The now-familiar chants followed AEW World Champion MJF beyond company walls on February 20. The outspoken star encountered loud “F*ck ICE” chants during his appearance at House of Glory’s No Turning Back event in Queens, New York.
MJF was in action against HOG Crown Jewel Champion Zilla Fatu at the Amazura Concert Hall, marking his return to the promotion.
However, before the match could fully settle in, the New York crowd made its presence felt in a way that has become a recurring theme throughout February.
The chants, directed at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, first gained traction during the February 4 episode of AEW Dynamite in Las Vegas ahead of MJF’s World Title Eliminator bout against Brody King.
Referee Bryce Remsburg later acknowledged he delayed ringing the bell to let the moment play out. The reaction quickly spilled beyond wrestling media, with outlets such as NBC News and TMZ covering the story.
MJF Reacts to Crowd Chants at Indie Wrestling Event
At HOG, MJF entered to Jadakiss’ “The Champ is Here,” but the crowd response echoed the earlier Dynamite scenes. Both MJF and Zilla Fatu looked around as the chants continued.
Rather than ignore it, MJF leaned into his heel persona. He forced the ring announcer to tell the audience to keep their “f***ing mouths shut.”
Earlier in the month, MJF publicly pushed back on reports that he was “startled” by similar chants, writing on social media that the “world champion wasn’t startled.”
He also praised AEW for not censoring fans, noting that “other promotions” may have handled the situation differently.
The chant resurfaced at AEW Grand Slam in Australia and again on the February 18 episode of Dynamite in Sacramento, showing that the reaction has followed MJF regardless of venue.
What began as a moment tied to his rivalry with Brody King has now crossed into the independent scene. Whether it remains part of the atmosphere moving forward remains to be seen, but for now, the champ can’t seem to escape the noise.
