Former WWE star and original Hurt Business member Cedric Alexander has voiced his skepticism about Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF) recently joining The Hurt Syndicate in AEW.
After weeks of speculation, former AEW World Champion MJF was officially voted into the group by Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, and MVP, and quickly made an impact by helping Lashley and Benjamin retain their AEW World Tag Team Titles at Double or Nothing.
Speaking on Knockouts and 3 Counts, Alexander, a free agent since his WWE release in February 2025, shared his initial reaction to the formation of the group. “My immediate thought when I… realized MVP showed up (at) AEW and then Shelton (Benjamin), I was like, ‘Ah, man. I shouldn’t have re-signed that last contract, huh?’… and then, oh! I get released. I’m like, ‘Oh! So maybe it is meant to be.”
However, his optimism soured with MJF being added to the group. “This is something that I can really look forward to,’ and then I realized that MJF is trying to make his way in there. I was like, ‘Alright, well…’ let it play out,” Alexander stated.
He predicted trouble: “I’m sure they’ll get tired of his shenanigans because he’s MJF. Of course, he’s gonna screw everything up. You know how he works. He’s gonna get the big head, like he always does… MVP trusts him for a little bit so I’m like, alright, cool, whatever… I don’t trust him.”