All Maxwell Jacob Friedman wants is to rule the world
MJF puts his AEW World Championship on the line Sunday against "Hangman" Adam Page at AEW Revolution. (Lee South, AEW)Any undergraduate student with a creative arts requirement can tell you The Ides of March is a thing to fear a moment, a time that symbolizes a dramatic shift in society. This Sunday, that shift is twofold: Its the date of AEW's Revolution event, and its the 30th birthday of its world champion, Maxwell Jacob Friedman. Hes been loved, hes been loathed, and hes left absolutely nothing to chance, doing his damndest to establish himself as one of the best professional wrestlers alive. But with his second world title reign, hes also out to make something very clear: MJF wants his name mentioned with the greatest world champions of all time, and hes dedicated to proving why each and every time out.First title reigns are properly romanticized, especially for young champions. There was the undeniable size and athletic prowess of The Giant in WCW, the otherworldly charisma of The Rock in WWE, the tenacity and concentrated violence of Samoa Joe in Ring of Honor. But very rarely is a talents second title reign considered groundbreaking or even particularly noteworthy, because, plainly, he or she has already done the thing fans were likely clamoring for. Outside of a reign that exceeds its previous one in length, theres rarely new attention given to something thats already been done.MJF won his first AEW World Championship in November 2022, defeating Jon Moxley at that years Full Gear event. He wound up holding the title for 406 days, an AEW record that still stands to this day. But MJF, an admitted braggart and boaster, is critical of his initial run, where keeping the title became more important than making it something to aspire to. I achieved being the longest reigning AEW World Champion, [the] youngest [champion] of all time, and also the most successful defenses of all time," he told Uncrowned ahead of his AEW Revolution title match against "Hangman" Adam Page. "But when you think of 10 title defenses in the span of 406 days, is that really all that impressive? I had no problem with running away from competition if that meant I was holding the belt for a longer period of time.Theres an intentionality with this second title run, which began at December's Worlds End pay-per-view when MJF inserted himself into a four-way match between challengers Swerve Strickland, Adam Page and then-champion Samoa Joe. Friedman ultimately pinned Joe for the title and has made it a point since to be a more active champion. Hes already defended his title twice on AEW television, defeating Brody King at February's Grand Slam Australia event and besting Kevin Knight on the March 4 edition of AEW Dynamite. But Friedman has also put an emphasis on the World aspect of World Champion, choosing to defend the title across other promotions. Weeks after Worlds End, he traveled to Limitless Wrestling and wagered his belt against Alec Price, and the following month he tested his mettle again against Zilla Fatu at House of Glorys No Turning Back show. In less than three months, hell have defended the AEW World Championship half as many times as he did over the year and change of his first reign.Ever a student of the game, MJF has come to understand that greatness cant simply be about the numbers on a graphic. To be one of the greats, you have to do what the greats before you did.The likes of Buddy Rogers and Harley Race Jack Brisco, Dory Funk, these gentlemen would travel around, not just their local territory, but around all of the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Japan, Australia, and they would wrestle whoever was deemed the best of the best in that local territory or area," he says. "Another thing is we have lost the history and the tradition of our sport, because for a very long time, professional wrestling was a monopoly. It was WWE, and that's it. The idea of seeing I'm just going to use an example John Cena at your local independent company was sacrilegious to a Vince McMahon. But to a Tony Khan, who both understands and respects the idea of a traveling champion, it's not ridiculous.MJF has been busy since recapturing his AEW World Championship in December. (Lee South, AEW)Like those champions who preceded him, MJF wants to reestablish the urgency of a world championship match. Hes champion in a world with some of the most gifted wrestlers ever, both in creativity and endurance. But hes not looking for match ratings hes looking for decisive victories to establish his dominance. Another thing that I'm trying to normalize is substance over style," he says. "It is not my job to go out there and put on a five-star match. It is my job to go out there and try to win. The things I'm going to do when you watch my matches are going to make far more sense, and it's going to have far more substance than anybody else in professional wrestling. I'm not trying to impress you. I'm trying to win. If there's a body part that I see has an issue, I'm going to attack it like an animal."We saw this exact scenario play out in his title defense against Knight, where a kitchen sink knee early in the match took Knights UFO top-rope splash out of the equation. "I am not trying to go out there to thrill you," MJF continues. "Now, does that happen even though I'm not trying to? Yes, 10 out of 10 times. I'm the greatest professional wrestler in the world today. But again, I am not a circus monkey like everybody else in this industry. I'm a traditionalist. I wrestle the same way as [the former world champions] that I mentioned earlier.The traveling aspect of it all seems to motivate Friedman in the rarest of ways. He wants to be everywhere, he wants to do everything, and when those opportunities present themselves, he jumps at them. A classically trained actor, he earned his way into some great opportunities but has found balance between his obligations. Friedman spent a significant part of 2024 filming "Happy Gilmore 2," Netflixs most-streamed movie opening ever, where he played the titular characters oldest son, the flanneled, sleeveless Gordie Gilmore. He won the CMLL Light Heavyweight Championship in August 2025, spent the fall of 2025 filming "Violent Night 2" the sequel to 2022s surprise black-comedy hit then immediately jumped back into AEWs world title picture. Again, he wants to be everywhere, he wants to do everything and he wants to show everyone they cant do any of it as well as he can.Getting on a private jet, flying to Mexico, wrestling [against Mistico] in one of the greatest matches of all time, assuredly the greatest match that's ever happened in that arena then flying from Mexico all the way to Toronto, Canada, to wrestle against Mark Briscoe in another all-time classic in a Tables 'N' Tacks match in under 24 hours, literally wrestled twice in one day," he says. "Unlike Hulk Hogan, I actually did that."A lot of people would look at that schedule and s*** their pants. But that's just not how I operate. I enjoy, and I would go as far to say I almost have a sexual thrill when you put a challenge in front of me. Because the challenge only develops the chip on my shoulder to be bigger, and the chip that's on my shoulder has made the man that I am today. The chip grows every time I am judged. The chip grows every time my talents are questioned. The chip will continue to grow, but it's never going to break me. It only makes me stronger.One of the metrics that can define not only a title reign, but a career, is how you stack up against those whove traveled the same path and experienced the same levels of success. In MJFs estimation, hes champion at a time in AEW when there has never been a stronger list of challengers available. This is the most competitive the top of the card has ever been in the history of our seven-year-old promotion," he says."You have me, 'Hangman,' Swerve [Strickland], Jon Moxley, Kenny Omega, Samoa Joe, Andrade El Idolo. Now you've got Brody King, who just popped up there and he fits like a glove, whether I want to admit it or not. You've got your Kyle Fletchers of the world, who are chomping at the bit, and your [Konosuke] Takeshitas, who are chomping at the bit. I mean, the list goes on and on and that's the scary part.MJF (left) and "Hangman" Page have long been two of AEW's biggest homegrown stars. (Lee South, AEW)From that same crop of talent, Hangman Page was Uncrowned's 2025 Male Wrestler of the Year, with his victory over Jon Moxley for the World Title at All In: Texas being the bruising, bloody highlight of his campaign. While Page has shied away from the mantle of being AEWs main character, MJF has no issue accepting that wherever you rank or position his opponent Sunday, the two of them are representative of the passion it takes to stand out from your peers. I get frustrated because I hate admitting that we're similar in any way, shape, or form," MJF says. "[But] we are both the two most driven men in All Elite Wrestling by a wide margin."Now, that is not to take away from the talents of other men who I mentioned earlier. But as far as two individuals who are willing to do literally whatever it takes to be the best, he's the only person that I feel is in my category. But the only reason he won that award last year, and I didn't, is because I was busy filming the most streamed comedy of all time. Next question.This weekend the "Hangman" is once more looking to test MJFs mettle, this time in Page's signature Texas Deathmatch an anything-goes, everything-is-inbounds contest where the winner is the man who can survive the others worst ideas come to life. But one thing MJF carries with him is that while it may be Page's signature match, Revolution is the champ's event. When you think of Revolution, you think of the Dog Collar match. You think of the Ironman match," he says. "I think after this match, you will think of this specific Texas Deathmatch, because everyone is going into it thinking this is Hangman's match. People think I'm scared. I'm not scared."Would I have much preferred for this to have been a normal professional wrestling match because this is supposed to be a professional wrestling company? Yes, of course. But what people seem to forget about me constantly ... if you put me in a situation where my back is against the wall, I will do literally anything under the sun that is possible for me to come out with a victory. Anything."There is nothing off the table for me. Morality is only for the foolish. Not if you want to go down as the greatest of all time. I think the statement that's going to be made [Sunday] is this: MJF is going to rule the world of professional wrestling for the next 20 to 30 years.
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