10 Wrestlers Who Always Followed The Money
6. MJF
MJF has cracked the industry at an earlier age than anybody else.
Now, much of what he says and does is in character, and that character is the perfect response to the modern "ideal" of a dedicated artist who talks of creative freedom and Match Of The Year candidates with almost sacred reverence. MJF draws heat, and miraculous amount of it given that he operates in 2023, because he knows what the fans hold dear and destroys that notion. In the process, he has gamed the system.
He's working more than he has done in recent weeks, granted, but the man pinpointed that the fans adore a workrate iron man, said screw that, and subsequently evolved into a part-time attraction to put himself over as the antithesis of the modern "passionate" babyface. It's an incredible act with additional benefit of not taking any more bumps than he needs to.
He was legitimately dissatisfied with his earnings in 2022, resulting in a hazy three months of rumour and mystery, but returned to become AEW World champion - and, as was exclusively revealed by WhatCulture Wrestling, has not in fact signed a new deal. He is free to leave in early 2024 and will go to the highest bidder.
Elaborate work, or...?
MJF already has a burgeoning Hollywood career in the pipeline. He was as much a drama kid as a wrestling fan. He is speed-running a legendary wrestling run and will go where the most money is there to be made. What's the only thing more lucrative and ideal than being the part-time attraction he has worked himself into being?
Doing so as a Hollywood name in order to command a higher fee.