Maxwell Jacob Friedman is the new AEW World Champion, but even at the height of his career, MJF carries a major regret. In a new interview with Mostly Sports, MJF shared his feelings on never being able to wrestle John Cena.

Cena vs. Friedman never accumulated thanks to Cena being a WWE lifer and MJF sticking with AEW after his 2024 contract negotiation. It could have been a match for the ages, but with even Drew McIntyre never getting a one-on-one match with Cena, it's no shock that MJF never shared the ring with the 17-time champ.

When asked if it bothers him that a Cena match was never able to happen, MJF answered, “Yes, absolutely. I think that there is a different world where that match would have happened. Unfortunately, it’s not this one."

"I’ve had so many incredible run-ins with John where we’ve shot the shit. He’s an incredible guy. He watches our product. He’s seen my stuff. He was very complimentary. Obviously, I’m super complimentary to him.”

MJF added, “I’ve said it before in other interviews, but before CM Punk, my favorite wrestler growing up as a kid was John Cena. He was a fathead on my wall in my bedroom. So I’d wake up, salute the OG, and then get ready for school.”

5 Greatest Feuds in AEW History

"It was so unique and so personal," Swerve Strickland said about his blood feud with Hangman Adam Page. "It got so personal because it wasn't just two wrestlers, it's two human beings, and crossing the line of men. How far you're willing to go to push those buttons of someone that you truly hate? Why are you hating them? What are you going to do about it?"

"It's that hatred that actually brings out the best in the product of what AEW is, in my opinion. People get uncomfortable because we pushed the line so far." 

Throughout its short lifespan, AEW has created some of the most iconic and vicious feuds in pro wrestling history. A brand that isn't afraid to turn the violence up to sickening heights, AEW has allowed its rivalries to escalate to Tarantino levels, solidifying stars like MJF and Toni Storm in the process.

Some of these rivalries were simply to prove who exactly was the best in the world inside the ring, while others devolved into deeply personal wars based on hatred and the thirst for revenge. Regardless of intention, these are the five greatest feuds in AEW history.

Gallery Credit: AEW