Steve Carrier on February 7, 2026
Maxwell Jacob Friedman isn’t backing down after one of the most surprising moments on AEW television this year.
On the February 4, 2026 episode of AEW Dynamite, the AEW World Champion was stunned when Brody King steamrolled him in an AEW World Championship Eliminator match. The bout ended almost as soon as it began, with King overwhelming MJF after a well-timed distraction involving Hangman Adam Page.
Not long after the loss, MJF broke his silence on social media with a blunt reaction, brushing off the defeat in just one word, “FLUKE!!!!!”
That storyline gained even more fuel during MJF’s recent appearance on the You Better You Bet podcast, where he addressed the loss head-on. Rather than framing it as a decisive defeat, Friedman dismissed the match as an anomaly caused by outside interference.
“Yes. Uh, next Saturday, uh, Australia, um, Grand Slam. And, uh, look — flukes happen. They happen all the time in sports. The man not only did he get lucky, but if we’re being honest, Brody King cheated. And allow me to explain why.”
MJF then pointed directly to Hangman Page as the reason the match spiraled out of control, claiming he was moments away from dominating King before the distraction. According to Friedman, that single moment shifted everything.
“There’s a crooked cowboy named Hangman Adam Page. The bell rings, I’m about to annihilate Brody King. I mean, if you know me, you know that guy didn’t stand a chance. He’s a — he’s a chihuahua in comparison to me. I’m a pitbull.”
“And then Hangman Adam Page comes out. I get distracted. And Brody King, like the gutless coward that he is, he takes advantage of the situation.”
Looking ahead to Grand Slam: Australia, MJF insisted those circumstances won’t be repeated, noting that Page will be occupied elsewhere on the card against Andrade El Ídolo.
“Here’s what I can assure you. Hangman Adam Page is going to have his hands full at Grand Slam Australia because he has to face Andrade El Ídolo. He’s not going to be able to interrupt my main event matchup.”
With the distractions removed, MJF made it clear he doesn’t see any scenario where Brody King walks away with the title.
“And with Brody King not being able to have my eye taken off the ball, there’s just no reality where he leaves Grand Slam Australia with my coveted AEW World Championship.”
Whether fans view the Dynamite loss as a fluke or a warning sign, the rematch now carries real stakes. MJF is treating the setback as fuel, while Brody King enters Grand Slam with momentum and a chance to turn one shocking night into a defining career moment.
Do you buy MJF’s explanation for the loss, or did Brody King prove he belongs at the top of AEW’s title picture? Let us know what you think and drop your take in the comments.
Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.
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