Maxwell Jacob Friedman

Friedman was trained by Curt Hawkins and Pat Buck and made his in-ring debut in their Create A Pro Wrestling Academy in Hicksville, New York during February 2015. He also wrestled for Combat Zone Wrestling and Five Borough Wrestling during his debut year and went on to appear in numerous promotions across the northeastern independent wrestling circuit. In April 2015, WWE uploaded on their YouTube channel Friedman's entry for WWE Tough Enough.[8] He would later make a one time appearance in WWE as a security guard during Samoa Joe's entrance at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II.

Friedman worked under the new ring name Pete Lightning in several CZW Dojo Wars events since 2015, usually in tag team matches with Hous Blazer and Penelope Ford. On the September 7, 2016 edition of CZW Dojo Wars, he returned to his previous ring name Maxwell Jacob Feinstein, he entered the Dramatic Destination Series tournament. On May 13, 2017 at CZW Sacrifices, Friedman defeated Johnny Yuma to win the CZW Wired Championship. He won his first title defense at CZW EVILution, defeating Trevor Lee. He successfully retained the title in further singles matches against Mike Del, John Silver and Ace Romero. On October 14 at CZW The Wolf Of Wrestling, Friedman lost the CZW Wired title to Joey Janela. Two months later at CZW Cage Of Death 19, Friedman won the title back after defeating Janela in a rematch.

Friedman returned on February 10, 2018 at CZW Nineteen, where he won the 27-Man Battle Royal to become the new number one contender for the CZW World Heavyweight Championship. He also successfully defended the CZW Wired Championship against Alex Colon on that date. He was the last Wired Champion before vacating the title on April 14 at CZW Best Of The Best 17. There he defeated Rickey Shane Page to win the CZW World Heavyweight Championship for the first time.

Friedman performing at an independent circuit show in November 2018

On September 5, 2017, it was reported that Friedman signed a contract with the reinstated Major League Wrestling (MLW) to appear at its reunion event One Shot to compete in a match against Jimmy Yuta, which Friedman won. Friedman would then become a member of the MLW roster as he continued his winning streak against Joey Ryan at Never Say Never. MJF suffered his first loss in MLW against Brody King at Zero Hour on January 11, 2018. He then participated in a tournament for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship at Road To The World Championship, losing to the British wrestler Jimmy Havoc in the opening round. Friedman would go on to defeat Lance Anoa'i at Spring Break. He made his Fusion debut on the May 11 episode by defeating Fred Yehi. He continued his success with an upset win over Montel Vontavious Porter at Intimidation Games.

On July 29, MJF defeated Joey Ryan to become the first-ever World Middleweight Champion at the Battle Riot special. Later that night, MJF participated in the namesake match as the #38 entrant and was eliminated by the eventual winner Tom Lawlor.[9] On the August 10 episode of Fusion, MJF made his first title defense against Joey Janela in a falls count anywhere match, which he retained after Janela's on-screen girlfriend Aria Blake turned on Janela by hitting him in the head with a bottle. This led to Blake becoming MJF's valet. On the September 21 episode of Fusion, MJF and Blake defeated Joey Ryan and Taya Valkyrie in a mixed tag team match.[10] MJF would make his second title defense of the World Middleweight Championship on the November 9 episode of Fusion, where he successfully defended the title against Jason Cade and Jimmy Yuta in a three-way elimination match. On November 25, Friedman revealed that he had suffered a fractured elbow with a recovery time of 4-6 weeks. MLW later announced that the Middleweight title has been stripped from Friedman due not being cleared in time for his scheduled title defense at MLW's live Fusion December 14 episode.[11]

MJF returned from his injury on the February 16, 2019 episode of Fusion, where he unsuccessfully challenged the new champion Teddy Hart for the World Middleweight Championship. After the match, Richard Holliday joined MJF in attacking Hart.[12] As a result, the duo formed a team called The Dynasty and began feuding with Hart Foundation. They were shortly after joined by the newcomer Alexander Hammerstone. He later won the MLW World Tag Team Championship with Richard Holliday as part of the Dynasty.

He would leave the promotion in January 2020.[13]

On January 7, 2019, it was announced that Friedman was signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW).[14] He debuted as a heel at Double or Nothing as a part of the pre-show Casino Battle Royale for an AEW World Championship opportunity. He lasted until the final two, before being eliminated by Adam Page.[15] Friedman went on to compete in a four-way match against Page, Jimmy Havoc and Jungle Boy at Fyter Fest in June, which Page also won.[16] The following month at Fight for the Fallen, he teamed with Shawn Spears and Sammy Guevara to defeat Havoc, Darby Allin and Joey Janela in a six-man tag team match.[17]

On the first episode of AEW Dynamite on October 2, Friedman defeated Brandon Cutler by submission.[18] The following week on Dynamite, Friedman intervened in the attack of his "best friend" Cody by The Inner Circle, attacking Santana and Ortiz with a steel chair seemingly turning face.[19] At Full Gear, he accompanied Cody in his AEW World Championship match against Chris Jericho. Cody lost the match after MJF threw in the towel when he was in a submission hold and as a result, Cody is no longer allowed to challenge for the AEW World Championship again due to a pre-match stipulation. After the match, MJF turned on Cody by kicking him in the groin and walked away.[20] Shortly thereafter, MJF would find a bodyguard with the debuting Wardlow.[21] On the November 20 episode of Dynamite, MJF and Adam Page would be the final two entrants in the inaugural Dynamite Dozen Battle Royale.[22] The two would meet in a singles match on the following Dynamite, which MJF would win. He was then awarded the Dynamite Diamond Ring as a prize for defeating Page.[23] At Bash at the Beach on January 15, 2020, MJF teamed with The Butcher and The Blade to defeat Diamond Dallas Page, Dustin Rhodes and QT Marshall.[24] MJF would rekindle his rivalry with Cody, and lay down 3 stipulations that Cody must follow to gain a match against him at AEW Revolution which included not touching MJF till the match happened, facing Wardlow in a steel cage match and receiving ten lashes by MJF on live TV.[25] On the February 5, 2020 episode of Dynamite, Cody took the ten lashes from MJF, including one from Wardlow. [26] Cody would then go on to beat Wardlow in the first steel cage match in AEW's history on the February 19 episode of Dynamite to make the match against MJF at AEW Revolution official.[27] At AEW Revolution, MJF would defeat Cody by pinfall after hitting him on the face with the Dynamite Diamond Ring.[28] MJF would then enter a feud with Jungle Boy, defeating him with a roll-up while holding his tights, giving him extra leverage.[29] On the May 27 episode of Dynamite, MJF would unsuccessfully compete in a battle royal to face Cody for the AEW TNT Championship, being eliminated by Jungle Boy.[30]