MJF Plans Decades More in Pro Wrestling

The AEW World Champion says he has 20-30 years left in his career.

Feb. 19, 2026 at 3:23am

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MJF, the 29-year-old AEW World Champion, recently revealed that he plans to continue wrestling for another 20-30 years. Despite suffering a serious shoulder injury that sidelined him for five months, MJF remains committed to his pro wrestling career and believes he can wrestle well into his 50s, following the example of other veteran stars like Chris Jericho.

Why it matters

MJF's comments provide insight into the longevity of top stars in the modern pro wrestling landscape. With legends like Ric Flair, Sting, and Chris Jericho continuing to perform at high levels into their 50s and 60s, MJF's confidence in wrestling for decades more aligns with this trend and suggests fans may see him as a fixture of the industry for years to come.

The details

MJF, whose real name is Maxwell Jacob Friedman, recently retained the AEW World Championship against Brody King at AEW Grand Slam in Australia. Despite suffering a serious shoulder injury that kept him out of action for five months, MJF believes he can continue wrestling for 20-30 more years, putting him in his late 50s by the time he potentially retires. MJF cited other veteran stars like Brock Lesnar, Rey Mysterio, and Adam Copeland as examples of wrestlers who have prolonged their careers.

  • MJF won the AEW World Championship for the second time in 2023.
  • MJF suffered a shoulder injury that sidelined him for five months in 2023.
  • MJF returned to action at AEW Double or Nothing in 2024.

The players

MJF

A 29-year-old pro wrestling world champion in AEW who is in the physical prime of his career.

Brody King

MJF's opponent in the main event of AEW Grand Slam in Australia, where MJF retained the AEW World Championship.

Brock Lesnar

A pro wrestling legend who is closer to the end of his career than the beginning.

Rey Mysterio

A pro wrestling legend who is closer to the end of his career than the beginning.

Adam Copeland

A pro wrestling legend who is closer to the end of his career than the beginning.

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What they’re saying

“Now I am 29 and feeling fine, my friend. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I got a good… probably 20 or 30 years left in my career so.”

— MJF

“My shoulder came completely out of socket about six minutes into a 35-minute long main event match, and there was 18,000 people there. So I kind of had no choice but to suck it up. Because A, I was defending the world title. I had no intention of losing it. People pay their hard-earned money to see MJF go the distance.”

— MJF

The takeaway

MJF's confidence in wrestling for 20-30 more years aligns with the trend of veteran pro wrestling stars continuing to perform at high levels well into their 50s and 60s. This suggests fans may see MJF as a fixture of the industry for years to come, barring any unforeseen health issues or changes in his passion for the business.