Former WWE Tough Enough winner and Intercontinental Champion, Maven, recently shared his admiration for AEW star Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF). While interviewing Chris Van Vliet on his popular YouTube channel, Maven took the opportunity to praise the former AEW World Champion, highlighting his importance to the wrestling industry and his recent success in crossing over into mainstream entertainment. Maven, who was an active WWE Superstar during the time MJF was in elementary school, now finds himself as a fan of the self-proclaimed “Salt of the Earth.” The endorsement from a veteran of the business speaks to the massive impact MJF has had in his relatively short career.
During the conversation, Maven revealed that he had personally reached out to MJF to invite him as a guest on his own YouTube channel. While MJF declined the initial offer, he did so respectfully and left the door open for a future appearance.
“I love him, though I love watching him. I’m so happy to see his success, the new Happy Gilmore that recently came out on Netflix. The wrestling business needs, in my opinion, MJF. I reached out to him and asked him, you know, sent him through text, ‘Hey, I’d love to have you on the channel.’ I appreciated his answer. His answer was, ‘No, not at this time.’ I respected him saying no. I hope you get him for the second time.”
Maven’s comments showcase the cross-generational respect that MJF has earned, not just from fans, but from his peers in the wrestling industry.
