MJF is walking into AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door banged up, swollen, and he’s not happy about it.
The AEW World Champion hurt his knee during his recent match with RUSH on AEW Dynamite, and while he is still set for Forbidden Door, he is not pretending everything feels fine. During an appearance on Shut Up and Wrestle with Brian Solomon, MJF said his knee is giving him serious trouble right now. MJF made it clear that the injury is painful, but he still feels like he has to show up because AEW is counting on him.
“While you’re interviewing me right now, my knee is fed, you know what I mean? It’s swollen to sht. I’m in a sht ton of fking pain. But it’s on me, because I’m the fking top guy and people are leaning on me to make sure that we’re doing well. So I got to fking lace my fking boots up and get in that gddamn ring.”*
That is not exactly a comforting update before one of AEW’s biggest shows of the year. MJF is still on track to wrestle, but by his own words, he is going in hurt. He also made sure fans did not twist his words into a shot at AEW’s medical team. MJF said doctors would not clear him if the knee was structurally wrecked, but that does not mean it feels good.
“And obviously, a doctor’s never going to let me go in there unless structurally I’m okay. So, don’t think I’m burying the AEW medical team. I’m in a lot of pain, there’s swelling. But structurally, I’m good.”
That is the key part. MJF is cleared, but he is not healthy. There is a big difference between being able to wrestle and walking into a major match without pain. MJF then used the injury to remind fans that wrestling is not some painless stunt show. He said every bump adds up, and even at 30 years old, his body is already feeling it.
“There is this new wrestling fandom of these younger kids that think this is all ‘funsies,’ and they don’t understand how much we’re putting on the line physically. Every time we go through the curtain, it takes a toll. Dude, I’m 30. I’m in pain and I’m only 30; I can’t imagine what I’m going to feel like when I’m 40 or 50.”
He also made it clear that he is not begging for sympathy. This is the life he chose, but he still wants fans to understand what comes with it.
“I’m also not asking for sympathy. I’m not a btch. I signed up for this sht. This was my decision and my dream to chase. I just wish wrestling fans understood more that every time we go out there it’s painful. It hurts every time we take a bump, no matter what.”
So, MJF is going into Forbidden Door with a swollen knee, a ton of pain, and medical clearance. That is about as rough as it gets without being pulled from the card.
At the end of the day, MJF is still doing what top guys do. He is hurt, he knows it, and he is still lacing up his boots because AEW needs him in that ring. That might sound tough, but it also makes his knee one of the biggest things to watch heading into Forbidden Door.
Do you think MJF should push through the knee injury at Forbidden Door, or should AEW play it safe with their World Champion? Let us know what you think in the comments.