MLW World Heavyweight Champion Alex Hammerstone has mixed feelings about the perceived conflict between MJF and AEW.
MJF and Hammerstone have known each other for several years. Before MJF signed with AEW, the two stars were stablemates, along with Richard Holliday, in The Dynasty in MLW. The Dynamite Diamond Ring winner has been in the headlines in recent months, as he hasn't been on TV since he cut a fiery promo on Tony Khan and AEW on the June 1 episode of AEW Dynamite. The heated message came after weeks of reported tension between MJF and Khan.
During an appearance on Cafe de Rene with Rene Dupree, Hammerstone was asked about the situation with MJF and AEW, to which he said, "I don’t have an insider scoop. All I know is that if it’s something that is a giant work, it’s something that became that at a certain point. Because to a certain point, it was all very real. I know there were some legitimate, real frustrations there, and real tensions. So I don’t know at this point what’s going on, I don’t know exactly. But as far as my opinion of the whole situation, I have mixed views because I’m the type of who always says, because I always hate when fans try to talk bad on a company or wrestlers try to get a social media parade to support them to help them get out of a contract or something. It’s like you signed that. Nobody held a gun to your head and said, ‘Sign this.’ At some point, you said okay, this is agreeable. And it’s like if you sign a contract for $100,000 because you feel like that’s a good offer and then you have become a $200,000 wrestler, that’s part of the gamble because part of the gamble too is that you get the $100,000 contract, and then a year later, you’re only worth $50,000 but you’re still getting paid that $100,000. So it’s just decisions we make. So on one hand, I do feel that."
Hammerstone went on to describe how MJF's case is unique, saying, "MJF’s case is a little bit different because he was like, 'Here’s the measurements, here’s the ratings, here’s this, here’s that, here’s the sales, here’s the segment views', and it wasn’t a difference of a couple dollars. It’s like, 'Why are these people getting paid five/ten times more than me, just because of where they came from? What are they doing here?' And I do think he’s one of the best, and it’s not just about, like everyone’s like, ‘Oh man, he’s a great talker, but he’s a boring wrestler. He can’t wrestle.’ I’m like dude, he’s a fantastic wrestler. And I remember thinking it when I saw him wrestle a couple matches on some indie shows. But then after I wrestled him myself, I was like, ‘Oh my god, this guy’s incredible. He’s just so good.’"
Hammerstone concluded by saying, "It’s like he said. 'Well I’m not out there dropping people on their heads or doing dives or doing 1000 superkicks, so you don’t think I’m good.' And it’s like it sucks because we’re at a point where sometimes, some of the more subtle things in wrestling don’t get appreciated, except by the other workers or people who are kind of in the show. So it’s definitely an interesting situation. I know I’m interested to see how it plays out. I hope it all works out for the best for him. But no matter what happens, he’s a young kid, so he’s got plenty of years left in the tank to get back on his feet and do whatever he wants to.”
MJF's status with AEW remains unclear. Tony Khan has refused to comment on the situation on multiple occasions.
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