The “terrifying” thing about Maxwell Jacob Friedman is that he isn’t even 30 yet, and he is insatiably driven to already secure his name among the best ever.
The 29-year-old Plainview, Long Island native, whose birthday is next month, is in his second reign as AEW World champion and doesn’t believe he’s come close to reaching his prime after 10-plus years in professional wrestling.
“I’m only going to learn more tricks, my bag is only going to get deeper. So no, I’ve not yet come close to my prime and frankly, I don’t know if I’m going to have a prime,” MJF said in a phone interview. “I think I’m just going to get better and better until I decide to leave for Hollywood.”
He’s quick to point out that many of the top performers in the industry are in their 40s and 50s — think Roman Reigns, CM Punk, Jon Moxley, Cody Rhodes and Kenny Omega. And then there is “little old me,” a “scary” thing for the pro wrestling world even in a company with several main eventers in their mid-30s.