Maxwell Jacob Friedman has been endorsed by dozens of wrestling legends during his AEW career. After signing with AEW in 2019, MJF was placed in a fairly prominent position on the card, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Cody Rhodes and Chris Jericho. He would pick up victories over both aforementioned names while also feuding with top stars like CM Punk and Jon Moxley before capturing the AEW World Championship. His entire run thus far has caught the attention of historic names like The Undertaker and John Cena, as names like that have made the effort to sing MJF’s praises on various occasions.
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Ric Flair Wants MJF to Stay in AEW
Earlier this year, new AEW signing and WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair told ComicBook.com that MJF was one of the names he was hoping to share a segment with during his AEW run. In the time since, Flair has had the chance to actually meet Friedman.
“We exchanged pleasantries in the lobby of a hotel,” Flair recalled to The Wrestling Classic. “He doesn’t need a pat on the back and that’s what makes him a little bit different. He’s good. He’s damn good. he’s confident. He’s young.”
That brief exchange also included Flair suggesting that MJF, who is supposedly set to become a free agent on January 1st, 2024, does not switch employers.
“I tried to mainly reinforce to him that I hope he stays at AEW,” Flair continued.
It has not always been smooth sailing for MJF at AEW. In the first half of 2022, MJF made his frustrations with the company crystal clear, regularly referencing a looming “bidding war of 2024” that would come once his initial five-year contract expired. These frustrations reached a fever pitch in June 2022 when MJF cut a scathing promo on AEW President Tony Khan that blurred the lines between fiction and reality, blasting his boss for not paying him a salary that accurately reflected the money he was bringing into the company.
MJF’s confidence in what he brings to the table reminds Flair of another top star that found massive success in the business at a young age.
“I think he has the confidence in real life that he portrays on TV and I think the future is unlimited for him. He’s really good. He could be the next Randy Orton,” Flair said. “That’s about as high of praise as I can give him.”
