MJF has been a member of AEW since the beginning.

An OG who appeared in the very first official match on the first-ever All In, taking a loss to Matt Cross after a pair of pre-show buy-in matches, MJF has slowly risen up the card from Cody Rhodes' friend to faction leader, all the way up to World Champion and while it hasn't always been perfect, with Adam Cole's leg injury throwing a major “What If?” into his reign, the results have been encouraging, especially after all of the drama surrounding CM Punk's time at the top of the card.

And yet, at Worlds End, MJF has a chance to grow that legend even further in front of his hometown crowd, wrestling Samoa Joe with his belt on the line all the while The Devil, which could still be him, waits in the background to impact the show one way or another.

Sitting down for an interview with TV Insider ahead of AEW's final 2023 Pay-Per-View, MJF discussed what 2023 has been like as a member of AEW and why it's his job to keep his legacy alive at the Nassau Coliseum on his island.

“Let’s face it. This has been a rebuilding year for us. A lot of crazy s**t has happened. People have left. People have gotten injured, and there have been f**k’in serious issues in the back. Through it all guys like me have had to steady the f**kin' ship. I’m not asking for a pat on the back. It’s my job to do that. It’s why I’m the guy and world champion,” MJF told TV Insider.

“As the world champion, I’ve often managed to help bring AEW million-dollar houses. I’ve sold a boatload of merchandise and done good ratings for our shows. The fact of the matter is that’s not enough. I always need to be looking to grow not just my brand but our brand. I think it’s telling that Worlds End sold out, and we had to add more seats in the Nassau Coliseum. What that proves there is a lot of interest in seeing me versus Samoa Joe, the wrestling legend. Frankly, I’m a wrestling legend in the making. I think all the crazy s**t that has gone down this year, guys like me and Joe made it a point to be the guys you can pass the rock to, and we can go and score a f**kin' touchdown for our company.”

Could Worlds End spell the end of MJF in AEW? Considering his contract situation, it's possible, though not likely, especially when you consider he has plenty he wants to see the promotion accomplish in 2024.

MJF has big plans and dreams for AEW in 2024.

Turning his attention from the past to the future with Worlds End serving as a nice transitional point, MJF was asked about what he hopes to see AEW accomplish in 2024, and, to his credit, the “Salt of the Earth” had plenty he wanted to share.

“I frankly think what we are doing now. We are bettering the product. I think we lost our footing at points, but I think that’s had to do with some crazy f**kin' s**t that went down. Let’s face it, some of it was out of our control. Also, some of it was in our control. So, I think it’s very important when we read criticism we take it as constructive. I mean when we can. There is a difference between, ‘I want AEW to die. Fed is better. LOL.' That kind of tweet. And, ‘I miss when AEW kind of had a more sports presentation.' Or, ‘I miss MJF chopping it up on the stick and f*ckin' bury people,'” MJF told TV Insider.

“There are constructive things though. I think now more than ever we are the listening company. We are trying to be the listening company. I think the reason there is so much criticism online, and I’m starting to see it lessen because we are starting to give people what they are asking for, but it’s because the fans hold me and the company to a higher standard. I take that with a lot of pride. There is a reason to expect greatness from me. It’s because I’ve given it to them before. I plan on giving it to them at Worlds End.”

Say what you will about AEW in 2023, about all the promotion lost and all of the new, interesting ideas the promotion introduced, but it was certainly a transitional year for the challenger brand. If AEW can learn from what worked and drop what didn't, who knows, maybe 2024 can really be an all-around better year for Tony Khan's company, with better matches, bigger shows, and a new media rights deal to boot.