AEW star MJF recently looked back on one of the most controversial and talked-about moments of his career: the infamous promo he cut on AEW President Tony Khan following the 2022 Double or Nothing pay-per-view. In a new interview, MJF explained the subtle character nuance behind one specific action he took just before the promo, revealing the deep thought that goes into his character presentation.
MJF on the Symbolism of the Scarf
Speaking with Liam Crowley on Coffee Chats, MJF was asked about the promo where he called Tony Khan a “f**king mark” and demanded to be fired. He specifically discussed the moment right before he began speaking, where he removed his signature Burberry scarf and tossed it aside. He explained that this small action was a deliberate choice to signal to the audience that what they were about to hear was different.
“I feel most confident when I feel like what I’m doing is true to me,” MJF said (per Fightful). “When I can have little reminders like that, it’s really helpful… In that moment, when I took the scarf off, I needed everybody to know that, first of all, everything that comes out of my mouth on a weekly basis is already real. I needed everybody to know that, not only is this real, but please pay attention to everything coming out of my mouth because I’m angry right now. I needed everyone to know that I’m angry right now, and everybody did. It all worked out.”
His comments provide a fascinating look into the mind of a performer who obsesses over every detail of his character.
A Promo That Blurred the Lines
The promo in question took place on the June 1, 2022 episode of AEW Dynamite in Los Angeles. It came just days after a controversial weekend where MJF reportedly no-showed a fan fest and there was legitimate speculation about whether he would appear for his scheduled match against Wardlow at the Double or Nothing pay-per-view. MJF did appear and lost the match in decisive fashion. On the following Dynamite, he came to the ring and delivered the scathing, profanity-laced promo on Khan and the company, which was so controversial that his microphone was cut off and the broadcast went to an early commercial break. MJF was then removed from AEW television and all promotional material for several months, leading to intense debate among fans about whether the promo was a “shoot” (real) or a “work” (scripted).
The Art of the Performance
MJF’s explanation of the scarf removal adds another layer to the legendary promo. He essentially used a piece of his own established character iconography to break character, without ever truly breaking character. By removing the scarf, a symbol of his rich, arrogant persona, he was non-verbally telling the audience that the “MJF” character was being momentarily stripped away to reveal the “real” person underneath, a person who was genuinely angry. This mastery of nuance is a key reason why MJF is considered one of the best talkers in the business. His ability to so effectively blur the lines between reality and performance is what makes his character so compelling and believable.
That promo and his subsequent absence from television ultimately led to his triumphant return at All Out 2022, where he won the Casino Ladder Match to earn a shot at the AEW World Championship, a title he would go on to win later that year. The infamous “mark” promo, as MJF’s comments now confirm, was a perfectly executed piece of performance art that kicked off the most important run of his career.