MJF claims there is no tribalism between wrestlers in different companies.
Since AEW was founded in 2019, there has been a noticeable increase in tribalism among wrestling fans who fight it out online over their favourite promotion. While wrestlers can sometimes play into that on TV, MJF doesn’t think it’s something many would do in real life.
During an interview with Rolling Stone Australia, MJF was asked about the issue and whether wrestlers feel the same tribalism as some fans. The current AEW Champion explained that becoming a top name in the industry means being a fan of all wrestling and studying it to the extent that tribalism just wouldn’t fit in.
“I think in order to be a top name in our industry at a high level for a long period of time – not a short period of time, ’cause there are plenty of people that pull this off in a short period of time – you have to be a fan. You have to be a student of the game. You have to love this shit. You have to be passionate about it to an OCD level.
“The amount of tape study I’ve done in my life is unhinged. If people knew how much professional wrestling I’ve consumed in the 29 years I’ve been on this planet, they would probably vomit. It’s insane, but that’s how you become the best of the best. That’s how I become MJF. That’s how I become a household name when I’ve never been in the “big promotion” right?
“As far as Adam Copeland, Jon Moxley, CM Punk, Cody Rhodes. these guys aren’t turning around and saying ‘F that other company.’ They’re not in real life. I’m sorry. They’re just looking for a place to hang their hat.”
“Everybody Looks At Professional Wrestling Different.” – MJF
MJF went on to acknowledge that some wrestlers become passionate about the company they work for, but that doesn’t translate to bad blood between stars in different companies.
“And then you have certain guys who feel very passionate about the company they’re in, and they would never want to leave, you know? Everybody’s different. Everybody looks at professional wrestling different.
“Some people look at it as, ‘I love professional wrestling, but I love money more, so I’m gonna go to this place.’ Some people care more about the creative side of things and feeling free as both an entertainer, an artist, and as a professional athlete.
“What I will say is there’s no bad blood between the boys in the companies. It just doesn’t exist.”
MJF recently showed that he has no problems with wrestlers working elsewhere when he offered an AEW World Championship match to Nic Nemeth. The Salt of the Earth was a guest on Busted Open Radio, which Nemeth co-hosts, when he proposed they have the match whenever the former TNA World Champion “finds his balls.”
