MJF has just been spotted in public amidst his absence from AEW. It seems that he is focusing on some commitments he has outside the Jacksonville-based promotion.The longest-reigning AEW World Champion has not been seen on the promotion since All Out back in September. During that night, he faced Mark Briscoe in a Tables N'Tacks match. He has been on a brief hiatus since then, focusing on some of his projects outside the ring.MJF has just made a public appearance amidst his AEW absence. He was spotted at WrestleCade, which is taking place this weekend in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. AEW star Capt. Shawn Dean shared on X/Twitter that he got an autograph from Friedman, though he received an NSFW dedication.Dean seemed to be gloating and reminding Maxwell of past times when he had stolen victories from him.Bret Hart makes a surprise claim about MJFA few days ago, during his appearance on the Johnny | Pro Show, a fan in the crowd shouted the Salt of the Earth's name during his interview. He heard this but could not recognize his name.Despite being told that he was one of AEW's biggest stars, the Hitman still had no recollection of him. He mentioned how this was the case as he no longer watched their product. This was a controversial comment, given that Friedman was considered one of the faces of the company.“Who? MJF? Who is that? — Just curious though, who is it? — AEW wrestler? — As you can tell, I don’t watch a lot anymore," he said. [H/T - Ringside News]WrestlePurists @WrestlePuristsLINKWhen MJF’s name was brought up to Bret Hart, Bret didn’t know who he is: “MJF? Who is that? Just curious, though, who is it? Oh, AEW wrestler. As you can tell, I don’t watch a lot anymore.” (Johnny I Pro Show)It doesn't look like the 29-year-old is bothered by this in any way, as he hasn't responded to the news. There have been reports that he could be back by next month, so fans should stay tuned for any further developments on this end.