Ahead of this weekend’s AEW Double or Nothing pay-per-view, MJF delivered candid comments about the current state of All Elite Wrestling and singled out former AEW star Malakai Black while discussing talent he believes viewed AEW as a stepping stone back to WWE.
During an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, MJF spoke positively about the atmosphere within AEW heading into Double or Nothing, suggesting the locker room is now more unified and motivated than in previous years.
“Everyone’s ready to f*ckin’ rock and roll, and everybody wants to put on the best show possible.”
When host Ariel Helwani asked what had changed to create that environment, MJF gave a blunt response.
“People had to get weeded out.”
Helwani then pressed MJF further, specifically asking who he believed was the biggest example of someone treating AEW as a temporary stop before returning to WWE.
“You want me to say a name?”
After Helwani encouraged him to answer directly, MJF named Malakai Black.
“I think it’s pretty obvious that that’s Malakai Black [Aleister Black]. But I don’t know the guy, like, on a personal level. Do I think he’s a bad guy? No. Do I think he was a mark for, like, wanting to have his, ‘Oh, I need my Mania moment!’ Like, yeah. And there were a couple guys like that. And they got weeded out.”
MJF continued by arguing that some wrestlers who left AEW for WWE may eventually discover the move was not as beneficial as expected.
“And then they went over there and some of them found out the grass isn’t greener. And perhaps some of them did. Some of them, for them, the grass was greener. But I’d say a majority of the guys that were like, ‘I’m just gonna use All Elite Wrestling to go to WWE’ or to go back to WWE, I think you’re going to see a lot of those guys ask for a 50% pay cut from the office. You’re going to see a lot of those guys just get released.”
Despite the criticism, MJF insisted he was not attempting to personally attack Black and framed his comments as reflective of sentiments he claims existed within the AEW locker room.
“And it’s unfortunate because if you show up to our company and you work hard, there’s really no need to burn bridges. I’m not sh*tting on him. I’m just simply telling you what I was told by a majority of the locker room about this specific individual.”
Black, formerly known in WWE as Aleister Black, departed AEW earlier this year and subsequently returned to World Wrestling Entertainment programming. His exit was heavily discussed among fans due to years of speculation regarding his long-term future with AEW.
Meanwhile, MJF is preparing for one of the biggest matches of his career this Sunday when he challenges Darby Allin for the AEW World Championship in a Hair vs. Title match at Double or Nothing.
MJF BURIES Malakai/Alesiter Black, calls him a mark and says he’s the biggest offender of “using AEW as a stepping stone to go back to WWE” says people like him leaving is the reason for AEW’s current camaraderie and success😭
(The MMA Hour) pic.twitter.com/ix7mDUBqw9
— Self Made AO 💫 (@KXNGAO) May 19, 2026
