Tonight’s Full Gear pay-per-view main event features MJF vs. AEW World Champion Jon Moxley. He told Joseph Staszewski of The New York Post that the All Out press conference incident is one of many times big moments in his AEW career were overshadowed by events beyond his control.
MJF cited Cody Rhodes’ oversized neck tattoo for the conclusion of their feud at Revolution 2020, Matt Hardy’s injury the day MJF wrestled Moxley for the AEW World Title, and Chris Jericho’s crash-pad landing after Blood & Guts last may, not MJF pushing him from the top of the cage. MJF gets “offended” when he’s not the show’s talking point.
“It hurt every time because I’m not just in pro wrestling, pro wrestling is my life,” MJF said. “This is what I eat, sleep, live and breathe by. I could cry just talking about this. I care about pro wrestling more than anyone has in the history of the business and I can say that with a straight face because it’s the God’s honest truth. There’s a reason that every single time I go out there it’s incredible TV. It’s because I obsess over this shit. This is my life. This is all I care about, OK, outside of making millions of dollars. I love this shit.”
This is part of a “giant pyramid” sized chip on MJF’s shoulder that grew before his wrestling days and will continue to grow if he wins tonight because negativity drives him. In the ring, on the mic, and in the gym, MJF is negative. The most recent instance was his promo with William Regal, where he unloaded on Regal for not bringing him into WWE NXT and an e-mail he sent to tell him WWE only hires world-class athletes, and he wasn’t one. MJF called confronting Regal on TV “cathartic.”
“I feed off of negativity like no one else in the history of mankind,” he said. “I swallow it and I use it as fuel. That’s just how I’ve been since birth.”
MJF hates being called a “heel,” but he’s always gotten negative fan reactions. He’s happy that fans have recently warmed to him.
“Being anything other than myself, fully authentically, doesn’t interest me. I am who I am,” he said. “People will react to me the way they want to react to me. That’s megastar shit. That’s John Cena shit. That’s Rock shit. That’s [Hulk] Hogan shit. There were times in their career when they would come through that curtain and they got the loudest boo and there were times where they came through that curtain and they got the loudest cheer. That’s what I bring to the table. Think people need to stop worrying about fake bullshit labels and just enjoy this ride because I’m over as shit and it is fun.”
MJF believes changing one’s presentation based on crowd reaction is the “biggest mistake” in pro wrestling. He compares it to the double turn at WrestleMania 13 with WWE Hall of Famers Steve Austin and Bret Hart, and if Austin started wearing pink and long tights, and kick pads, just because people liked him.
“The reason that I am who I am is because I am authentic,” MJF added.
He continued, “I need to make sure there isn’t a single person in the world who can look at somebody to their right and their left and go, ‘Yeah, MJF’s good but this guy’s better.’ Screw that, man. Once I win this world title, there is no one on my level.”
