Despite his reputation for arrogance and bravado, Maxwell Jacob Friedman showed a rare vulnerable side when discussing one of wrestling's biggest "what if" scenarios. During his chat with Brandon Walker on the Mostly Sports podcast, the new AEW World Heavyweight champion opened up about his childhood admiration for John Cena and the sadness he feels knowing they'll likely never face each other in the ring.
Yes, absolutely. I think that there is a different world where that match would have happened. Unfortunately, it's not this one," MJF admitted when asked if he was sad about never wrestling Cena. "I've had so many incredible run-ins with John where we've shot the sh*t. He's an incredible guy. He watches our product. He's seen my stuff. He was very complimentary. Obviously, I'm super complimentary to him.
The AEW star revealed just how deep his connection to Cena runs, dating back to his childhood on Long Island. "Before CM Punk, my favorite wrestler growing up as a kid was John Cena," MJF shared. "He was a fatthead on my wall in my bedroom. So, I'd wake up, salute the OG, and then get ready for school."
The mutual respect between the two performers is evident, with MJF noting that Cena actively follows AEW programming and has praised his work.
