MJF isn’t giving up a bigger payday just for a WrestleMania moment.
The comments came in an interview with Denise Salcedo published on March 12, 2026. The then-AEW World Champion was discussing the importance of wrestlers being paid properly for their work and for the physical risks that come with pro wrestling.
MJF said some wrestlers are willing to change companies even if it means being paid less and booked the same or worse. He didn’t name WWE in that portion of the interview, calling it “the other place” instead, but brought up WrestleMania directly right after.
“God bless people that do it — people will jump to the other place [WWE] to get booked the same and/or worse, to be compensated for less. Why? I don’t know.”
MJF said he doesn’t measure his legacy solely by whether he gets to wrestle at WWE’s biggest event. Being paid what he’s worth and securing his family’s financial future is the bigger priority.
He also defended how AEW pays its wrestlers, pointing out that they put their bodies on the line to make money for the company.
MJF re-signed with AEW in 2024. The exact length of the deal was never made public, though it was described as long-term.