MJF Opens Up About How Much Pain He's In (AEW News)

AEW World Champion MJF blasts fans who think pro wrestling is all "funsies".

AEW Dynamite MJF
AEW

In his own words, MJF is in "a s*** ton of f****** pain" constantly.

The reigning AEW World Champion told 'Shut Up And Wrestle' that a portion of today's wrestling audience view the industry/matches as "funsies", but they don't seem to grasp that these men and women are putting themselves at serious risk each and every time they enter the ring.

To illustrate this point, the 30 year old pointed to his own age and said: "I can’t imagine what I’m gonna feel like when I’m 40 or 50". At the same time, he's not looking for a sympathy vote. On that, MJF said he "signed up for this - this was my decision and my dream to chase".

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However, it definitely bugs him that some who watch kinda view wrestling as low-impact play fighting that doesn't come with any ill effects. That couldn't be further from the truth. Of course, most reading this will already know that, but leave it to Friedman to put everyone on blast anyway.

During the interview, MJF cited his swollen knee as particularly painful. That's why he doesn't accept those who say he should wrestle more frequently. At time of writing, Max has worked 13 matches for AEW and another 4 bouts on the independent scene in 2026.

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He's content with that body of work, and clearly prioritises quality over quantity whenever he goes out to wrestle. It isn't exactly nice to think of someone in perpetual pain though, especially not a 30 year old dude who still has his life ahead of him in AEW and beyond.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.