AEW champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman, aka MJF Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

MJF has strong words about Hulk Hogan

By Adam Taylor | Last updated 11/18/23

As someone inside the wrestling industry, Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF) understands the difference between the characters we see each week and the people who play those characters. The AEW world champion knows that fans can find it hard to differentiate between on-screen personalities and what wrestlers are like in real life.

MJF made his feelings on the subject clear during a recent appearance on Dr. Beau Hightower’s latest YouTube video during a discussion about Hulk Hogan.

“He’s a liar and a racist," MJF said, via Fightful. "It doesn’t change the fact that he was a massive draw and the professional wrestling business will never be the same because of him, for the better, but there are plenty of professional wrestlers that did great business. It doesn’t mean they’re great people...For some reason, wrestling fans kind of struggle with that. They can’t separate the two."

Hogan is undoubtedly one of the most important figures in wrestling history. He transcended the sport and became a worldwide icon.

However, since retiring, he has tarnished his image. That was the point MJF was trying to make. You don't have to be a good person with a good moral compass to be exceptional in a wrestling ring or on a microphone.

As long as you have charisma, athleticism and can work a match, you have a chance of succeeding in the industry. MJF is proving himself to have all the required skills to become a world-class professional wrestler. He's currently one of the most popular wrestlers in the world and has established himself as a face of AEW — so much so that he will have two matches at Full Gear 2023.

MJF understands what Hogan had to endure to become a legitimate global icon. It's clear he respects the wrestler but not the man, and that's perfectly fine.

More must-reads: