MJF had plenty of praise for several WWE stars while discussing the top 10 of Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s 2026 PWI 500.
The former AEW World Champion was ranked No. 1 on this year’s list, ahead of Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Mistico and Konosuke Takeshita.
During his interview with Pro Wrestling Illustrated, MJF shared his thoughts on several of the wrestlers who joined him in the top 10, including Trick Williams, Oba Femi and Gunther.
Williams finished eighth in this year’s rankings, and MJF revealed that the two have crossed paths on multiple occasions. “I got to meet Trick actually at LaGuardia Airport, in my opinion the best airport in New York State. And we chopped it up a little bit. Got to hang out with him again recently at my friend Dip’s party,” MJF said.
MJF described Williams as a good person with considerable upside. “He’s just a good guy, you know. I like him. I know this is more than five words, but great guy. Boatload of potential. Yeah, nothing bad to say there.”
Oba Femi landed immediately behind Williams at No. 9. MJF noted their mutual connection through Brian Dipperstein before praising the former NXT Champion. “Another guy that’s represented by my pal, Brian Dipperstein. Great dude and very large. A very large man and another guy with a boatload of potential.”
Rounding out the PWI 500 top 10 was Gunther, who received praise from MJF for his physical in-ring style.
However, MJF admitted that he remains unhappy with how John Cena’s match against Gunther played out. “So, great guy. Pretty upset about the John Cena match. Still am. Well, John Cena is the second greatest professional wrestler of all time behind me. And to just see John go out like that, it was really upsetting. So, didn’t love it. Didn’t love it.”
Despite his feelings about the Cena match, MJF had strong praise for Gunther’s abilities. “But I mean, Gunther probably the hardest-hitting professional wrestler in the game besides me, of course. Really talented, tough SOB. In the words of AEW commentator extraordinaire Jim Ross, he’s tougher than a $2 steak.”
MJF topped the 2026 PWI 500, with Cody Rhodes finishing second and CM Punk taking third place. Trick Williams, Oba Femi and Gunther occupied the final three positions in the top 10.
