MJF explained that while Hulk Hogan is a “liar and a racist,” he can’t deny the star’s drawing power.
Hogan is no stranger to stirring controversy, and in 2015, it was revealed that a sex tape filmed without his permission contained footage of him using racial slurs and expressing disgust at the idea of his daughter dating a Black man. Hogan was subsequently suspended from the WWE Hall of Fame until he was reinstated in 2018.
The Hogan scandal was chronicled earlier this year on an episode of TNT’s Rich and Shameless.
“At Least I’m Honest About It” – MJF Compares Himself To Hulk Hogan
Speaking in a new interview with Dr. Beau Hightower, current AEW World Champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman was asked why Hogan has drawn such ire from a large portion of wrestling fandom. Friedman was unequivocal in his answer, saying:
“Because he’s a liar and a racist. It doesn’t change the fact that he was a massive draw and the professional wrestling business will never be the same because of him, for the better, but there are plenty of professional wrestlers that did great business, it doesn’t mean they’re great people.”
Continuing, MJF cited Chris Benoit an another example of wrestlers whose on-screen persona don’t match their real-life actions.
“Chris Benoit is a great professional wrestler, it doesn’t mean he’s a good person. For some reason, wrestling fans kind of struggle with that. They can’t separate the two, which is why I think people love me. I’m out and out a horrible person, and I’m honest about it. At least I’m honest about it.”
MJF is set to pull double duty at Full Gear on November 18th. Not only will he be defending his AEW World Championship against Jay White, he’ll also be defending his ROH Tag Team Championships against The Gunns with help from a mystery partner.
h/t Fightful