AEW's MJF Opens Up About His Struggle With Attention Issues

Millions of Americans suffer from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder [ADHD]. The struggle to complete the simplest of tasks can be a chore for those plagued by attention disorders, where focusing on a singular subject often feels like an uphill battle against their own minds. 

The pro wrestler who is most outspoken about their battle with ADHD is ironically someone who seems to put more focus and attention on his craft than most of his contemporaries – AEW's MJF. Friedman opened up about the pitfalls of living with ADHD on "SI Media with Jimmy Traina," and noted that the one place he feels free from his symptoms is when he walks through the curtain.  

"My ADHD is very, very intense, and I find the only time I am able to focus on one thing, and this is not an exaggeration, is when I put the scarf on and I go to work. The rest of my day I really struggle with," MJF said. "To this day, I struggle with reading comprehension. I could be in the middle of a sentence with the woman I'm banging, and I'm gone, and she knows, and I'm like, ah f***, and she has to be like, you were saying this."

Friedman goes on to explain that wrestling forces him to focus on only one thing. 

"I'm just so in the moment, which I think is also why I stand out. Man, I watch some people in my profession, and you can tell that they are not in the moment, you feel it, and they look like a deer in headlights, they look terrified."

If you think MJF's vulnerability on the subject indicates he has gone a little soft, fear not. Later in the interview, he goes on to boast about his new, lucrative contract with AEW.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit the "SI with Jimmy Traina" podcast and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for transcription.