The main event of last Saturday night’s AEW Worlds End 2025 pay-per-view featured MJF defeating Samoa Joe, “Hangman” Adam Page, and Swerve Strickland in a four-way match. MJF became the new AEW World Champion by pinning then-champion Samoa Joe.
According to Sean Ross Sapp in the latest edition of Fightful Select Answers, AEW had been planning MJF’s world title victory as early as mid-November.
This timeline corresponds with the company’s decision to include him in the title match at Worlds End. Sapp also mentioned that while some recent AEW title runs have been brief, it doesn’t indicate a lack of planning on the company’s part.
Sapp further noted that with Joe winning the AEW World Title at Full Gear 2025 on November 22 by defeating “Hangman” Adam Page, it appears AEW was planning MJF’s return and title victory around that time.
MJF made his return to AEW television during the Holiday Bash episode of Dynamite, where he inserted himself into the World Title match using his Casino Gauntlet contract. His victory at Worlds End 2025 represents his redemption after previously losing to Joe at Worlds End 2023.
Joe’s second AEW World Title run lasted only five weeks (35 days). Notably, MJF holds the record for the longest-reigning AEW World Champion in history at 406 days.
