Add as a preferred source on Google MJF has again discussed AEW’s current momentum, saying frustration among some fans with WWE and TKO may be creating an opening for Tony Khan’s company.
During a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, the former AEW World Champion said many fans had not yet given AEW’s product a real chance, but have started doing so after recent developments involving WWE.
“And I feel that right now, wrestling fans are a little bit disenfranchised with WWE and TKO. And again, there are plenty of people on that roster that I’m a big fan of. There are plenty of people in that office that I’m a big fan of. But it is allowing people to finally, if they’ve not taken that leap yet, to be like, ‘Okay, I’ve been drinking Diet Coke.”
“Let me try Pepsi.’ So now people are trying Pepsi and they’re going, ‘Hm, not bad.’ Right? And it’s a cool time. It’s a cool time to be an AEW fan. It’s a cool time to be MJF, it’s a cool time to be a professional wrestling fan because it feels like, once again, there’s another paradigm shift happening, to quote Jon Moxley. A paradigm shift happened in 2019, and now there’s a paradigm shift happening in 2026.”
“Well, now people are a little disenfranchised with seeing their favorite wrestlers be asked to take a 50% cut.” Or they’re a little disenfranchised with the show as a whole, and they’re going, ‘Maybe I should give this thing a look. Oh sh*t, they’re talking positively about AEW.’ What can we do here right now?”
“Again, I’m not coming for anyone. I’m not saying anything negative. I’m not even saying it’s a bad thing. It’s a smart business tactic, but it’s a business tactic nonetheless. And I do think it’s very disingenuous when people pretend it’s not.”
The comments come amid reports of salary cuts in WWE.
Double or Nothing is set for Sunday, May 24, at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York City. So far, AEW is treating Allin vs. MJF as one of the pay-per-view’s top attractions.