Maxwell Jacob Friedman has disappeared. The self-proclaimed generational talent spent just about the entirety of 2023 at the top of the AEW mountain, reigning as AEW World Champion throughout the calendar year. Come the fall, injuries began to pile up for MJF, leading the Long Island native to go into his hometown for AEW Worlds End at far less than 100 percent. This resulted in him losing the AEW World Championship to Samoa Joe, and he has not been seen on television since. His original AEW contract expired on January 1st of this year, and with no public confirmation on his wrestling future, MJF is technically a free agent right now.
As he did during his Summer 2022 sabbatical, MJF has gone dark on social media. Reports had circulated that he wrapped a film project in January and is currently recovering from his labrum and hip injuries, but there has been no word from the man himself.
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MJF Responds to The Rock
That is until the Brahma Bull roped himself into MJF’s world.
Taking to Twitter, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson shared praise for artwork created by Naomi Rosenblum. The painting in question is of The Rock’s parking lot attack on Cody Rhodes. The Rock wrote that his team “will be in touch” to purchase the painting from Rosenblum.
MJF, who was previously engaged to Rosenblum, responded to the interaction.
“First you steal my glorious idea to lash Cody.Now you try to cop art from my ex,” MJF wrote. “I’m a fan.But please Leave me be, Dewey.”
Rock led a lashing attack on Rhodes this past Monday on WWE Monday Night Raw, whipping him with a weight belt as the broadcast went off the air.
This drew parallels to a segment MJF had with Rhodes on AEW Dynamite back in February 2020, which stipulated that Rhodes would take ten lashes from MJF in order to receive a match against him.
There is no word on when MJF is expected to be back on television. While AEW has played up his free agency, removing him from its roster page and online shop, it is believed that MJF quietly re-signed with the company at some point in 2023. MJF reportedly met with AEW in Boston this past March following AEW Dynamite: Big Business. He is said to “still [be] working to recover from multiple injuries” that he suffered in the tail end of 2023.
