Steve Carrier on March 13, 2026
AEW World Champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman has built his reputation on stirring the pot, but when it comes to the ongoing debate between All Elite Wrestling and WWE, the outspoken star actually took a more measured approach.
During an appearance on the Inside the Ring show, MJF addressed the constant online fighting between AEW and WWE fans. The topic came up when the host admitted he originally grew up as a WWE fan before getting into AEW in recent years. That naturally led to a discussion about the long-running fan divide between the two promotions. MJF explained that the existence of two major wrestling companies is actually something he wishes had existed when he was younger.
“Listen, I grew up idolizing everybody that was in WWE when I was a kid. There was no alternative. It was a complete monopoly. WWE was the only thing that existed. And I would have loved if there was an alternative growing up when I was a kid, but there wasn’t. And now that there is one, I think it’s really cool that both companies kind of push each other to be the best versions of themselves, at least the athletes and what we’re doing out there.”
Rather than viewing the rivalry as something unique to wrestling, MJF compared it to typical sports rivalries where fans of the same sport argue over their favorite teams.
“Why is there tribalism? I think tribalism is just a sports thing, right? If I’m in New York and I say I’m a Giants fan and there’s a Jets fan, we can get into an argument over that. Silly, I know — we’re both from the exact same place and we both love the exact same sport, but we’re arguing over that. So that’s what I think it comes from.”
The AEW champion then made it clear that the constant online fighting doesn’t mean much to him personally.
“I just think it’s like a Neanderthal-esque trait, if that makes sense. The whole tribalism thing. I could possibly care less.”
Even while pushing AEW as the better product, MJF admitted he’s not interested in pretending that one roster is completely superior to the other.
“Now, I’ll talk all day long about what I think we do better from a business aspect of how we treat wrestlers or how we treat our fans. But I’m not going to sit here and pretend that our wrestlers are ten times better than their wrestlers in every single capacity. It’s just not true. Every professional wrestler is different. Every single professional wrestler has their pros and cons.”
Still, MJF didn’t hesitate to declare that he believes AEW delivers the strongest weekly show in the business.
“But if you’re asking me point blank, do I think AEW Dynamite is the best professional wrestling show on TV? I do actually fully believe that. And the reason why I know that to be true is because I’m on it every week.”
Later in the conversation, MJF also revealed that the supposed divide between the companies doesn’t reflect reality backstage. According to him, plenty of friendships exist across the wrestling industry.
“I have plenty of friends that work there and I want them to succeed just as there are people over there that want us to succeed.”
He wrapped up the topic by explaining that his real concern isn’t company loyalty, but how wrestlers are treated in the business overall.
“My issues with the professional wrestling landscape are more about the things that are still going on that shouldn’t be going on from when wrestling was monopolized. I’m a wrestlers-first kind of guy. I firmly believe you have to take care of your wrestlers. What we do is 365 days a year and this is hard. It takes us away from our families. So I don’t believe in tribalism at all. I just believe in professional wrestlers getting treated properly.”
The comments offer an interesting look at how one of AEW’s loudest personalities actually views the rivalry between promotions. While MJF will happily talk trash when the cameras are rolling, he made it clear that the real priority should be the wrestlers themselves and the future of the industry.
What do you think about MJF’s take on AEW and WWE fan tribalism? Do you agree that the rivalry between the fanbases has gotten out of hand, or is it just part of being a wrestling fan? Let us know in the comments and share your thoughts.
Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.
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