The AEW World Heavyweight Champion Swerve Strickland has caught MJF’s attention.
When MJF made a comeback, he laid out Adam Cole at the AEW Double Or Nothing pay-per-view event. He then cut a promo, saying he was back to his old self and announcing he had signed a new contract with AEW. He has worked a few matches since.
At Sunday’s AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door pay-per-view at the UBS Arena in Elmont, NY, MJF defeated Hechicero. In the main event, Strickland defeated Will Ospreay.
On Busted Open Radio, MJF discussed not pursuing the World Title immediately and praised Strickland’s work.
“I know how to pick my spots. Right now is not the time. I know when the time is. Right now it’s not. Swerve is on a god damn roll. I don’t like him. I’d as far to say that I hate him. We don’t agree on anything. We look at professional wrestling in entirely different ways. I’d say that I have more disdain for (Will) Ospreay than I do for him. I’ve never seen a guy more locked in than Shane Strickland is right now. Sorry, ‘Swerve.’ The guy is absolutely locked in. He’s next level right now.
Do I want to deal with him at the moment, when he’s 100% and I am still healing from a shoulder injury? Do you think that’s bright? I’m a man that picks my spots. Everyone else in this company is dumb. Everyone in this company works hard. Working hard is for suckers. It’s stupid. I work smart. That title will be around my waist again because I’m the best professional wrestler in the world. The reason I’m the best in the world is because I’m the smartest professional wrestler in the world. Right now is not the time or the place.”
AEW has yet to announce what MJF and Strickland will do on Wednesday’s Dynamite.
In a #bustedopen247 EXCLUSIVE, @The_MJF tells @davidlagreca1 & @THETOMMYDREAMER why he did not come back to challenge for the @AEW Championship right away… pic.twitter.com/6NL4MeJIer
— SiriusXM Busted Open (@BustedOpenRadio) July 1, 2024
(quotes courtesy of Jeremy Lambert)
