best matches. It’s not just a tagline, ‘Where the best wrestle,’ it’s a fact. It’s gotten to the point where, because of the black eyes that were created in the past, it was ‘AEW bad’ for a while just because. There was a reason to say ‘AEW bad’ because some bullshit was happening. In 2026, there is nothing to say. We’re putting on great show after great show. We’re up in houses year over year in most territories. PPV buyrates are up. I’m about to be in the main event of the second biggest grossing domestic PPV in the history of our company. Now, when you go to social media, if there is a post that says ‘AEW bad,’ it used to be like, ‘You’re right. Screw AEW. I’m just going to stick with TNA, MLW, WWE.’ Now, it’s like, ‘You’re not watching the show.’ Just say you’re not watching the show because you’re not watching the show. ‘What’s happening?’ ‘Bullshit.’ You’re not watching. That’s fine,” he stated.

He continued, “I’m not going to sit here and pretend our show is for everybody. No product is for everybody, but we are white hot right now because we’re having incredible matches, incredible rivalries, incredible PPVs, and I genuinely feel we have the best wrestling show weekly. Right now, wrestling fans are a little disenfranchised with WWE and TKO. There are plenty of people on that roster and office that I’m big fans of, but it’s allowing people, if they haven’t taken that leap yet, ‘I’m drinking Diet Coke, let me try Pepsi. Hmmm. Not bad.'”

MJF also pointed to AEW’s ability to take talent under 30 like himself, Kevin Knight, Kyle Fletcher and others and mix them with legends like Adam Copeland, Christian Cage, and Sting.

“We are showcasing young and hungry talent now, and they feel like top guys now, not projects. That’s kind of what makes us the alternative as well. Don’t get me wrong, we also have incredible guys that have created the fabric of pro wrestling fandom as we know it. We’ve done an incredible job of blending to two. We feel really special and distinct,” he said.

MJF closed by stating, “The biggest reason why, more than anything else, is because when I’m watching All Elite Wrestling, I don’t feel like I’m watching somebody play a character.”

Maxwell Jacob Friedman will challenge Darby Allin for the AEW World Title in the main event of AEW Double or Nothing.

Fans can check out the lineup for the show by clicking here.

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