Maxwell Jacob Friedman has spent years being praised as one of the sharpest talkers in wrestling, but during a recent appearance on the You Better You Bet, the AEW World Champion made it clear he believes that reputation no longer comes with an asterisk.
Late in the interview, the host suggested that MJF’s elite promo skills may have unintentionally overshadowed his in-ring work, even though he has delivered major matches against top-tier opponents. Rather than bristle at the suggestion, Friedman acknowledged why that perception existed — and then flatly rejected it.
“Not anymore. I think here’s the problem. We’ve seen so many guys in the sport of professional wrestling where normally, when you’re a really great talker, you can’t hang in the ring. So it’s just people having preconceived notions.”
MJF explained that for years, fans and critics assumed verbal excellence came at the expense of in-ring ability. In his view, that narrative has finally run its course.
“It’s gotten to the point now where I don’t believe that that’s an issue anymore. I think people have no choice but to admit that I’m easily bell to bell.”
From there, Friedman pushed the argument even further, openly placing himself at the very top of the industry — not just on the microphone, but between the ropes as well.
“I think there’s an argument to be made. I’m the best in the ring, too. I don’t give a — I’ll say it. Believe that.”
To support that confidence, MJF pointed to his recent AEW World Championship match against Bandido, which he believes has already set the pace for the year.
“I just had a match with Bandido, which already, in my opinion, I think it was the best match of the year so far. I won, obviously, and to me it’s only up and up.”
Rather than framing his in-ring growth as a reinvention, Friedman positioned it as the natural result of consistency and experience, noting that fans are finally evaluating his work without preconceived labels attached. For MJF, being great on the mic was never a substitute for wrestling — it was simply one part of the résumé.
With a major AEW World Championship defense looming, Friedman appears intent on proving that his dominance isn’t limited to words, but backed up every time the bell rings.
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