AEW's MJF says 'I'm not a character' as he heads into 'Full Gear'

Nov. 12 (UPI) -- MJF, one of the most hated villains in professional wrestling, said he wants to continue cementing himself as one of AEW's top stars by defeating Darby Allin Saturday at the Full Gear pay-per-view event.

"Darby can pretend that he's all calm and brooding, but the fact of the matter is, he's not in check with his own emotions, and the second that he lets himself go mentally in our matchup, I am going to pounce on that like a wild animal," MJF, which stands for Maxwell Jacob Friedman, told UPI during a recent interview.

MJF has tried to break Allin mentally in recent weeks on AEW Dynamite by ambushing him with his group, The Pinnacle, attacking his mentor Sting and by bringing up a personal story about Allin's uncle's death in a car accident. Allin also was in the car, and MJF continued to push buttons by saying the wrong man died that night.

"I'm willing to say whatever I have to in order to defeat my opponents," MJF said. "Muhammad Ali did the same exact thing and nobody was saying he was some horrible human being."

MJF's comments always elicit a negative response from the crowd, making him the most booed, hated wrestler in the industry. MJF said that his comments have led to fans slashing his tires, jumping the barricade at shows and even disguising themselves to go backstage in an attempt to abduct him.

The vile grappler said there is no line that he won't cross, and that his honesty is what has been missing from professional wrestling.

"It's sad that somebody being real in professional wrestling is a throwback," the 25-year-old said, before noting how many in the industry feel the need to wear a mask or costume to perform.

"I don't perform for [expletive]." he said. "You know what I do? I be myself 24/7. I'm not a character. I'm not playing anybody. This isn't a game to me. This is a sport."

MJF wants to be known for more than what he says. He feels that fellow wrestlers and fans constantly forget that he is just as talented inside the ring as he is on the microphone.

"My generation is wildly ADD-ridden and, quite frankly, can barely pay attention to anything anymore," he said, adding that the cycle will continue because he finds wrestling fans to lack intelligence.

"Easily the dumbest people on the face of the Earth. You can tell how dumb they are from who they cheer for. If you're willing to cheer for a guy like Darby Allin, you must be really, really dumb," he continued.

MJF warned Allin's mentor, Sting, a professional wrestling legend, to stay away from their match at Full Gear or he will be taken out once again by MJF's Dynamite Diamond Ring. MJF has taken Sting out before with help from his Pinnacle teammates, Wardlow and Shawn Spears.

"Sting means nothing to me, and if Darby's man enough, he'll show up to that match by himself. I'll tell you this right now, I will come out alone. No Wardlow, no Shawn Spears if Darby is willing to nut up and do the same, as well," he said.

MJF has been a big part of AEW since the company's inception, and said that his contract expires in 2024. MJF has warned that if another company offers him more money, he will jump ship.

"I didn't get into this sport to make friends. I got in it to make money, and MJF goes where the money is at. Now if you're willing to fork it over, I'm willing to play ball, and I'm willing to be the most important person you have in your entire roster," he said.

MJF gloated about being the most professional acting wrestler who can do interviews, go on talks shows and be the face of a company.

"When my contract is up in 2024, you can bet your sweet bottom dollar I'm going to go wherever the most money is going to be awarded to me. That's just how I operate. I'm a businessman first. Always will be," said MJF, who is known for wearing expensive suits and Burberry scarves.

MJF has had a successful 2021 in AEW in which he formed The Pinnacle, got into a high-profile feud with Chris Jericho and earned victories over Brian Pillman Jr. and Sammy Guevara. MJF, when it comes to 2022, has his eyes set on gold.

"I need to be World Champion. I don't want to be -- I need to be World Champion," MJF said about his New Year's Resolutions for 2022.

He said his favorite wrestler is the late Rowdy Roddy Piper, who was one of professional wrestling's greatest all-time bad guys. MJF said that Piper was never World Champion, but that he won't let that happen to him.

"It is a crying shame that he was not a World Champion, and the reason why he wasn't is because people were afraid that if he won that title, it would have been a reign of terror the likes of which this sport has never seen before," MJF said.

"I can assure you that my title reign will be just that," he continued.

Full Gear also will feature AEW World Champion Kenny Omega defending his title against Hangman Adam Page, Bryan Danielson vs. Miro in the World Title Eliminator Tournament final, CM Punk vs. Eddie Kingston, AEW Women's World Champion Dr. Britt Baker defending her title against Tay Conti, AEW World Tag Team Champions The Lucha Brothers defending their titles against Pinnacle's FTR, Chris Jericho's Inner Circle vs. American Top Team and Men of the Year in a Street Fight, Pac and Cody Rhodes teaming up to face Malakai Black and Andrade El Idolo and The Young Bucks with Adam Cole vs. Jungle Boy, Luchasaurus and Christian Cage.