December 19, 2023 • 50 mins
Episode 474 of "SI Media with Jimmy Traina" features an interview with AEW World Heavyweight Champion, Maxwell Jacob Friedman, also known as MJF.
Friedman talks about his rise in AEW, his heel and face personas, why he stands out in professional wrestling, whether he considers himself a locker room leader and the status of his contact with the company and Cody Rhodes recently saying that he thinks Friedman will one day wind in up WWE.
MJF also weighs in on CM Punk, headline a pay-per-view show in his hometown of Long Island, having ADD, being inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
MJF also discusses recently running into John Cena on the red carpet, how and why his fascination with Burberry started, having a wrestling-themed Bar Mitzvah, the time a fan plotted to possibly abduct him, the best Long Island food establishments and much more.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome everyone to SI Media with Jimmy Tranna. Thank you
so much for listening. Bonus episode for you this week
we have one of the hottest wrestlers in all of
wrestling from AW Maxwell Jacob Freeman, otherwise known as MJF.
Has had an unbelievable run the last few years in
(00:23):
AEW and we have a really fun conversation about his
rise to fame in wrestling, where he stands in AW,
his contract status, and a lot of talk about Long
Island because we're sort of from the same neck of
the woods. So hopefully you guys enjoy the chat with MJF.
Like I said, this is a bonus episode. If you
missed any recent episodes of SI Media with Jimmy Trainey,
you can go into the archives and check them out.
(00:44):
We had New York Post Sports media reporter Andrew Marshan
on last week, seth rollins from the WWE booger McFarland,
Mike Turico all recent guests in recent weeks on SI
Media with Jimmy trainer So check those out and if
you're not a subscriber, hit that subscribe button, subscribe to
the pod and leave a review on Apple. All right,
Let's get to it. Maxwell Jacob Freeman, otherwise known as
(01:08):
MJF right here, right now on SI Media with Jimmy
Tryanna all right joining me now, someone I've wanted to
have on for a very very long time. Thrilled to
finally have him because we are Long Island neighbors and
he is, without a doubt an electrifying figure in the
world of professional wrestling. AW World Champion got a big
(01:30):
pay per view coming up on December thirtieth, World's End
at the NASA Coliseum. Maxwell Jacob Freeman, otherwise known as MJF. Maxwell,
how are you?
Speaker 2 (01:42):
That was a solid in like it was an introduction.
I don't know if it was the best introduction I've
ever had. You know, there's so many other things you
could have mentioned. Twenty seven years old, already in the
National Jewish Hall of Fame, just got inducted this morning.
Longest reigning AW World Champion of all time, most successful
defenses of all time, in handsome, funny, witty, charming, very humble,
(02:05):
and across the board. I just think just overall, just
better than pretty much everyone. But I'm very excited to
do this podcast. Jimmy, you're a fellow Long Islander, which
means I'm not going to bully you today.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
I'm going to be polite. I'm going to be positive,
and I'm excited for all your questions you have for.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Me about World's in on December thirtieth at my hometown arena,
Nasdalf Coliseum.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
I grew up in there, so it's pretty crazy.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
So did I, So did I the NASA Veterans and
World Colisseum. My favorite thing when I used to go,
there's a kid for wrestling shows. I don't know if
they still do this because I haven't been to house
shows in a while, but like, my favorite thing was
when in the middle of the show they'd have the
intermission and then announced the card for the next time
they were in the arena. It would just get me
so excited.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Yeah yeah, oh of course, yeah, very good, callback very
good call back.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Thank you. So, Like I said, we're Long Island neighbors,
and I could really just this has to I always
feel it's so weird for you guys doing these, Like
I feel like I'm friends with you just because we're
from like the same area and you don't even know
who I am, So like, it's got to be weird.
So I'm gonna try not to be like too creepy
about it. And I have to say to it.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
I'm sure we visit the same food places. I'm sure
we visit the same shopping centers. I'm very excited to
talk a little bit of Long Island geography.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Yeah. Yeah, And I have to say, whenever I intro
a wrestler, it's I feel like it's there's so much
pressure on me because I remember, I think I had
Cody on a few months ago, your friend Cody Rhose,
and uh, I said, I introduced him as one of
the most popular wrestlers, and you know, he had to
call me out. Why isn't he the most popular? So like,
(03:39):
there's absolutes, Timmy, Timmy, I hope you told him that's
because that distinction belongs to me Long Island, Right, you
can't go in absolutes or else I get killed. And
then you know, it's a tough, tough way to intro
I know, like you, let's let's talk with this before
we get to a lot of the A W stuff
(03:59):
paper you mentioned it. We're taping this right after you
were just inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame,
that's got to be a really cool thing for you,
especially this time with all this, with what's going on,
it's got to be more just say.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Let's think it.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Anti Semitism is going on, like them, it's rampant and listen,
it's been around forever. But I feel like when certain
events happen in the world, the people who were already
anti Semitic now have an excuse to be outwardly anti Semitic,
at least in their heads, you know. So to me,
today was so important because I'm showing people that Jews
(04:35):
are brave, Jews are kind, Jews are funny, Jews are athletes,
Jews can be anything. But most of all views are
human and we should all be treating each other as such.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Yeah, it's I've been so bummed out by the entire
thing because when you see, like when you see this
happening in New York City of all places, like New
York City, of all places, it's just it blows my
mind the way that the anti Semitism would be so
just open and discussed in New York City. Yes, crazy
(05:10):
to me.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
What I found the most interesting, right is, you know,
being raised on the island, everybody wants their kid to
go to an Ivy League school.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
It's like such this massive thing.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
If you work hard to get into an Ivy League school,
and you know the kids.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
That go to our league school. This is just a fact.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
These are our future lawyers, doctors and politicians. And they're
out there screaming that Jews deserve to be killed. They're
talking about jedocide, They're sharing Jewish kids into hiding away
in their dorm rooms. And you know, this is the
next generations of leaders of our society.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
So that's another reason.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Why I feel so proud to be AW World Champion
and to be openly discussing my judaism.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
I think it's very.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Important, and I think it's important that I never shut
up about it, or else people are going to think
it's okay to do this shit and it's not. And
if they do think it's okay to do it, I'd
love for them to step in the ring with me
and find out.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
It's a crazy, crazy, crazy time seeing all this stuff
going on. It is, you know, on the topic of
judysm on a much much lighter note, you actually did
a re bar mitzvah on an AW show. Yes, gimme
what was the highlight of your original bar mitzvah.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
So my original bar Mitzvah, it was called Maximania, and
obviously it was wrestling themed, so you know, we had
female dancers that were dressed up like pro wrestlers, and
we had the male dancers were dressed up like Luciah Doors.
And my birthday cake had you know, CM Punk and
John Cena and Tris Jericho and Batista and Raymond Cirio
(06:48):
and it was a really fun night. All the tables
were named after different wrestlers. I came out to John
Cena's theme music with the horns and everything like with
legitimate you know.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
Do we have video of that anywhere? Can we get
video of that?
Speaker 2 (07:03):
You know, I'm sure my parents do. I gotta I
gotta search around and mess around and find it.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Yeah, seriously, MJF coming out to the John Ceno horns
at his bar mitzvah. We need to see that.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
If you really want to laugh for my you can
find it. It's on huddle.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
For my senior year of high school football, I broke
the tackling record at play View JFK. But for my
senior year in the background it was hul Cogan theme
music playing in the background to just me tackling hundreds
of people. So that's another fun when you can google was.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Your bar Mitzvah on Long Island somewhere?
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Of course it was, of course it was. I think
I think it was that Haverreem. I think it was
that temple Havrema not.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Okay, Yeah, I went to I went to sass at
high school. Yeah, so I was at twenty seven bar
in bar Mitzvah's over my but I only got to
light the candle at two, so I wasn't like a
great friend to a lot of it was. It's kind
of like, after a while, it's like I've only done
(08:04):
this twice. After going all these bar and bart mitz visit,
it did kind of feel shitty, like, you know, I
should have been up there more.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
You kind of just figure out maybe you're maybe you're
just not everybody's cup of tea, but you're enough of
the cup of tea to.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Be invited, you know. Right.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
It's got exact.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
Class path, full type thing, Jim, exactly.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
We have so much AWS doesn't talk about. But I
was gonna say this for lated, but we mentioned Sena.
You there was a picture of you with John at
the Iron Claw premiere last week or two weeks ago.
I can't wait to see that movie. You're in it,
executive executive, So I want to get to the movie.
But tell me about bumping into John Cena there, because
wrestling fans always freak out when there's any AWWWE crossover
(08:45):
connection anything.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Look, we're two guys that are both massive fans of
each other's work. He loves what I'm doing a w
I obviously love everything that he's done in professional wrestling
as a whole. He's easily a first ballot Hall of Famer,
and I believe that, well, I literally I'm a Hall
of Famer, but I believe that I'm also soon to
be a first ballot professional Wrestling Hall of Famer as well.
And we exchanged legendaries, and we talked and discussed about,
(09:10):
you know, how we're fans of each other's work, and
we also I told him straight up, I find would
be an absolute inspiration what he's been able to do
with make a wish with all these kids, and also
what he's been able to do completely transcend outside the
you know, the professional wrestling sport and landscape is something
that I've begun to do as well, and I'm really
(09:31):
proud of that. And I don't think I'd be able
to do that without following the footsteps of these major
giants of professional wrestling history like him, like Batista, like
The Rock. You know, if it's not for these guys,
they wouldn't take me seriously as an actor.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Is that the first time you ever met him in person?
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Son? No, the first time I ever met him in person.
Who's actually a very funny story. I was eighteen years old.
I might have been training for like three months, and
I got called on to do extra work at at
show in Brooklyn, and they wanted to paint me up
like the Finn Baler Demon thing because they needed to
(10:07):
do a.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
Mock up of what it would look like.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
So all I brought with me because I'm a professional, obviously,
I was in a suit, you know, you know, and
I did not have anything to wear after the paint,
So I'm freaking out and my friend's like, Okay, I'm
gonna give you my shorts. My friend morbidly obese, so
the shorts weren't fitting me. They're very baggy. I'm wearing
(10:30):
black dress shoes with high like knee high black dress socks.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
Oh basketball shorts.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Basketball shorts, and a long sleeve dress shirt. So I
look like a maniac. And I've got Krusty the clown makeup,
you know, all over my face, and my head's down,
and I'm walking down this hallway and I'm just praying
to God. Nobody notices I exist, and I make it
to the extra's door. I've made it to the extras door.
I'm home free. And the extra door opens and it's
(10:58):
John Cena, and John Cena to me on up and down.
He goes interesting choice and walked away, And in that moment,
I wanted to crawl an old ball.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
But so that that was the very first time I
have met John.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
So the iron clow is your first real conversation with you?
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Yes, so it was the first real professional and social conversation.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
He's going to have to be a cool moment from
having his theme song play at your bar, mitzvah, and
now hear you on the red carpet with him, Like
that's one of those like gotta be like, look at
my life right now. This is pretty cool.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
I've had a couple of those, you know, Like I've
had incredible moments where I got to meet up with
people and wrestle people and beat people that I grew
up idolizing, you know, But that's that's just how sports work, right,
And that's the coolest thing. And I think that's why
so many people aspire to be a pro wrestler or
a pro football player or a pro baseball player, and
in their head, they're like, shit, what if I get
(11:48):
to actually go on the field, get to go on
the court, get to go in the ring with this
idol And I've had so many opportunities to do so,
and I've won every time because I'm the best. So yeah,
it's definitely one of those cool moments. But you know,
I've managed to create a legacy of my own in
the short history of all the wrestlings the existence.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
So let's let's let's go there. Because one of the
things I wanted to ask you is I feel like,
as a wrestling fan wrestling observer, I think it's incredibly
difficult for you guys in this day and age with
the Internet and you know, what's what storyline, what's not storyline?
Your personally, I think it's so hard for you guys,
Harder than ever for you guys to stand out. Sure,
(12:29):
no one has stood out more than you over the
last few years. What was it something that you had
to be constantly cognizant of? Is like, how do I
do this to stand out? Or is it just it's
all natural? Or how much of it was planning and
prepping and.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
Franklin, I swear, Jimmy, I'm just being myself, Like I'm
I'm a quick witted, funny, charismatic guy. I knew that
if I got into ae W and I was afforded
the oppera tunity to wrestle for aew that I would
break not just the sport of wrestling, but I would
break out into the cultural zeitgeist.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
And that I've done.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
You know, I can't go anywhere without being stopped, and
that's something I'm proud of. I don't find it annoying
at all. So if you see me out in public,
please by all means that you're only feeding my ego.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
Um, and it's great. I love it.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
Now, that's interesting. So you're out getting a slice of pizza,
getting whatever. Someone comes up to you. You're fine with it,
You're not annoyed.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Let's take a picture. Just don't ask don't play twenty
one questions with me. I'll take a photo with you.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
Yeah, but yeah, I'll take a photo.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
It's all about like, no one asks for an autograph, right,
It's all about the photo.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
Oh no, there are vultures.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
Oh yeah, the people who want to sell it. Yeah yeah, yeah,
yeah yah yeah yeah of course.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
And my favorite is uh because a lot of people
in my industry, you know, they like feel obligated to
sign it when all these people are waiting by, you know,
baggage claim at at the airport, and I'm like.
Speaker 3 (13:58):
No, I know what this is. You're gonna tell this
You're not a real fan. You're a scumbag and not
not a scumbag like me. I'm a cool scumbag. You're
just a scumbag, So no interest, and I always just
walk right by.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
So tell me where you stand on heal and face.
So I feel like even when you're a heel, you're
still kind of a face. Your face is still kind
of a hell because it's your personality, because like you said,
you're being real just me right, But there are I mean, listen,
I've seen you. I've seen videos of you on TikTok
(14:32):
where you're doing autograph signings, and you're nasty to little kids,
and sure you know a face.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
No one talks, no one ever shows, no one ever
shows what happens before the videos on red.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
No one throws these kids. They're very disrespectful.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
Is that you the kid's fault? It's the kids.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
The children.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
They're horrible, bolder, eating, disgusting, rug rat brats.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
They're bad people. Jim. Now, if you have.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
A well trained child, I'll curious, you know, but most
of your kids are not trained properly.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
Now, I would can't even imagine how you would have
described this if you were in your heel era, like
just was be in your face era, and here you
are calling kids horrible.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
You know, I tell everybody this, I'm not a good guy.
I'm not a bad guy. I'm just the man. I'm
the guy that everybody wants to be. Your wife wants
to be me, your best friend wants to you know,
be me. Is every everybody wants. Then on MJS and
I can't blame.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Him, you know, Okay, So humor me from this end point.
When you were a quote unquote here, did you ever
feel like you went too far? Or was there ever
an incident Okay, did you ever have a scary incident
where maybe a fan took it? Give me something from
give me something on that where a fan maybe took it.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
The two scary stories, one is a lot simpler, the
other one's a little bit longer.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
So I'll give you the simple one. First.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
I went out to my car with which was a
Dodge Ram truck at the time, while I was on
the independent circuit trying to make a name for myself,
and a guy was standing in front of my car
with a pocket knife and was threatening to stand me
with his pocket knife.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
And I was far enough away, and you know, I
had to think quick on my feet.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
And anybody, if you google Dodge Ram truck key, if
you press a button on it, the key flips out.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
So when it's dark.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
Outside, it looked like I had a switchblade as well.
So once the guy saw that, he went away.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
So it's just a fan whose fan is coming at
you at a knife? Is this just a guy who
was Some fans have knives, and so he was a
fan one who saw you perform You were nasty, and
he decided I'm going to get him with a knife.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
Yeah, he said, I I gotta get this guy, and
you know what, the thick part of me, I loved it.
I took it as a competent. I remember I had
piss thrown on me in Mexico. I was miserable. But
then once I was done showering for hours, I thought
to myself, I'm pretty good at my job. And the
craziest story ever of all time was a pilot walks
(17:02):
over to me in the back of the house at
a pay per view I believe it was full year
twenty nineteen or twenty twenty, I'm not sure, and he goes,
mister Freeman, I'm going to be flying you back home
after the show's proceedings, you know, via private jet. And
it wouldn't be the first time I flew on the jet.
You know, my boss, Tony Kah. I've flown with him before,
(17:24):
I've flown alone. But I figured Tony, my boss, was
doing this because at the time, my father had just
suffered from a heart attack, and I figured he wanted
me to do my thing, get on this plane and
go home to my father. So immediately I'm so thankful.
I go over to my boss's office. I opened the door,
I go, I go, hey, Tony, and Mark, I just
want to let you know I really appreciate you doing
(17:45):
this for me, and he goes, Max, I have no
idea what you're talking about.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
I'm like, hold on a second. He's like, Max, I
don't have a clue what you're talking about. So now
I walk.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
Back over to the pilot and I go, so, who
hired you? He goes, Tony, Tony conn hired me to
fly you back home after the jokes. And then my
friend QT Marshall walks over. Then he asked them some
questions and then here comes security and they're grabbing this
guy physically and we have no idea how he got
(18:15):
to the back of the house. And as the guy
was leaving, uh QT looks at the guy and goes, hey,
we'll let you say if you show us your pilot's layers,
and the guy literally goes like this, I must have
left it.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
Yeah you know what I mean?
Speaker 3 (18:32):
Like crazy?
Speaker 1 (18:33):
Was the guy planning on kidnapping you? What was the plan?
Was the ultimate napping?
Speaker 3 (18:38):
I'm a grown man, but I think he was abduct me?
Speaker 1 (18:41):
Yeah, yeah, that is Wow.
Speaker 3 (18:46):
There's some crazies out there.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
Imagine if you didn't go back to thank Tony, who
knows what would have happened. Who knows where you'd be.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
Interesting flight would have been a very interesting flight.
Speaker 1 (18:56):
Jim, that's a good one on the heel face thing,
and then we can move on on everyone. It seems
like every time I've ever interviewed any wrestler, they always
say being a heel is more fun. You're saying you're
being yourself either way.
Speaker 3 (19:09):
Yeah, I'm always having fun.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
So you're having just as much fun now as you
did maybe when you're a little nastier.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
Yeah, I haven't changed the thing, and the people have changed.
They react to me however they feel like reacting, and
you know, like it's got to the point where I
swear I think if I shot someone, they'd be like
this guy Ross. So I'm having a good time. I
can get away with murder probably literally.
Speaker 3 (19:31):
It's great.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
All right, all right, well let's let's see half far
you can take it. Then I'm looking forward to that.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
Do you want me or you saying you want me
to shoot my opponent? On December thirtieth at Naslau Colisseum,
I'm always is that what you're saying?
Speaker 1 (19:43):
I mean, there's probably other people i'd picked before him,
but Okay, yeah.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
I like for the most part.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
So Samoa Joe is your opponent at World's End pay
per view December thirtieth, Nasau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Tell me
about main eventing a pay per view at the Nassau
Coliseum on Long Island where you grew up. That's got
to be a trip.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
So I'm main evented in front of eighty four thousand
people at Wembley Stadium.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
I think this one means right.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
I grew up in the barn, man, I grew up
in that shithole. It's my shith hole. It's our shithole.
I'm everyone's scumbag. It's like it's super kinetic. It feels right,
and uh.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
It's actually not as much as a shithole as it
used to be. They fish the inside. It's like it's
kind of nice inside.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
I'm almost upset, uh, just because you know, we we
like our things the way you know, we originally associate
with it.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
But yeah, now it's now.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
It's honestly, it's a gorgeous stadium now and the seating
arrangements are much better. The chairs don't break like they
used to when I was a kid. It's yeah, man,
I can't think of. I'm just happy. I'm in a
really good place right now, you know, mentally, physically not
so much.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
I tore my We can get into that, I guess,
but I'm just.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
I'm really happy. I'm proud of this title reign. It's
one of the greatest title reigns of the modern era.
I've I've defended the belt more than anyone in the
history of the company. I've Maine evented with you know,
well over million dollar gates multiple times. I've been a
part of some of the best matches this year, you know,
(21:23):
bar none. And yeah, I'm just I'm just really proud
of of everything I've accomplished.
Speaker 3 (21:29):
And it doesn't happen without the support of the fans.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
So, not not to be a DeBie downer, but you've
had a great year, and you had just really really
really great going storyline wise, TV wise with Adam Cole. Sure,
and and then he gets hurt. How much does that
suck when that happens?
Speaker 3 (21:43):
For you, Look, my best.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
Friend got hurt. Of course it blows. But you know,
the with professional wrestling, the show must go on. And uh,
I feel that we as a company have just definitely
proven that you know, we have such a stacked, incredible roster,
and with me at the Helm, it's you know, the
houses are starting to go up again. As I would
(22:06):
the show, in my opinion, has gotten better and better
every week. Nature is healing, you know. I feel like
the company right now. There was a there was a
minute there where I felt like we were kind of
in this rebuild phase, and I feel like right now
it's we're really building some serious momentum. You know, there
are fans online that say, you know, restore the feeling,
(22:28):
and I dug, I dig that line, and I I'm
pumped because I feel like we are and we have
and we're continuing to do so, and I'm proud to
be at the helm of that.
Speaker 1 (22:39):
When something like the Adam Cole injury happens, obviously storylines
or TVs have to be maybe changed or adjusted. Do
you get to give your input on what you want
to see happen? Or you leave that all up to
the writers and Tony Kahn and you don't get involved.
Or do you actually say like, let's do this, let's
do that.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
I just got to train hard and hope I win
these matches. Man. I when I go through that I
don't know about everybody else.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
When I go through that curtain, everything I do is real,
it's authentic, and it's happening live. I can't speak for
everybody else, but I know that's that's how it works
with me.
Speaker 1 (23:12):
You mentioned you're twenty seven years old, which to me
seems so young to be where you are in the
professional wrestling business. Do you feel like do you feel
like an aew? I mean, I know, I hear the
term all the time in WWE locker room leader, locker
room leader, like, do you feel like a pillar? A
locker room leader? Can you be that at twenty seven?
(23:32):
Does it have to be someone older? How does that?
Speaker 3 (23:34):
I don't think. I don't think I necessarily.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
I'm not the type of guy that's going to stand
on a soapbox and say, hey, everybody listen to me.
But yeah, people of my generation come up to me
for advice. People that are older than me come up
to me for advice. I think age is just a
number in any industry. You're either great at your job
or you're not. And I'm great at my job, and
that's why people want to hear my opinion. Do I
consider myself a locker room leader. No, When I think
(23:58):
of locker room leaders, I think of people who are
unabashedly willing to stand in front of the entire locker
room and and and with verboth say here's what we
need to do. When I think of that, I think
of guys like Danielsin, like Moxley, like Uh, like Eddie Kingsin,
like God Dax honestly as much as me and him
(24:21):
butt heads Chris Jericho.
Speaker 3 (24:24):
You know, these are the.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
Guys who are not afraid to stand in front of
everybody and say, hey, this is the way it's meant
to be done. And when I say that, I mean
that in a positive light. I don't feel it's my
place to do that, but I am more and I do.
I give advice when I'm when I am asked of it,
and I'm asked. Frankly, I'm asked for it a lot.
But I'm not afraid to give advice because I know
I've earned the right to do so. But no, I
(24:45):
wouldn't consider myself a locker room later.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
Let me ask you a few things here, just on
state of wrestling. And I know people listening to this
are dying to know and waiting for me to ask,
So let me just get a couple of these out
of the way. Seampunk joins W. Obviously it was a
in ae W and huge.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
I'll just say it's the greatest fear of the modern era,
was me versus cup Punk?
Speaker 3 (25:08):
I think yeah, and that happened on AW television.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
Were you said that it couldn't work out with him
in ae W.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
No, I was happy for him because if listen, if
he's happy, I'm happy.
Speaker 3 (25:18):
I think he's a hell of a talent.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
And you know, at the end of the day, it's
the business, and for some reason, with wrestling it's looked
at differently than any other sport. Like listen, I thine,
guys get traded to different teams all the time.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
You know, that's that's just life.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
So he did what he felt was best for him,
and the company did what they felt was best for
the company.
Speaker 3 (25:39):
So I I just hope he's happy, wish him the
best of luck.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
Now there's all this stuff about your contract. Now, this
is what you can't trust what you read. This is
what I've read. I read in nine that you had
signed a five year deal. It's up in twenty twenty four.
Then there was something that said you secretly re signed
with AW. There was stuff that you went on TV
and blasted AW. So can you tell us on December eighteenth,
(26:08):
twenty twenty three, what the status thing?
Speaker 2 (26:11):
I've never lied January first, twenty twenty four. When stuff
like that gets leaked out, it makes me laugh because
I remember something got leaked out about Cody having secretly
resigned and then he showed up. Something got leaked out
about you know, Sam Punk and Tony Cohn? Are you
know actually fine? You know, like I think fans leak
(26:35):
out things that they want to be true. I love AW,
I want to stay in AAW After this pay per view,
it's time to assess the situation from a professional setting.
Speaker 1 (26:47):
So so you have not resigned, not yet? Okay. Now,
your friend Cody made some waves last week because he
did an interview and said, you'll be in the WWE
one day now, one day? Is that?
Speaker 3 (26:59):
Actually?
Speaker 2 (26:59):
He got like I thought, fan's absolutely shitting on him,
when when all he.
Speaker 3 (27:05):
Was saying was his opinion.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
It's his opinion, you know, Like I I pray to God,
I don't get lamb based online for some of the
opinions I'm doing in this interview it's just like, I
just feel like everything's so radicalized now in hyperbolic now.
That's why I can't really There's certain aspects about social
media I love. I think it brings people of the
same like mindedness together. I think it allows people to
(27:28):
find their own communities. But what I hate about some
of the social media is I find that like hate
mongering and fear mongering.
Speaker 3 (27:35):
Is the stuff that gets pushed the most.
Speaker 2 (27:38):
And and it's because of this sensationalist stuff that people
start believing in the sensationalized stuff and the hyperbolic stuff, and.
Speaker 3 (27:49):
I can't relate to it. You know, I'm a straight shooter.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
I'd say it like it is one hundred and ten
percent of the time.
Speaker 3 (27:54):
Cody Rhoades felt that way.
Speaker 2 (27:56):
In Cody Rhodes's mind and opinion, that was his way
of put over a friend, a prodigy, a former co worker,
a former protege. So are you just gonna to say former?
I still talk to Cody to this day. He's a
great guy.
Speaker 3 (28:12):
He's doing great things over there. I'm doing great things
over here.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
After you saw the headlines where he said that, do
you shoot him at text and say what's up? Dude?
What's going on here?
Speaker 3 (28:21):
No, you know, we we do.
Speaker 2 (28:22):
We text each other all the time. Like he puts
me over, I put him over. We we're both fans
of each other's work. We're both incredible at our jobs.
We're both on top of the industry.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
But listen, like you said, you know, it's just like
anything like any other sport where if you think a
guy's gonna get traded, in this case, you would be signing.
You can see why people get excited.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
I'll put it this way.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
If are you, if you're a fan of professional sports
in general, an all star player, like, for example, Kobe right,
Kobe Bryant rip was the bedrock foundation of the Lakers.
You think he wasn't doing interviews while Lebron was in
(29:06):
the league, saying God, I wish Lebron James was playing here.
I'm sure if we google it, he was, and probably
consistently throughout his career. Listen, it's normal. Of course, you
want MJF in your company. Who who the fuck wouldn't
want me in their company. I'm the best thing going
to ay, I'm the AAW world champion. Nobody dresses like me,
(29:29):
nobody talks like me, Nobody looks like me. Nobody walks
like me, nobody wrestles like me. So I take it
as a compliment, and I think the aw fans should
take it as a compliment too, because that means that
their world champion, the face of their company, is a
hot commodity. So that's the only way I feel it
should be looked at.
Speaker 1 (29:48):
Obviously, when your contract's up, you have a lot to
consider on any all sides of defense. Yes, and I
think with you know, obviously money's an issue, there's travel day,
there's this that where you are. I just want to
focus in on one thing about this that I for
you specifically, which I find interesting. Will it cross your
(30:10):
mind and your head at all to think, can I
be full MJF Maxwell, Jacob Freeman over there where they're
so PG and will I be happy if I had to
do that? Is that a factor in your decision?
Speaker 2 (30:25):
I just don't know how the fuck you put a
leash on me, and so I swear to God that's
my honest opinion.
Speaker 3 (30:31):
I'm sorry, I've now cursed twice.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
You can it's fine. This isn't ww A. You could say, fuck,
I don't thank fucking gout.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
I don't know, I don't think anybody can hold me
back from being the monster that I am. I think
I think my career trajectory in any company is going
to be exactly the same.
Speaker 3 (30:47):
Do I think in some aspects a e W fits
me like a glove more so than anywhere else. Yeah,
I do.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
Could I could an argument be made the other way around? Yeah,
I'm sure you know. These are all things that I
have to think about. What I do know, whatever company
I pick, it will be because it feels right and
it means the most to me.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
Okay, Now, as we've established, you are main eventing World's
End pay per view December thirtieth, NASA Coliseum against Mojo,
NASA Coliseum, your neck of the woods, your hometown. Now
tell me if this is true. I read as a
Long Island guy. Your favorite sports teams Islanders, Mets, Giants,
all that, okay, because usually for the Long Islanders Islanders
(31:33):
it goes Jets. Ye tell me where it whent different
for you.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
So, first of all, my dad loves the Giants, but
also Lawrence Taylor main invented WrestleMania, and I remember watching
l T versus Bam Bam and being like, oh yeah, no, Giants.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
Smart choice too, considering your jet Yeah, right.
Speaker 3 (31:54):
Well smart choice this year. I don't think any New
York teams is smart.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
Well, no, in totality, I mean the Jets. Yes, we
I mentioned earlier and I didn't follow up. Tell me
you so you're an executive producer on Iron Claw. Yes,
I'm looking forward to this. Tell me what fans can
expect from the movie.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
Expect to get kicked in the nuts over and over
and over again. Expect to cry, expect to be moved,
and expect to walk away with a lesson about family
and a cautionary tale also about how much pressure we
put on our kids.
Speaker 3 (32:29):
And I think that's a big theme of the film
as well.
Speaker 1 (32:32):
Yeah, yeah, because I mean it's a tragic story. It's
not a happy story. So no, you know, if it's
I think, if you I mean, I grew up in
the eighties, if you have to go see this movie,
if you're a wrestling fan who grew up in that.
Speaker 3 (32:47):
Era, strongly agree.
Speaker 1 (32:49):
I have to say. In anticipation for this interview, I
did say to myself, I wonder when we do it,
if he's gonna have on the Burberry scarf. Oh yeah,
and I need to know, so when and how did
the whole fascination with Burbury start?
Speaker 3 (33:08):
So I'll tell the story.
Speaker 1 (33:14):
I like that this was the hardest question I've asked
you so far.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
Only because I've been saying the same answer over and
over again for years. But as I've aided and matured,
I've opened up a little bit more. Okay, there was
a fifteen and under bar like club, but it didn't
serve alcohol in Long Island. I can't remember the name
of it. How is that crazy horse coming? Weird like that?
And you know, I went with my friends. It was
(33:38):
the height of the summer, and obviously all the girls
are all over me. And that's not hyperbole, I'm it
is what it is. I'm very good at getting with women.
But there was one guy in particular who I could
see also how to lie informing for him. And of
course this agitates me because whenever the spotlight's not on me,
I get very agitate.
Speaker 3 (33:57):
Right, And I look at this guy again. Summer and this.
Speaker 2 (34:01):
Guy's gone on Gucci shoes, long black teams.
Speaker 3 (34:11):
And a Birdberry scarf. Wool wool. It's the summer time.
Speaker 2 (34:18):
It's hot as balls, not just outside but in this club,
and I'm thinking of myself, you schmuck. The only reason
you're wearing that is so everybody in here knows you
can afford it.
Speaker 3 (34:29):
And then I thought, huh, and there you go.
Speaker 1 (34:34):
It's a I cannot believe you just said that, because
anytime I've watched you, yeah, this is I always say
to myself, it's one hundred degrees. Why is he wearing
that scar Like I've seen you do interviews other podcasts
and you have it, and I'm like, he's still with
the scarf even in the summer.
Speaker 3 (34:50):
So it makes you it kind of rash. It makes
you it a rationally mad, doesn't it.
Speaker 1 (34:54):
Yes, absolutely, one hundred, one hundred percent. Well there hundred percent.
But it's also you're so good that, like you know,
to take it that far. It's one hundred degrees. I'm
still wearing the scarf.
Speaker 3 (35:07):
You gotta do what you gotta do.
Speaker 1 (35:08):
How many how many scarves are in the collection these days?
Speaker 2 (35:11):
Oh, I don't even know. I've lost count. I've got
a scarf for every occasion.
Speaker 1 (35:16):
Does Burberry ever hook you up? No, that's a disgrace.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
It's really funny. I've never reached out, nor have they.
I think we're at a standstill. We'll see what happens.
Speaker 1 (35:30):
I mean, come on, Burbery, wake god.
Speaker 2 (35:32):
I think there's I think there's a part of them
that wants me to stop him, and there's there's another
part of them that wants me to keep going. Because
I'll tell you, boy blank, there was not ten thousand
people entering an arena with a Burberry scarf on before
MJF came in the you know the scene so.
Speaker 1 (35:48):
Well, if if one of these other, if Gucci or
someone else was smart, they'd send you a whole boatload
of scarves.
Speaker 3 (35:54):
Oh, Burbury would be dead in the water, exactly.
Speaker 1 (35:57):
That's the way to work it. I want to as
do one more serious thing, and then I want to
end with some long island talk. Of course, we've talked
at the top. You just got inducted into the National
Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, and we talked about your
faith and how that that's important to you. You've been open.
I can't remember any wrestler ever, and I don't even know.
Maybe there's been a couple of athletes here and there
(36:17):
who have been open about a d D. Yeah, how
it's now I hear what fascinates me about that is
your job, professional wrestler with a d D. What aspects
of your job become difficult because of ad.
Speaker 2 (36:34):
No, point blank none. When I walk through that curtain,
I've got blinders on.
Speaker 3 (36:41):
I am.
Speaker 2 (36:42):
I am incapable of being moved away from that moment.
And you know, anybody with add will tell you we
can either not concentrate at all or we hyper fixate, right,
And I didn't find anything I can hyper fixate on
in my entire life until I came across for wrest
and and also football to an extent. But if I'm
(37:03):
being honest, I didn't love football. I was just very
good at it. I can hyper fixate on wrestling all
day long, and I think that's why I'm such a
student of the game.
Speaker 1 (37:15):
At what age did you first catch the wrestling bug?
Speaker 2 (37:19):
I know it was young, no, no, no, I was
five because I remember I started watching it before I
made my appearance on the Rosie o'donald show.
Speaker 1 (37:27):
That's I feel like you have you have my list
of notes, because that's where I was going. I was.
I was gonna say, I wanted to know the timeline
of when you appeared on the Rosi o' donald show
and then when you got the wrestling, so the very.
Speaker 2 (37:38):
That was like the towards the tail end of that year.
But at the Rosie show took my recollection. But I
remember at the beginning of that year, I was introduced
to pro wrestling by my uncle Allan, and then I
made my dad take me to Hollywood Video. Rip Hollywood
Video in the plain View shopping center. Yes, yes, gone
(37:59):
now now and then it was a harmon and now
the harmon's gone, so it's it's a mess over there.
Speaker 3 (38:05):
Now I think it's a stat health But oh, I
know that.
Speaker 1 (38:08):
Are you talking about the one by I know the
La Yes, yes, that was Hollywood Video. Yeah. La Piazza, Yeah,
Lat Piazza is my favorite Long Island well, the the
Lombardo's of New Hyde Park and Lat Piazza my two.
Speaker 2 (38:22):
Are we just talking about quick to go pizza? Are
we talking sit down restaurant?
Speaker 3 (38:26):
Okay?
Speaker 2 (38:26):
Because if we're talking sit down restaurants personally, I think
La Parma is the most near and dear in my
heart as far as to sit down Italian family restaurants.
Speaker 3 (38:35):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (38:35):
I was going to ask you I wanted like the
MJF so for the so MJF grew up in plain View.
I grew up in Saast There right next to each other,
so we so I wanted to know your pizza place,
your bagel store, your Chinese restaurant, and your number one restaurant.
Speaker 2 (38:52):
People don't understand because it looks like a hole in
the wall.
Speaker 3 (38:55):
It's right next to the cleaners.
Speaker 2 (38:56):
But Bella Vista, if you want some of the best
fucking slices, they met the best buffalo chicken pizza slice.
It does not get better. If you think it does,
kill yourself, go there Bella Vista. They also have incredible garlic,
not so much. Relistis that's my pizza spot. If we're
talking Mexican food, Uh I God, this is where it
(39:20):
gets tough.
Speaker 3 (39:22):
I'm gonna say.
Speaker 2 (39:23):
Basito is the best Mexican restaurant in Long Island. I'm
gonna make that claim right now. It's done Chinese food.
There's a place in Huntington that I'm forgetting the name
of that's incredible.
Speaker 1 (39:37):
Oh this is important. You gotta get me the name
of this because that Chinese is my favorite. So I
need to know, like the this is gonna Alberts. Alberts,
I believe I've heard of it unless the.
Speaker 3 (39:47):
Owners Albert and that's why my family calls it Alberts.
But that's my favorite.
Speaker 1 (39:51):
Do you ever go to? You ever go to hu
Nan Taste and Green like that is?
Speaker 3 (39:56):
If I don't know about who.
Speaker 1 (39:57):
Nanti, Okay, I just want to make sure. I just
want to make sure. And I need your best steakhouse.
I need your best steakhouse too, Go ahead, keep going.
Speaker 3 (40:03):
Oh god, my best steakhouse.
Speaker 2 (40:10):
Either one ten, which I know also veers a little
bit of Italian stuff, but either one Yeah or Prime.
We're also rare. You can't go wrong with rare. I'd
say those are your They're tied for me. They're tied
for me. Those three rare, Prime and.
Speaker 1 (40:27):
Oh god.
Speaker 2 (40:30):
And then my second favorite sit down Italian place is
probably christ and Twies.
Speaker 3 (40:37):
The best. It's so good.
Speaker 1 (40:38):
How have I never seen you in any of these places.
I'm in these places.
Speaker 3 (40:41):
All the time because you're a good islander.
Speaker 2 (40:44):
But I'm trying to think of other foods besides.
Speaker 1 (40:49):
You know, a bagel, bagel. We thought about bagels. I'll
pull the bought. We fought over bagels before the pod
started because I'm a die hard bagel boss. For life,
for life two.
Speaker 3 (41:03):
So here's the deal. They might have the best bagel
they do.
Speaker 2 (41:08):
I will agree with you on that, and I love
Bagel Boss. Bagel Boss hits me up. They want me
to be they want me to be a spokesperson. But
and that's real, that's that's genuine, that's the real thing,
and I'm considering good. The best tuna fish on the
island goes to Plane View Family Bagel. It's it's family
(41:28):
bagel and you get the the low fat I know
it's just not funny low fat, but the low fat
family tuna.
Speaker 3 (41:36):
It's it's insane.
Speaker 2 (41:39):
It is the best tuna fish salad you will ever
eat in your life. I have had tuna fish salad
all across the world. This is the best tuna fish salad.
Speaker 3 (41:47):
Please rush down.
Speaker 1 (41:48):
I'm gonna try it. But I know that I know
that Begel, so I've been there. I'm gonna try it
based in here. I don't like to cheat on Bagel Boss,
but someone had told me to.
Speaker 2 (41:56):
And then my second favorite tuna on the island goes
the Golden Mines.
Speaker 1 (42:00):
Okay, I was there last week, Old Meyer, and tell
me diner, because diners on Long Island I am a
huge diner. Well let me I'm gonna throw let me.
Speaker 2 (42:10):
Throw out the playview diners so much. When it shut down,
I literally had almost jumped off a cliff.
Speaker 1 (42:15):
I agree, it was a great, great diner, great, but.
Speaker 3 (42:18):
It done to my head. Probably on Parade.
Speaker 1 (42:22):
We're best friends and you don't even know it.
Speaker 3 (42:24):
Yeah, I love on Parade, love best.
Speaker 1 (42:28):
That was when I was in high school'st way. We
would go on like Friday nights when we couldn't get
into anywhere. That was like that, But I still go
there now. Now do you ever venture out and take
a trip to Maureene's kitchen?
Speaker 3 (42:39):
Where is Maureen's Kitchen? Look?
Speaker 1 (42:40):
Smithtown?
Speaker 3 (42:42):
This sounds so painfully familiar.
Speaker 1 (42:44):
Listen, I'm not saying this. I'm not going to well
so you would know if you ate there. So it's
literally a breakfast. It's a breakfast place. They close it
like one and they they have breakfast and lunch. They
close it like two o'clock. There's a huge, huge cow
on the outside. It's a it's an independently mom and pop. Okay,
(43:06):
if you google best breakfast Long Island, this is what
comes up, from top to bottom, NonStop Maureen's kitchen.
Speaker 3 (43:14):
You have I know what this, Jimmy.
Speaker 2 (43:16):
Yeah, we are literally isolating everyone listening.
Speaker 3 (43:20):
Oh yeah right now, And I know I hope they're
getting frustrated.
Speaker 1 (43:24):
I hope I am going to get so many tweets
that say, no one cares about Long Island and all
you talk about is food, you fat fuck Like those
are incoming, Those are incoming.
Speaker 3 (43:32):
I've got I've got fucking abs on top of my ads.
Speaker 1 (43:35):
But I I I you don't have my information, but
that you have to get in touch with me after
you go to Mauren's Kitchen. I want like a full review,
because your life will be changed. Your life will be changed.
Speaker 2 (43:45):
There's another great breakfast place in Glenn Cole called Henry's.
Speaker 3 (43:48):
Have you ever been around?
Speaker 1 (43:49):
I have not, but I'm putting that right. I'm writing
it down right now. I'm a big Thomas You ever
go to Thomas's?
Speaker 3 (43:55):
Of course?
Speaker 1 (43:55):
Okay, I'm there all the time at Thomas's. So we
have to go back to wrestling, I guess, because I
don't want.
Speaker 3 (44:02):
To, but we can't if you really want to. I guess.
Speaker 1 (44:05):
I feel like Long Islanders we have like a connection,
Like it's just a weird thing.
Speaker 3 (44:08):
Yeah, and I.
Speaker 2 (44:09):
Think, you know, it's so funny people equate what happens
when I go to Long Island to what would happen
with Brett when he would go to Canada. Yeah, and
now that I'm loved everywhere, I'm I'm genuinely interested.
Speaker 3 (44:21):
I'm interested to see what's gonna happen.
Speaker 2 (44:23):
I genuinely think everyone's ears are gonna bleed, but we're
all gonna be happy when my music hits and all
our ears are bleeding and our voices are straining. I
genuinely think it might be one of the loudest pops
in the history of the sport.
Speaker 1 (44:37):
I agree, I agree.
Speaker 2 (44:39):
But by the way, this is coming from a guy
who already had one of the loudest pops in the
history of the sport.
Speaker 3 (44:43):
When I returned in Chicago.
Speaker 1 (44:46):
Right and you there was recently to you where you guy,
what the key? There was a ton of Oyster Bay,
you guys, I got the Quida.
Speaker 3 (44:52):
Long Island, I got the ketas. I actually have the
one second.
Speaker 1 (44:57):
Oh look at this. If you're on YouTube, we're getting
the We're getting a visual of the key. Here he
comes there he is. That's a legit key. That's a
legit key.
Speaker 3 (45:07):
I can go to your house whenever I want.
Speaker 1 (45:11):
That is pretty cool. So, like, I you know, I
should have I should have prepared better in fact and
made like a list of like the most popular Long
Islanders and we could have seen where you rank. I
know you would say number one. But you know who
give me the top.
Speaker 2 (45:27):
Three of all time is me fully Billy Joel, And
I think that's fair.
Speaker 3 (45:35):
I mean, who the fuck else? Right?
Speaker 1 (45:36):
Billy Joel? Third? For sure?
Speaker 3 (45:38):
Oh easily, easily. It goes m J. F Le.
Speaker 1 (45:42):
Who's the most famous Plainview High School alum? Beside you?
Besides you, I.
Speaker 2 (45:48):
Think the second most is this. I'm probably gonna I'm
probably gonna botch her name. But she was on Big Brother.
Speaker 1 (45:57):
Oh that's not good. Yeah, but I see I blow
you away then because Sas High School we had Natalie Portman,
Oh wow, and I and I Dina Menzel.
Speaker 3 (46:08):
So you're the fifth most famous.
Speaker 1 (46:10):
I'm like eight. I'm like eighth Chris Man Doug Russau.
I don't know if you're familiar with him on Sirious
Famous Radio Hosts. Maybe I'm maybe I'm like fifth or sixth.
Speaker 3 (46:22):
You gotta take where you can get you. Not everybody
could be number one.
Speaker 1 (46:25):
I can't be a number one like you exactly. Speaking
of number one, he is the AW World Champion, r
O H Tag Team Champion MJF pay per View World's
End December thirtieth Nasal Coliseum, his hometown against Samoa Joe.
Thank you for know this. Really appreciate it, and it wasn't.
(46:45):
Maybe I'll bump into you somewhere one of the I mean,
it's ridiculous.
Speaker 2 (46:49):
On parade, or I'll see a bagel boss at two
way of the morning when I'm fucking hammered and I'm
hankering for a big.
Speaker 1 (46:54):
Here's what I love about bagel boss. And no one's
going to get this except for like me, you and
maybe one I would. I'm gonna be one of those
douchebags who uses a wrestling term to wrestlers, which is
like the dumbest thing you could do. I would get
so over with my friends when I would tell them, like,
I got a bagel place at two am with hot bagels,
and they'd be like, what are you talking. It's the
(47:15):
dumbest thing I said. Watch, let's go to this place.
My friends like my friends who weren't from here, would
be so blown away, and that they would get a
piping hot bagel at two am from this one.
Speaker 2 (47:26):
Also, Jim, let's get real, bagels don't exist outside of
New York.
Speaker 1 (47:30):
They don't exactly, They're not a bagel.
Speaker 2 (47:33):
It's it's it's two shitty circular lobes of bread. People
don't know how to make bagels anywhere else. And that's
just the fact.
Speaker 1 (47:40):
Yeah, I have so you know, all these people who
from New York moved to Florida. And then the one
thing I always hear is you can't get any bagels
down there. You have to go to like Dunkin Donuts
or Pinera to get bagels. I'm like, those aren't bagels.
What are we doing? What are we doing? What are
we doing?
Speaker 3 (47:53):
Is horrible?
Speaker 2 (47:54):
And then, dude, I'll never forget when I started traveling
for wrestling, and and I was like, all right, you know,
it's it's like it's midnight right now, I'm starving, I'm
on the road. I'll just let me find it the
local diner, right What the fuck?
Speaker 3 (48:10):
No, din who knew?
Speaker 1 (48:13):
I have to say, it's so funny you say that
because I didn't realize there were weren't diners in every
state in America until my mind.
Speaker 2 (48:21):
My mind, and it's only a thing that I can
talk about with Long Islanders. And once you leave the bubble,
you're like, what do you mean? Diners aren't everywhere?
Speaker 3 (48:28):
Crazy? And then that's what always taught me so much
is I'd go on.
Speaker 2 (48:32):
The road and I would see waffle House and Denny's
and and I'd be like.
Speaker 3 (48:38):
The hell you need that for?
Speaker 2 (48:39):
And you know what you do when you don't live
in the most magical place in the world will known
as Long Island.
Speaker 3 (48:44):
But anyway, I digress.
Speaker 1 (48:46):
Well, I appreciate it, and I believe me, people are annoying.
Now I can go for another hour talking about Long
Island food with you, but I'll spare the people. You
can catch him obviously. I'm JFF Wednesday nights on aw
Dynamite as well. And like I said, we of the
pay per view appreciate this. Hopefully you come back and
enjoy the holiday's, New Year and all that stuff.
Speaker 3 (49:06):
Thanks.
Speaker 2 (49:06):
I look forward to one of us defending somebody in
it becoming the most viral thing online for all of
the day.
Speaker 3 (49:11):
It's gonna be great.
Speaker 1 (49:13):
That's it. Perfect Thanks Ben, appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (49:15):
Thanks Brother.
Speaker 1 (49:17):
All Right, my many many thanks to MJF. Maxwell, Jacob Freeman.
Hopefully you guys enjoyed it. If you're a new listener
to SIMDI with Jimmy Train to hit that subscribe button
and check out some recent episodes we've done. We had
Andrew Marshan sports media reporter, and Calmness for the New
York Posters on the podcast last week. Seth rollins from
WWE Booger McFarland, Mike Trico all recent guests on SIMDI
(49:40):
with Jimmy Trainer, so check those out, subscribe to the pod,
leave a review on Apple. All Right. That wraps it
up for this edition. Stay safe and take care.
Welcome everyone to SI Media with Jimmy Tranna. Thank you
so much for listening. Bonus episode for you this week
we have one of the hottest wrestlers in all of
wrestling from AW Maxwell Jacob Freeman, otherwise known as MJF.
Has had an unbelievable run the last few years in
(00:23):
AEW and we have a really fun conversation about his
rise to fame in wrestling, where he stands in AW,
his contract status, and a lot of talk about Long
Island because we're sort of from the same neck of
the woods. So hopefully you guys enjoy the chat with MJF.
Like I said, this is a bonus episode. If you
missed any recent episodes of SI Media with Jimmy Trainey,
you can go into the archives and check them out.
(00:44):
We had New York Post Sports media reporter Andrew Marshan
on last week, seth rollins from the WWE booger McFarland,
Mike Turico all recent guests in recent weeks on SI
Media with Jimmy trainer So check those out and if
you're not a subscriber, hit that subscribe button, subscribe to
the pod and leave a review on Apple. All right,
Let's get to it. Maxwell Jacob Freeman, otherwise known as
(01:08):
MJF right here, right now on SI Media with Jimmy
Tryanna all right joining me now, someone I've wanted to
have on for a very very long time. Thrilled to
finally have him because we are Long Island neighbors and
he is, without a doubt an electrifying figure in the
world of professional wrestling. AW World Champion got a big
(01:30):
pay per view coming up on December thirtieth, World's End
at the NASA Coliseum. Maxwell Jacob Freeman, otherwise known as MJF. Maxwell,
how are you?
Speaker 2 (01:42):
That was a solid in like it was an introduction.
I don't know if it was the best introduction I've
ever had. You know, there's so many other things you
could have mentioned. Twenty seven years old, already in the
National Jewish Hall of Fame, just got inducted this morning.
Longest reigning AW World Champion of all time, most successful
defenses of all time, in handsome, funny, witty, charming, very humble,
(02:05):
and across the board. I just think just overall, just
better than pretty much everyone. But I'm very excited to
do this podcast. Jimmy, you're a fellow Long Islander, which
means I'm not going to bully you today.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
I'm going to be polite. I'm going to be positive,
and I'm excited for all your questions you have for.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Me about World's in on December thirtieth at my hometown arena,
Nasdalf Coliseum.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
I grew up in there, so it's pretty crazy.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
So did I, So did I the NASA Veterans and
World Colisseum. My favorite thing when I used to go,
there's a kid for wrestling shows. I don't know if
they still do this because I haven't been to house
shows in a while, but like, my favorite thing was
when in the middle of the show they'd have the
intermission and then announced the card for the next time
they were in the arena. It would just get me
so excited.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Yeah yeah, oh of course, yeah, very good, callback very
good call back.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Thank you. So, Like I said, we're Long Island neighbors,
and I could really just this has to I always
feel it's so weird for you guys doing these, Like
I feel like I'm friends with you just because we're
from like the same area and you don't even know
who I am, So like, it's got to be weird.
So I'm gonna try not to be like too creepy
about it. And I have to say to it.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
I'm sure we visit the same food places. I'm sure
we visit the same shopping centers. I'm very excited to
talk a little bit of Long Island geography.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Yeah. Yeah, And I have to say, whenever I intro
a wrestler, it's I feel like it's there's so much
pressure on me because I remember, I think I had
Cody on a few months ago, your friend Cody Rhose,
and uh, I said, I introduced him as one of
the most popular wrestlers, and you know, he had to
call me out. Why isn't he the most popular? So like,
(03:39):
there's absolutes, Timmy, Timmy, I hope you told him that's
because that distinction belongs to me Long Island, Right, you
can't go in absolutes or else I get killed. And
then you know, it's a tough, tough way to intro
I know, like you, let's let's talk with this before
we get to a lot of the A W stuff
(03:59):
paper you mentioned it. We're taping this right after you
were just inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame,
that's got to be a really cool thing for you,
especially this time with all this, with what's going on,
it's got to be more just say.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Let's think it.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Anti Semitism is going on, like them, it's rampant and listen,
it's been around forever. But I feel like when certain
events happen in the world, the people who were already
anti Semitic now have an excuse to be outwardly anti Semitic,
at least in their heads, you know. So to me,
today was so important because I'm showing people that Jews
(04:35):
are brave, Jews are kind, Jews are funny, Jews are athletes,
Jews can be anything. But most of all views are
human and we should all be treating each other as such.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Yeah, it's I've been so bummed out by the entire
thing because when you see, like when you see this
happening in New York City of all places, like New
York City, of all places, it's just it blows my
mind the way that the anti Semitism would be so
just open and discussed in New York City. Yes, crazy
(05:10):
to me.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
What I found the most interesting, right is, you know,
being raised on the island, everybody wants their kid to
go to an Ivy League school.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
It's like such this massive thing.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
If you work hard to get into an Ivy League school,
and you know the kids.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
That go to our league school. This is just a fact.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
These are our future lawyers, doctors and politicians. And they're
out there screaming that Jews deserve to be killed. They're
talking about jedocide, They're sharing Jewish kids into hiding away
in their dorm rooms. And you know, this is the
next generations of leaders of our society.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
So that's another reason.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Why I feel so proud to be AW World Champion
and to be openly discussing my judaism.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
I think it's very.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Important, and I think it's important that I never shut
up about it, or else people are going to think
it's okay to do this shit and it's not. And
if they do think it's okay to do it, I'd
love for them to step in the ring with me
and find out.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
It's a crazy, crazy, crazy time seeing all this stuff
going on. It is, you know, on the topic of
judysm on a much much lighter note, you actually did
a re bar mitzvah on an AW show. Yes, gimme
what was the highlight of your original bar mitzvah.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
So my original bar Mitzvah, it was called Maximania, and
obviously it was wrestling themed, so you know, we had
female dancers that were dressed up like pro wrestlers, and
we had the male dancers were dressed up like Luciah Doors.
And my birthday cake had you know, CM Punk and
John Cena and Tris Jericho and Batista and Raymond Cirio
(06:48):
and it was a really fun night. All the tables
were named after different wrestlers. I came out to John
Cena's theme music with the horns and everything like with
legitimate you know.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
Do we have video of that anywhere? Can we get
video of that?
Speaker 2 (07:03):
You know, I'm sure my parents do. I gotta I
gotta search around and mess around and find it.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Yeah, seriously, MJF coming out to the John Ceno horns
at his bar mitzvah. We need to see that.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
If you really want to laugh for my you can
find it. It's on huddle.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
For my senior year of high school football, I broke
the tackling record at play View JFK. But for my
senior year in the background it was hul Cogan theme
music playing in the background to just me tackling hundreds
of people. So that's another fun when you can google was.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Your bar Mitzvah on Long Island somewhere?
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Of course it was, of course it was. I think
I think it was that Haverreem. I think it was
that temple Havrema not.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Okay, Yeah, I went to I went to sass at
high school. Yeah, so I was at twenty seven bar
in bar Mitzvah's over my but I only got to
light the candle at two, so I wasn't like a
great friend to a lot of it was. It's kind
of like, after a while, it's like I've only done
(08:04):
this twice. After going all these bar and bart mitz visit,
it did kind of feel shitty, like, you know, I
should have been up there more.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
You kind of just figure out maybe you're maybe you're
just not everybody's cup of tea, but you're enough of
the cup of tea to.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Be invited, you know. Right.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
It's got exact.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
Class path, full type thing, Jim, exactly.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
We have so much AWS doesn't talk about. But I
was gonna say this for lated, but we mentioned Sena.
You there was a picture of you with John at
the Iron Claw premiere last week or two weeks ago.
I can't wait to see that movie. You're in it,
executive executive, So I want to get to the movie.
But tell me about bumping into John Cena there, because
wrestling fans always freak out when there's any AWWWE crossover
(08:45):
connection anything.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Look, we're two guys that are both massive fans of
each other's work. He loves what I'm doing a w
I obviously love everything that he's done in professional wrestling
as a whole. He's easily a first ballot Hall of Famer,
and I believe that, well, I literally I'm a Hall
of Famer, but I believe that I'm also soon to
be a first ballot professional Wrestling Hall of Famer as well.
And we exchanged legendaries, and we talked and discussed about,
(09:10):
you know, how we're fans of each other's work, and
we also I told him straight up, I find would
be an absolute inspiration what he's been able to do
with make a wish with all these kids, and also
what he's been able to do completely transcend outside the
you know, the professional wrestling sport and landscape is something
that I've begun to do as well, and I'm really
(09:31):
proud of that. And I don't think I'd be able
to do that without following the footsteps of these major
giants of professional wrestling history like him, like Batista, like
The Rock. You know, if it's not for these guys,
they wouldn't take me seriously as an actor.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Is that the first time you ever met him in person?
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Son? No, the first time I ever met him in person.
Who's actually a very funny story. I was eighteen years old.
I might have been training for like three months, and
I got called on to do extra work at at
show in Brooklyn, and they wanted to paint me up
like the Finn Baler Demon thing because they needed to
(10:07):
do a.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
Mock up of what it would look like.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
So all I brought with me because I'm a professional, obviously,
I was in a suit, you know, you know, and
I did not have anything to wear after the paint,
So I'm freaking out and my friend's like, Okay, I'm
gonna give you my shorts. My friend morbidly obese, so
the shorts weren't fitting me. They're very baggy. I'm wearing
(10:30):
black dress shoes with high like knee high black dress socks.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
Oh basketball shorts.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Basketball shorts, and a long sleeve dress shirt. So I
look like a maniac. And I've got Krusty the clown makeup,
you know, all over my face, and my head's down,
and I'm walking down this hallway and I'm just praying
to God. Nobody notices I exist, and I make it
to the extra's door. I've made it to the extras door.
I'm home free. And the extra door opens and it's
(10:58):
John Cena, and John Cena to me on up and down.
He goes interesting choice and walked away, And in that moment,
I wanted to crawl an old ball.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
But so that that was the very first time I
have met John.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
So the iron clow is your first real conversation with you?
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Yes, so it was the first real professional and social conversation.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
He's going to have to be a cool moment from
having his theme song play at your bar, mitzvah, and
now hear you on the red carpet with him, Like
that's one of those like gotta be like, look at
my life right now. This is pretty cool.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
I've had a couple of those, you know, Like I've
had incredible moments where I got to meet up with
people and wrestle people and beat people that I grew
up idolizing, you know, But that's that's just how sports work, right,
And that's the coolest thing. And I think that's why
so many people aspire to be a pro wrestler or
a pro football player or a pro baseball player, and
in their head, they're like, shit, what if I get
(11:48):
to actually go on the field, get to go on
the court, get to go in the ring with this
idol And I've had so many opportunities to do so,
and I've won every time because I'm the best. So yeah,
it's definitely one of those cool moments. But you know,
I've managed to create a legacy of my own in
the short history of all the wrestlings the existence.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
So let's let's let's go there. Because one of the
things I wanted to ask you is I feel like,
as a wrestling fan wrestling observer, I think it's incredibly
difficult for you guys in this day and age with
the Internet and you know, what's what storyline, what's not storyline?
Your personally, I think it's so hard for you guys,
Harder than ever for you guys to stand out. Sure,
(12:29):
no one has stood out more than you over the
last few years. What was it something that you had
to be constantly cognizant of? Is like, how do I
do this to stand out? Or is it just it's
all natural? Or how much of it was planning and
prepping and.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
Franklin, I swear, Jimmy, I'm just being myself, Like I'm
I'm a quick witted, funny, charismatic guy. I knew that
if I got into ae W and I was afforded
the oppera tunity to wrestle for aew that I would
break not just the sport of wrestling, but I would
break out into the cultural zeitgeist.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
And that I've done.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
You know, I can't go anywhere without being stopped, and
that's something I'm proud of. I don't find it annoying
at all. So if you see me out in public,
please by all means that you're only feeding my ego.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
Um, and it's great. I love it.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
Now, that's interesting. So you're out getting a slice of pizza,
getting whatever. Someone comes up to you. You're fine with it,
You're not annoyed.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Let's take a picture. Just don't ask don't play twenty
one questions with me. I'll take a photo with you.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
Yeah, but yeah, I'll take a photo.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
It's all about like, no one asks for an autograph, right,
It's all about the photo.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
Oh no, there are vultures.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
Oh yeah, the people who want to sell it. Yeah yeah, yeah,
yeah yah yeah yeah of course.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
And my favorite is uh because a lot of people
in my industry, you know, they like feel obligated to
sign it when all these people are waiting by, you know,
baggage claim at at the airport, and I'm like.
Speaker 3 (13:58):
No, I know what this is. You're gonna tell this
You're not a real fan. You're a scumbag and not
not a scumbag like me. I'm a cool scumbag. You're
just a scumbag, So no interest, and I always just
walk right by.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
So tell me where you stand on heal and face.
So I feel like even when you're a heel, you're
still kind of a face. Your face is still kind
of a hell because it's your personality, because like you said,
you're being real just me right, But there are I mean, listen,
I've seen you. I've seen videos of you on TikTok
(14:32):
where you're doing autograph signings, and you're nasty to little kids,
and sure you know a face.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
No one talks, no one ever shows, no one ever
shows what happens before the videos on red.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
No one throws these kids. They're very disrespectful.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
Is that you the kid's fault? It's the kids.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
The children.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
They're horrible, bolder, eating, disgusting, rug rat brats.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
They're bad people. Jim. Now, if you have.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
A well trained child, I'll curious, you know, but most
of your kids are not trained properly.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
Now, I would can't even imagine how you would have
described this if you were in your heel era, like
just was be in your face era, and here you
are calling kids horrible.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
You know, I tell everybody this, I'm not a good guy.
I'm not a bad guy. I'm just the man. I'm
the guy that everybody wants to be. Your wife wants
to be me, your best friend wants to you know,
be me. Is every everybody wants. Then on MJS and
I can't blame.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Him, you know, Okay, So humor me from this end point.
When you were a quote unquote here, did you ever
feel like you went too far? Or was there ever
an incident Okay, did you ever have a scary incident
where maybe a fan took it? Give me something from
give me something on that where a fan maybe took it.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
The two scary stories, one is a lot simpler, the
other one's a little bit longer.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
So I'll give you the simple one. First.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
I went out to my car with which was a
Dodge Ram truck at the time, while I was on
the independent circuit trying to make a name for myself,
and a guy was standing in front of my car
with a pocket knife and was threatening to stand me
with his pocket knife.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
And I was far enough away, and you know, I
had to think quick on my feet.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
And anybody, if you google Dodge Ram truck key, if
you press a button on it, the key flips out.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
So when it's dark.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
Outside, it looked like I had a switchblade as well.
So once the guy saw that, he went away.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
So it's just a fan whose fan is coming at
you at a knife? Is this just a guy who
was Some fans have knives, and so he was a
fan one who saw you perform You were nasty, and
he decided I'm going to get him with a knife.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
Yeah, he said, I I gotta get this guy, and
you know what, the thick part of me, I loved it.
I took it as a competent. I remember I had
piss thrown on me in Mexico. I was miserable. But
then once I was done showering for hours, I thought
to myself, I'm pretty good at my job. And the
craziest story ever of all time was a pilot walks
(17:02):
over to me in the back of the house at
a pay per view I believe it was full year
twenty nineteen or twenty twenty, I'm not sure, and he goes,
mister Freeman, I'm going to be flying you back home
after the show's proceedings, you know, via private jet. And
it wouldn't be the first time I flew on the jet.
You know, my boss, Tony Kah. I've flown with him before,
(17:24):
I've flown alone. But I figured Tony, my boss, was
doing this because at the time, my father had just
suffered from a heart attack, and I figured he wanted
me to do my thing, get on this plane and
go home to my father. So immediately I'm so thankful.
I go over to my boss's office. I opened the door,
I go, I go, hey, Tony, and Mark, I just
want to let you know I really appreciate you doing
(17:45):
this for me, and he goes, Max, I have no
idea what you're talking about.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
I'm like, hold on a second. He's like, Max, I
don't have a clue what you're talking about. So now
I walk.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
Back over to the pilot and I go, so, who
hired you? He goes, Tony, Tony conn hired me to
fly you back home after the jokes. And then my
friend QT Marshall walks over. Then he asked them some
questions and then here comes security and they're grabbing this
guy physically and we have no idea how he got
(18:15):
to the back of the house. And as the guy
was leaving, uh QT looks at the guy and goes, hey,
we'll let you say if you show us your pilot's layers,
and the guy literally goes like this, I must have
left it.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
Yeah you know what I mean?
Speaker 3 (18:32):
Like crazy?
Speaker 1 (18:33):
Was the guy planning on kidnapping you? What was the plan?
Was the ultimate napping?
Speaker 3 (18:38):
I'm a grown man, but I think he was abduct me?
Speaker 1 (18:41):
Yeah, yeah, that is Wow.
Speaker 3 (18:46):
There's some crazies out there.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
Imagine if you didn't go back to thank Tony, who
knows what would have happened. Who knows where you'd be.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
Interesting flight would have been a very interesting flight.
Speaker 1 (18:56):
Jim, that's a good one on the heel face thing,
and then we can move on on everyone. It seems
like every time I've ever interviewed any wrestler, they always
say being a heel is more fun. You're saying you're
being yourself either way.
Speaker 3 (19:09):
Yeah, I'm always having fun.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
So you're having just as much fun now as you
did maybe when you're a little nastier.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
Yeah, I haven't changed the thing, and the people have changed.
They react to me however they feel like reacting, and
you know, like it's got to the point where I
swear I think if I shot someone, they'd be like
this guy Ross. So I'm having a good time. I
can get away with murder probably literally.
Speaker 3 (19:31):
It's great.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
All right, all right, well let's let's see half far
you can take it. Then I'm looking forward to that.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
Do you want me or you saying you want me
to shoot my opponent? On December thirtieth at Naslau Colisseum,
I'm always is that what you're saying?
Speaker 1 (19:43):
I mean, there's probably other people i'd picked before him,
but Okay, yeah.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
I like for the most part.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
So Samoa Joe is your opponent at World's End pay
per view December thirtieth, Nasau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Tell me
about main eventing a pay per view at the Nassau
Coliseum on Long Island where you grew up. That's got
to be a trip.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
So I'm main evented in front of eighty four thousand
people at Wembley Stadium.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
I think this one means right.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
I grew up in the barn, man, I grew up
in that shithole. It's my shith hole. It's our shithole.
I'm everyone's scumbag. It's like it's super kinetic. It feels right,
and uh.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
It's actually not as much as a shithole as it
used to be. They fish the inside. It's like it's
kind of nice inside.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
I'm almost upset, uh, just because you know, we we
like our things the way you know, we originally associate
with it.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
But yeah, now it's now.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
It's honestly, it's a gorgeous stadium now and the seating
arrangements are much better. The chairs don't break like they
used to when I was a kid. It's yeah, man,
I can't think of. I'm just happy. I'm in a
really good place right now, you know, mentally, physically not
so much.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
I tore my We can get into that, I guess,
but I'm just.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
I'm really happy. I'm proud of this title reign. It's
one of the greatest title reigns of the modern era.
I've I've defended the belt more than anyone in the
history of the company. I've Maine evented with you know,
well over million dollar gates multiple times. I've been a
part of some of the best matches this year, you know,
(21:23):
bar none. And yeah, I'm just I'm just really proud
of of everything I've accomplished.
Speaker 3 (21:29):
And it doesn't happen without the support of the fans.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
So, not not to be a DeBie downer, but you've
had a great year, and you had just really really
really great going storyline wise, TV wise with Adam Cole. Sure,
and and then he gets hurt. How much does that
suck when that happens?
Speaker 3 (21:43):
For you, Look, my best.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
Friend got hurt. Of course it blows. But you know,
the with professional wrestling, the show must go on. And uh,
I feel that we as a company have just definitely
proven that you know, we have such a stacked, incredible roster,
and with me at the Helm, it's you know, the
houses are starting to go up again. As I would
(22:06):
the show, in my opinion, has gotten better and better
every week. Nature is healing, you know. I feel like
the company right now. There was a there was a
minute there where I felt like we were kind of
in this rebuild phase, and I feel like right now
it's we're really building some serious momentum. You know, there
are fans online that say, you know, restore the feeling,
(22:28):
and I dug, I dig that line, and I I'm
pumped because I feel like we are and we have
and we're continuing to do so, and I'm proud to
be at the helm of that.
Speaker 1 (22:39):
When something like the Adam Cole injury happens, obviously storylines
or TVs have to be maybe changed or adjusted. Do
you get to give your input on what you want
to see happen? Or you leave that all up to
the writers and Tony Kahn and you don't get involved.
Or do you actually say like, let's do this, let's
do that.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
I just got to train hard and hope I win
these matches. Man. I when I go through that I
don't know about everybody else.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
When I go through that curtain, everything I do is real,
it's authentic, and it's happening live. I can't speak for
everybody else, but I know that's that's how it works
with me.
Speaker 1 (23:12):
You mentioned you're twenty seven years old, which to me
seems so young to be where you are in the
professional wrestling business. Do you feel like do you feel
like an aew? I mean, I know, I hear the
term all the time in WWE locker room leader, locker
room leader, like, do you feel like a pillar? A
locker room leader? Can you be that at twenty seven?
(23:32):
Does it have to be someone older? How does that?
Speaker 3 (23:34):
I don't think. I don't think I necessarily.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
I'm not the type of guy that's going to stand
on a soapbox and say, hey, everybody listen to me.
But yeah, people of my generation come up to me
for advice. People that are older than me come up
to me for advice. I think age is just a
number in any industry. You're either great at your job
or you're not. And I'm great at my job, and
that's why people want to hear my opinion. Do I
consider myself a locker room leader. No, When I think
(23:58):
of locker room leaders, I think of people who are
unabashedly willing to stand in front of the entire locker
room and and and with verboth say here's what we
need to do. When I think of that, I think
of guys like Danielsin, like Moxley, like Uh, like Eddie Kingsin,
like God Dax honestly as much as me and him
(24:21):
butt heads Chris Jericho.
Speaker 3 (24:24):
You know, these are the.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
Guys who are not afraid to stand in front of
everybody and say, hey, this is the way it's meant
to be done. And when I say that, I mean
that in a positive light. I don't feel it's my
place to do that, but I am more and I do.
I give advice when I'm when I am asked of it,
and I'm asked. Frankly, I'm asked for it a lot.
But I'm not afraid to give advice because I know
I've earned the right to do so. But no, I
(24:45):
wouldn't consider myself a locker room later.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
Let me ask you a few things here, just on
state of wrestling. And I know people listening to this
are dying to know and waiting for me to ask,
So let me just get a couple of these out
of the way. Seampunk joins W. Obviously it was a
in ae W and huge.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
I'll just say it's the greatest fear of the modern era,
was me versus cup Punk?
Speaker 3 (25:08):
I think yeah, and that happened on AW television.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
Were you said that it couldn't work out with him
in ae W.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
No, I was happy for him because if listen, if
he's happy, I'm happy.
Speaker 3 (25:18):
I think he's a hell of a talent.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
And you know, at the end of the day, it's
the business, and for some reason, with wrestling it's looked
at differently than any other sport. Like listen, I thine,
guys get traded to different teams all the time.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
You know, that's that's just life.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
So he did what he felt was best for him,
and the company did what they felt was best for
the company.
Speaker 3 (25:39):
So I I just hope he's happy, wish him the
best of luck.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
Now there's all this stuff about your contract. Now, this
is what you can't trust what you read. This is
what I've read. I read in nine that you had
signed a five year deal. It's up in twenty twenty four.
Then there was something that said you secretly re signed
with AW. There was stuff that you went on TV
and blasted AW. So can you tell us on December eighteenth,
(26:08):
twenty twenty three, what the status thing?
Speaker 2 (26:11):
I've never lied January first, twenty twenty four. When stuff
like that gets leaked out, it makes me laugh because
I remember something got leaked out about Cody having secretly
resigned and then he showed up. Something got leaked out
about you know, Sam Punk and Tony Cohn? Are you
know actually fine? You know, like I think fans leak
(26:35):
out things that they want to be true. I love AW,
I want to stay in AAW After this pay per view,
it's time to assess the situation from a professional setting.
Speaker 1 (26:47):
So so you have not resigned, not yet? Okay. Now,
your friend Cody made some waves last week because he
did an interview and said, you'll be in the WWE
one day now, one day? Is that?
Speaker 3 (26:59):
Actually?
Speaker 2 (26:59):
He got like I thought, fan's absolutely shitting on him,
when when all he.
Speaker 3 (27:05):
Was saying was his opinion.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
It's his opinion, you know, Like I I pray to God,
I don't get lamb based online for some of the
opinions I'm doing in this interview it's just like, I
just feel like everything's so radicalized now in hyperbolic now.
That's why I can't really There's certain aspects about social
media I love. I think it brings people of the
same like mindedness together. I think it allows people to
(27:28):
find their own communities. But what I hate about some
of the social media is I find that like hate
mongering and fear mongering.
Speaker 3 (27:35):
Is the stuff that gets pushed the most.
Speaker 2 (27:38):
And and it's because of this sensationalist stuff that people
start believing in the sensationalized stuff and the hyperbolic stuff, and.
Speaker 3 (27:49):
I can't relate to it. You know, I'm a straight shooter.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
I'd say it like it is one hundred and ten
percent of the time.
Speaker 3 (27:54):
Cody Rhoades felt that way.
Speaker 2 (27:56):
In Cody Rhodes's mind and opinion, that was his way
of put over a friend, a prodigy, a former co worker,
a former protege. So are you just gonna to say former?
I still talk to Cody to this day. He's a
great guy.
Speaker 3 (28:12):
He's doing great things over there. I'm doing great things
over here.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
After you saw the headlines where he said that, do
you shoot him at text and say what's up? Dude?
What's going on here?
Speaker 3 (28:21):
No, you know, we we do.
Speaker 2 (28:22):
We text each other all the time. Like he puts
me over, I put him over. We we're both fans
of each other's work. We're both incredible at our jobs.
We're both on top of the industry.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
But listen, like you said, you know, it's just like
anything like any other sport where if you think a
guy's gonna get traded, in this case, you would be signing.
You can see why people get excited.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
I'll put it this way.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
If are you, if you're a fan of professional sports
in general, an all star player, like, for example, Kobe right,
Kobe Bryant rip was the bedrock foundation of the Lakers.
You think he wasn't doing interviews while Lebron was in
(29:06):
the league, saying God, I wish Lebron James was playing here.
I'm sure if we google it, he was, and probably
consistently throughout his career. Listen, it's normal. Of course, you
want MJF in your company. Who who the fuck wouldn't
want me in their company. I'm the best thing going
to ay, I'm the AAW world champion. Nobody dresses like me,
(29:29):
nobody talks like me, Nobody looks like me. Nobody walks
like me, nobody wrestles like me. So I take it
as a compliment, and I think the aw fans should
take it as a compliment too, because that means that
their world champion, the face of their company, is a
hot commodity. So that's the only way I feel it
should be looked at.
Speaker 1 (29:48):
Obviously, when your contract's up, you have a lot to
consider on any all sides of defense. Yes, and I
think with you know, obviously money's an issue, there's travel day,
there's this that where you are. I just want to
focus in on one thing about this that I for
you specifically, which I find interesting. Will it cross your
(30:10):
mind and your head at all to think, can I
be full MJF Maxwell, Jacob Freeman over there where they're
so PG and will I be happy if I had to
do that? Is that a factor in your decision?
Speaker 2 (30:25):
I just don't know how the fuck you put a
leash on me, and so I swear to God that's
my honest opinion.
Speaker 3 (30:31):
I'm sorry, I've now cursed twice.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
You can it's fine. This isn't ww A. You could say, fuck,
I don't thank fucking gout.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
I don't know, I don't think anybody can hold me
back from being the monster that I am. I think
I think my career trajectory in any company is going
to be exactly the same.
Speaker 3 (30:47):
Do I think in some aspects a e W fits
me like a glove more so than anywhere else. Yeah,
I do.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
Could I could an argument be made the other way around? Yeah,
I'm sure you know. These are all things that I
have to think about. What I do know, whatever company
I pick, it will be because it feels right and
it means the most to me.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
Okay, Now, as we've established, you are main eventing World's
End pay per view December thirtieth, NASA Coliseum against Mojo,
NASA Coliseum, your neck of the woods, your hometown. Now
tell me if this is true. I read as a
Long Island guy. Your favorite sports teams Islanders, Mets, Giants,
all that, okay, because usually for the Long Islanders Islanders
(31:33):
it goes Jets. Ye tell me where it whent different
for you.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
So, first of all, my dad loves the Giants, but
also Lawrence Taylor main invented WrestleMania, and I remember watching
l T versus Bam Bam and being like, oh yeah, no, Giants.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
Smart choice too, considering your jet Yeah, right.
Speaker 3 (31:54):
Well smart choice this year. I don't think any New
York teams is smart.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
Well, no, in totality, I mean the Jets. Yes, we
I mentioned earlier and I didn't follow up. Tell me
you so you're an executive producer on Iron Claw. Yes,
I'm looking forward to this. Tell me what fans can
expect from the movie.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
Expect to get kicked in the nuts over and over
and over again. Expect to cry, expect to be moved,
and expect to walk away with a lesson about family
and a cautionary tale also about how much pressure we
put on our kids.
Speaker 3 (32:29):
And I think that's a big theme of the film
as well.
Speaker 1 (32:32):
Yeah, yeah, because I mean it's a tragic story. It's
not a happy story. So no, you know, if it's
I think, if you I mean, I grew up in
the eighties, if you have to go see this movie,
if you're a wrestling fan who grew up in that.
Speaker 3 (32:47):
Era, strongly agree.
Speaker 1 (32:49):
I have to say. In anticipation for this interview, I
did say to myself, I wonder when we do it,
if he's gonna have on the Burberry scarf. Oh yeah,
and I need to know, so when and how did
the whole fascination with Burbury start?
Speaker 3 (33:08):
So I'll tell the story.
Speaker 1 (33:14):
I like that this was the hardest question I've asked
you so far.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
Only because I've been saying the same answer over and
over again for years. But as I've aided and matured,
I've opened up a little bit more. Okay, there was
a fifteen and under bar like club, but it didn't
serve alcohol in Long Island. I can't remember the name
of it. How is that crazy horse coming? Weird like that?
And you know, I went with my friends. It was
(33:38):
the height of the summer, and obviously all the girls
are all over me. And that's not hyperbole, I'm it
is what it is. I'm very good at getting with women.
But there was one guy in particular who I could
see also how to lie informing for him. And of
course this agitates me because whenever the spotlight's not on me,
I get very agitate.
Speaker 3 (33:57):
Right, And I look at this guy again. Summer and this.
Speaker 2 (34:01):
Guy's gone on Gucci shoes, long black teams.
Speaker 3 (34:11):
And a Birdberry scarf. Wool wool. It's the summer time.
Speaker 2 (34:18):
It's hot as balls, not just outside but in this club,
and I'm thinking of myself, you schmuck. The only reason
you're wearing that is so everybody in here knows you
can afford it.
Speaker 3 (34:29):
And then I thought, huh, and there you go.
Speaker 1 (34:34):
It's a I cannot believe you just said that, because
anytime I've watched you, yeah, this is I always say
to myself, it's one hundred degrees. Why is he wearing
that scar Like I've seen you do interviews other podcasts
and you have it, and I'm like, he's still with
the scarf even in the summer.
Speaker 3 (34:50):
So it makes you it kind of rash. It makes
you it a rationally mad, doesn't it.
Speaker 1 (34:54):
Yes, absolutely, one hundred, one hundred percent. Well there hundred percent.
But it's also you're so good that, like you know,
to take it that far. It's one hundred degrees. I'm
still wearing the scarf.
Speaker 3 (35:07):
You gotta do what you gotta do.
Speaker 1 (35:08):
How many how many scarves are in the collection these days?
Speaker 2 (35:11):
Oh, I don't even know. I've lost count. I've got
a scarf for every occasion.
Speaker 1 (35:16):
Does Burberry ever hook you up? No, that's a disgrace.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
It's really funny. I've never reached out, nor have they.
I think we're at a standstill. We'll see what happens.
Speaker 1 (35:30):
I mean, come on, Burbery, wake god.
Speaker 2 (35:32):
I think there's I think there's a part of them
that wants me to stop him, and there's there's another
part of them that wants me to keep going. Because
I'll tell you, boy blank, there was not ten thousand
people entering an arena with a Burberry scarf on before
MJF came in the you know the scene so.
Speaker 1 (35:48):
Well, if if one of these other, if Gucci or
someone else was smart, they'd send you a whole boatload
of scarves.
Speaker 3 (35:54):
Oh, Burbury would be dead in the water, exactly.
Speaker 1 (35:57):
That's the way to work it. I want to as
do one more serious thing, and then I want to
end with some long island talk. Of course, we've talked
at the top. You just got inducted into the National
Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, and we talked about your
faith and how that that's important to you. You've been open.
I can't remember any wrestler ever, and I don't even know.
Maybe there's been a couple of athletes here and there
(36:17):
who have been open about a d D. Yeah, how
it's now I hear what fascinates me about that is
your job, professional wrestler with a d D. What aspects
of your job become difficult because of ad.
Speaker 2 (36:34):
No, point blank none. When I walk through that curtain,
I've got blinders on.
Speaker 3 (36:41):
I am.
Speaker 2 (36:42):
I am incapable of being moved away from that moment.
And you know, anybody with add will tell you we
can either not concentrate at all or we hyper fixate, right,
And I didn't find anything I can hyper fixate on
in my entire life until I came across for wrest
and and also football to an extent. But if I'm
(37:03):
being honest, I didn't love football. I was just very
good at it. I can hyper fixate on wrestling all
day long, and I think that's why I'm such a
student of the game.
Speaker 1 (37:15):
At what age did you first catch the wrestling bug?
Speaker 2 (37:19):
I know it was young, no, no, no, I was
five because I remember I started watching it before I
made my appearance on the Rosie o'donald show.
Speaker 1 (37:27):
That's I feel like you have you have my list
of notes, because that's where I was going. I was.
I was gonna say, I wanted to know the timeline
of when you appeared on the Rosi o' donald show
and then when you got the wrestling, so the very.
Speaker 2 (37:38):
That was like the towards the tail end of that year.
But at the Rosie show took my recollection. But I
remember at the beginning of that year, I was introduced
to pro wrestling by my uncle Allan, and then I
made my dad take me to Hollywood Video. Rip Hollywood
Video in the plain View shopping center. Yes, yes, gone
(37:59):
now now and then it was a harmon and now
the harmon's gone, so it's it's a mess over there.
Speaker 3 (38:05):
Now I think it's a stat health But oh, I
know that.
Speaker 1 (38:08):
Are you talking about the one by I know the
La Yes, yes, that was Hollywood Video. Yeah. La Piazza, Yeah,
Lat Piazza is my favorite Long Island well, the the
Lombardo's of New Hyde Park and Lat Piazza my two.
Speaker 2 (38:22):
Are we just talking about quick to go pizza? Are
we talking sit down restaurant?
Speaker 3 (38:26):
Okay?
Speaker 2 (38:26):
Because if we're talking sit down restaurants personally, I think
La Parma is the most near and dear in my
heart as far as to sit down Italian family restaurants.
Speaker 3 (38:35):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (38:35):
I was going to ask you I wanted like the
MJF so for the so MJF grew up in plain View.
I grew up in Saast There right next to each other,
so we so I wanted to know your pizza place,
your bagel store, your Chinese restaurant, and your number one restaurant.
Speaker 2 (38:52):
People don't understand because it looks like a hole in
the wall.
Speaker 3 (38:55):
It's right next to the cleaners.
Speaker 2 (38:56):
But Bella Vista, if you want some of the best
fucking slices, they met the best buffalo chicken pizza slice.
It does not get better. If you think it does,
kill yourself, go there Bella Vista. They also have incredible garlic,
not so much. Relistis that's my pizza spot. If we're
talking Mexican food, Uh I God, this is where it
(39:20):
gets tough.
Speaker 3 (39:22):
I'm gonna say.
Speaker 2 (39:23):
Basito is the best Mexican restaurant in Long Island. I'm
gonna make that claim right now. It's done Chinese food.
There's a place in Huntington that I'm forgetting the name
of that's incredible.
Speaker 1 (39:37):
Oh this is important. You gotta get me the name
of this because that Chinese is my favorite. So I
need to know, like the this is gonna Alberts. Alberts,
I believe I've heard of it unless the.
Speaker 3 (39:47):
Owners Albert and that's why my family calls it Alberts.
But that's my favorite.
Speaker 1 (39:51):
Do you ever go to? You ever go to hu
Nan Taste and Green like that is?
Speaker 3 (39:56):
If I don't know about who.
Speaker 1 (39:57):
Nanti, Okay, I just want to make sure. I just
want to make sure. And I need your best steakhouse.
I need your best steakhouse too, Go ahead, keep going.
Speaker 3 (40:03):
Oh god, my best steakhouse.
Speaker 2 (40:10):
Either one ten, which I know also veers a little
bit of Italian stuff, but either one Yeah or Prime.
We're also rare. You can't go wrong with rare. I'd
say those are your They're tied for me. They're tied
for me. Those three rare, Prime and.
Speaker 1 (40:27):
Oh god.
Speaker 2 (40:30):
And then my second favorite sit down Italian place is
probably christ and Twies.
Speaker 3 (40:37):
The best. It's so good.
Speaker 1 (40:38):
How have I never seen you in any of these places.
I'm in these places.
Speaker 3 (40:41):
All the time because you're a good islander.
Speaker 2 (40:44):
But I'm trying to think of other foods besides.
Speaker 1 (40:49):
You know, a bagel, bagel. We thought about bagels. I'll
pull the bought. We fought over bagels before the pod
started because I'm a die hard bagel boss. For life,
for life two.
Speaker 3 (41:03):
So here's the deal. They might have the best bagel
they do.
Speaker 2 (41:08):
I will agree with you on that, and I love
Bagel Boss. Bagel Boss hits me up. They want me
to be they want me to be a spokesperson. But
and that's real, that's that's genuine, that's the real thing,
and I'm considering good. The best tuna fish on the
island goes to Plane View Family Bagel. It's it's family
(41:28):
bagel and you get the the low fat I know
it's just not funny low fat, but the low fat
family tuna.
Speaker 3 (41:36):
It's it's insane.
Speaker 2 (41:39):
It is the best tuna fish salad you will ever
eat in your life. I have had tuna fish salad
all across the world. This is the best tuna fish salad.
Speaker 3 (41:47):
Please rush down.
Speaker 1 (41:48):
I'm gonna try it. But I know that I know
that Begel, so I've been there. I'm gonna try it
based in here. I don't like to cheat on Bagel Boss,
but someone had told me to.
Speaker 2 (41:56):
And then my second favorite tuna on the island goes
the Golden Mines.
Speaker 1 (42:00):
Okay, I was there last week, Old Meyer, and tell
me diner, because diners on Long Island I am a
huge diner. Well let me I'm gonna throw let me.
Speaker 2 (42:10):
Throw out the playview diners so much. When it shut down,
I literally had almost jumped off a cliff.
Speaker 1 (42:15):
I agree, it was a great, great diner, great, but.
Speaker 3 (42:18):
It done to my head. Probably on Parade.
Speaker 1 (42:22):
We're best friends and you don't even know it.
Speaker 3 (42:24):
Yeah, I love on Parade, love best.
Speaker 1 (42:28):
That was when I was in high school'st way. We
would go on like Friday nights when we couldn't get
into anywhere. That was like that, But I still go
there now. Now do you ever venture out and take
a trip to Maureene's kitchen?
Speaker 3 (42:39):
Where is Maureen's Kitchen? Look?
Speaker 1 (42:40):
Smithtown?
Speaker 3 (42:42):
This sounds so painfully familiar.
Speaker 1 (42:44):
Listen, I'm not saying this. I'm not going to well
so you would know if you ate there. So it's
literally a breakfast. It's a breakfast place. They close it
like one and they they have breakfast and lunch. They
close it like two o'clock. There's a huge, huge cow
on the outside. It's a it's an independently mom and pop. Okay,
(43:06):
if you google best breakfast Long Island, this is what
comes up, from top to bottom, NonStop Maureen's kitchen.
Speaker 3 (43:14):
You have I know what this, Jimmy.
Speaker 2 (43:16):
Yeah, we are literally isolating everyone listening.
Speaker 3 (43:20):
Oh yeah right now, And I know I hope they're
getting frustrated.
Speaker 1 (43:24):
I hope I am going to get so many tweets
that say, no one cares about Long Island and all
you talk about is food, you fat fuck Like those
are incoming, Those are incoming.
Speaker 3 (43:32):
I've got I've got fucking abs on top of my ads.
Speaker 1 (43:35):
But I I I you don't have my information, but
that you have to get in touch with me after
you go to Mauren's Kitchen. I want like a full review,
because your life will be changed. Your life will be changed.
Speaker 2 (43:45):
There's another great breakfast place in Glenn Cole called Henry's.
Speaker 3 (43:48):
Have you ever been around?
Speaker 1 (43:49):
I have not, but I'm putting that right. I'm writing
it down right now. I'm a big Thomas You ever
go to Thomas's?
Speaker 3 (43:55):
Of course?
Speaker 1 (43:55):
Okay, I'm there all the time at Thomas's. So we
have to go back to wrestling, I guess, because I
don't want.
Speaker 3 (44:02):
To, but we can't if you really want to. I guess.
Speaker 1 (44:05):
I feel like Long Islanders we have like a connection,
Like it's just a weird thing.
Speaker 3 (44:08):
Yeah, and I.
Speaker 2 (44:09):
Think, you know, it's so funny people equate what happens
when I go to Long Island to what would happen
with Brett when he would go to Canada. Yeah, and
now that I'm loved everywhere, I'm I'm genuinely interested.
Speaker 3 (44:21):
I'm interested to see what's gonna happen.
Speaker 2 (44:23):
I genuinely think everyone's ears are gonna bleed, but we're
all gonna be happy when my music hits and all
our ears are bleeding and our voices are straining. I
genuinely think it might be one of the loudest pops
in the history of the sport.
Speaker 1 (44:37):
I agree, I agree.
Speaker 2 (44:39):
But by the way, this is coming from a guy
who already had one of the loudest pops in the
history of the sport.
Speaker 3 (44:43):
When I returned in Chicago.
Speaker 1 (44:46):
Right and you there was recently to you where you guy,
what the key? There was a ton of Oyster Bay,
you guys, I got the Quida.
Speaker 3 (44:52):
Long Island, I got the ketas. I actually have the
one second.
Speaker 1 (44:57):
Oh look at this. If you're on YouTube, we're getting
the We're getting a visual of the key. Here he
comes there he is. That's a legit key. That's a
legit key.
Speaker 3 (45:07):
I can go to your house whenever I want.
Speaker 1 (45:11):
That is pretty cool. So, like, I you know, I
should have I should have prepared better in fact and
made like a list of like the most popular Long
Islanders and we could have seen where you rank. I
know you would say number one. But you know who
give me the top.
Speaker 2 (45:27):
Three of all time is me fully Billy Joel, And
I think that's fair.
Speaker 3 (45:35):
I mean, who the fuck else? Right?
Speaker 1 (45:36):
Billy Joel? Third? For sure?
Speaker 3 (45:38):
Oh easily, easily. It goes m J. F Le.
Speaker 1 (45:42):
Who's the most famous Plainview High School alum? Beside you?
Besides you, I.
Speaker 2 (45:48):
Think the second most is this. I'm probably gonna I'm
probably gonna botch her name. But she was on Big Brother.
Speaker 1 (45:57):
Oh that's not good. Yeah, but I see I blow
you away then because Sas High School we had Natalie Portman,
Oh wow, and I and I Dina Menzel.
Speaker 3 (46:08):
So you're the fifth most famous.
Speaker 1 (46:10):
I'm like eight. I'm like eighth Chris Man Doug Russau.
I don't know if you're familiar with him on Sirious
Famous Radio Hosts. Maybe I'm maybe I'm like fifth or sixth.
Speaker 3 (46:22):
You gotta take where you can get you. Not everybody
could be number one.
Speaker 1 (46:25):
I can't be a number one like you exactly. Speaking
of number one, he is the AW World Champion, r
O H Tag Team Champion MJF pay per View World's
End December thirtieth Nasal Coliseum, his hometown against Samoa Joe.
Thank you for know this. Really appreciate it, and it wasn't.
(46:45):
Maybe I'll bump into you somewhere one of the I mean,
it's ridiculous.
Speaker 2 (46:49):
On parade, or I'll see a bagel boss at two
way of the morning when I'm fucking hammered and I'm
hankering for a big.
Speaker 1 (46:54):
Here's what I love about bagel boss. And no one's
going to get this except for like me, you and
maybe one I would. I'm gonna be one of those
douchebags who uses a wrestling term to wrestlers, which is
like the dumbest thing you could do. I would get
so over with my friends when I would tell them, like,
I got a bagel place at two am with hot bagels,
and they'd be like, what are you talking. It's the
(47:15):
dumbest thing I said. Watch, let's go to this place.
My friends like my friends who weren't from here, would
be so blown away, and that they would get a
piping hot bagel at two am from this one.
Speaker 2 (47:26):
Also, Jim, let's get real, bagels don't exist outside of
New York.
Speaker 1 (47:30):
They don't exactly, They're not a bagel.
Speaker 2 (47:33):
It's it's it's two shitty circular lobes of bread. People
don't know how to make bagels anywhere else. And that's
just the fact.
Speaker 1 (47:40):
Yeah, I have so you know, all these people who
from New York moved to Florida. And then the one
thing I always hear is you can't get any bagels
down there. You have to go to like Dunkin Donuts
or Pinera to get bagels. I'm like, those aren't bagels.
What are we doing? What are we doing? What are
we doing?
Speaker 3 (47:53):
Is horrible?
Speaker 2 (47:54):
And then, dude, I'll never forget when I started traveling
for wrestling, and and I was like, all right, you know,
it's it's like it's midnight right now, I'm starving, I'm
on the road. I'll just let me find it the
local diner, right What the fuck?
Speaker 3 (48:10):
No, din who knew?
Speaker 1 (48:13):
I have to say, it's so funny you say that
because I didn't realize there were weren't diners in every
state in America until my mind.
Speaker 2 (48:21):
My mind, and it's only a thing that I can
talk about with Long Islanders. And once you leave the bubble,
you're like, what do you mean? Diners aren't everywhere?
Speaker 3 (48:28):
Crazy? And then that's what always taught me so much
is I'd go on.
Speaker 2 (48:32):
The road and I would see waffle House and Denny's
and and I'd be like.
Speaker 3 (48:38):
The hell you need that for?
Speaker 2 (48:39):
And you know what you do when you don't live
in the most magical place in the world will known
as Long Island.
Speaker 3 (48:44):
But anyway, I digress.
Speaker 1 (48:46):
Well, I appreciate it, and I believe me, people are annoying.
Now I can go for another hour talking about Long
Island food with you, but I'll spare the people. You
can catch him obviously. I'm JFF Wednesday nights on aw
Dynamite as well. And like I said, we of the
pay per view appreciate this. Hopefully you come back and
enjoy the holiday's, New Year and all that stuff.
Speaker 3 (49:06):
Thanks.
Speaker 2 (49:06):
I look forward to one of us defending somebody in
it becoming the most viral thing online for all of
the day.
Speaker 3 (49:11):
It's gonna be great.
Speaker 1 (49:13):
That's it. Perfect Thanks Ben, appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (49:15):
Thanks Brother.
Speaker 1 (49:17):
All Right, my many many thanks to MJF. Maxwell, Jacob Freeman.
Hopefully you guys enjoyed it. If you're a new listener
to SIMDI with Jimmy Train to hit that subscribe button
and check out some recent episodes we've done. We had
Andrew Marshan sports media reporter, and Calmness for the New
York Posters on the podcast last week. Seth rollins from
WWE Booger McFarland, Mike Trico all recent guests on SIMDI
(49:40):
with Jimmy Trainer, so check those out, subscribe to the pod,
leave a review on Apple. All Right. That wraps it
up for this edition. Stay safe and take care.
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