MJF Addresses Rumor of AEW Struggling To Get Another TV Deal, Thinks TKO & WWE Are Trying To Make AEW Look Bad

During a recent interview with Shakiel Mahjouri for SHAK Wrestling, AEW star and former World Champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF) spoke about the importance of AEW in light of the recent WWE releases and talents like New Day leaving the company after refusing to accept a pay cut. MJF also addressed the recent rumor of WWE higher-ups believing that AEW won’t be able to get another viable TV deal.

MJF blamed the recent rumor on WWE and TKO executives, such as WWE President Nick Khan, attempting to make AEW look bad. Below are some highlights:

MJF on the Importance of AEW To Have a Wrestling Alternative to WWE

“It’s so important for there to be an alternative, and this is one of the reasons why wrestling fans should be rooting for us, and they are. I mean, we’re white hot right now. A lot of people with love and respect are pretty disenfranchised with WWE and TKO. Um, I think one of the reasons why we’re white hot is because people are like, You know what? You know, we had a black eye at AEW for a little bit because some BS went down. We don’t need to get into it. We know what the BS is, right? It was a lot since then because of what happened. It’s AEW bad, AEW bad. 2026 is the first time genuinely where I’m seeing AEW good across the board. And if there’s anyone left saying AEW bad, it’s because you’re focused on what’s transpired in the past. That has not transpired in so long. We have the most talented roster. We have the best wrestling show. When it comes to pay-per-views, nobody does it like us. It’s not even ****ing close. Okay? We’re white hot right now. Not just because people are disenfranchised with WWE, but because we’re putting on incredible professional wrestling shows.

“I hate to give credit where credit’s due to anybody other than myself, but if you go to AEW.com and click on that roster link, I mean, it’s an embarrassment of riches, dude. It’s like actually like groan-inducing how much talent that we have. It’s like, how does this even happen? And, you know, that’s not to **** on other locker rooms. There are other locker rooms. I just feel that we are genuinely — I think the trademark’s real. Where the best wrestle. So now when I see a post that is just a random AEW bad, it’s flooded with people being like, ‘Do you even watch the show?’ And to be honest, Shak, 99% of the time they ****ing don’t. So, which is why I think the show is so white hot right now and why AEW is so white hot right now, why Warner Brothers Discovery is so happy with us.”

On the Rumor of AEW Struggling To Get a New TV Deal

“I do laugh. I think I saw, and again it’s a business, right? So it’s dog-eat-dog. So TKO, WWE, what have you. Their job is to make themselves look great and to make us look bad. So there’s a leak. ‘Oh, AEW is struggling to get a TV deal.’ That’s ****ing news to me, bro. Like that’s news to me. That’s news to everybody in the roster. It’s damn sure news to Tony Khan because last time I checked, they’re ****ing over the moon with us right now. You know, we do better numbers than ****ing almost everything that’s going on on a weekly basis on cable because right now, as I was saying, the things that draw on cable are news and live sport.”

On the Rumor Being a Trick by Nick Khan

“I’ve said it once, I’ll say it a million times, Shak, I love Jolly Old Saint Nick, and I love the tricks he’s pulling out. I ****ing get it. It’s smart, but it doesn’t mean that we can’t use our brains, right? It doesn’t mean that we can’t go, ‘Oh, this is being leaked intentionally to hurt the company that is the alternative.’ It’d be like if Coke out of the blue was like, ‘Hey, I don’t know if you guys knew about this, but Pepsi has ass water in it.’ Everybody would be like, ‘Well, I mean, where is that source coming from? It’s coming from Coke.’ Okay, I’m not really gonna I’m not gonna give much thought to this, right?”

MJF has a shot at regaining the AEW World Title later this weekend at AEW Double or Nothing 2026. He will put his hair on the line against Darby’s World Title.

AEW Double or Nothing takes place on Sunday, May 24, at the Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York. It will be broadcast live on pay-per-view. 411mania will have live play-by-play coverage of the event as well.

If using any of the above quotes, please credit SHAK Wrestling, with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.