MJF Calls Out Modern Indie Wrestlers For Being Lazy: “A Lot Of These Guys Suck”

MJF is going off on the independent wrestling scene, especially the new generation of wrestlers— and he’s not pulling punches.

The AEW World Champion, who built his name by grinding through small venues, long drives, and low pay before making it to national TV, is now calling out what he sees as a major drop in work ethic among today’s rising talent.

While speaking with The Takedown on SI, MJF made it clear right away that he’s not impressed with a large portion of the current indie scene — and he didn’t hold back when describing it: “I think a lot of these guys suck.” He immediately followed that up by drawing a line between the wrestlers he respects and the ones he believes aren’t putting in the effort — making it clear that hard work still stands out to him.

“And the guys that I'm wrestling on these independents are the guys that are working hard and making the towns and doing everything that they need to do to become better talents.”

From there, MJF dug deeper into what he believes is the core issue — saying many younger wrestlers simply aren’t willing to go through the grind that used to define breaking into the business. He compared today’s mindset to his own early days, where he says he did whatever it took just to improve, no matter the cost or conditions.

“I think a lot of these new guys are lazy, they're not getting in the car, they're not traveling to do ring crew. Brother, when I was on the independents, I would get in my car, and I would drive to, name a state in North America, I drove there. Name a place in Canada, I drove there. Name a place in Mexico, I drove there. And I did it for and a can of Coke and a hot dog and a handshake. I did it because I wanted to get better, and I needed reps.”

MJF also pointed to the modern wrestling landscape as part of the problem, explaining that with multiple major promotions now visible, some wrestlers expect opportunities without earning them first. According to him, that mindset is exactly why many are still unsigned.

“A lot of these guys that are coming into the industry, they're thinking, ‘Oh, there's AEW, there's WWE, there's TNA, there's MLW, why aren't I signed yet?’ You're not signed yet because you f---ing suck. Get better. Apply yourself. Go to training three to four times a week. Find a ring. Roll around. Make yourself better. Do tape study. Become a student of the sport.”

He then turned his attention specifically to AEW, making it clear that the company isn’t a place for anyone expecting shortcuts or handouts. MJF noted that if you want to be part of that environment, you need to be willing to outwork everyone else.

“Stop resting on your laurels, just assuming you're gonna be handed something. If you want to be a part of AEW, you better be ready. You better be ready to work, and work hard, and want it. We're not the lazy promotion. Now if you wanna f**k around and j**k off, go somewhere else.”

Finally, he wrapped things up with a direct message to indie wrestlers trying to break through, reinforcing that nothing in wrestling is guaranteed.

“So that would be my advice to these cats on the indies. Nothing's going to be handed to you. If you want to come to AEW, be ready to work.”

In the end, the Salt of the Earth isn’t just criticizing, he’s drawing a hard line. In his view, the gap between making it and missing out comes down to one thing: how much you’re willing to grind.

Do you think MJF is right about today’s indie wrestlers lacking work ethic, or is he being too harsh on the new generation? Drop your thoughts below and let us know.