Former AEW World Champion MJF may be heading off television following his championship defeat to Kenny Omega, according to a new report.
MJF lost the AEW World Championship to Omega on the July 8 edition of AEW Dynamite: Beach Break, ending his third reign with the title. The bout had originally been planned for the upcoming AEW Redemption pay-per-view before ultimately being moved to television, prompting speculation about what MJF’s role at the event would be.
According to Fightful Select, the answer could be no role at all.
The report states that when Fightful inquired about MJF’s plans for AEW Redemption, it was indicated that he may be written off television for a period of time. However, the outlet emphasized that nothing has been officially confirmed, and no timetable has been provided for a potential absence.
Fightful also noted that those it spoke with still expect MJF to be involved in AEW All In in some capacity, although exactly what that involvement would entail remains unclear.
MJF’s title loss came in the main event of Beach Break in Clearwater, Florida, where he defended the championship against Kenny Omega under the stipulation that Omega could never challenge for the AEW World Championship again if he failed to win.
Despite MJF resorting to a low blow and using the championship belt as a weapon, Omega overcame the odds after Will Ospreay ran to the ring and prevented MJF from using the Dynamite Diamond Ring. Omega then connected with the One-Winged Angel to capture his second AEW World Championship.
MJF had won the title from Darby Allin at Double or Nothing in May.
The decision to move the championship match from AEW Redemption to Dynamite also generated significant discussion. On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reported that the title match—and its accompanying stipulation—had originally been scheduled for the pay-per-view. Meltzer added that MJF is believed to have pushed for the bout to air on television instead, with AEW President Tony Khan ultimately approving the change.
Fightful Select separately reported that the prevailing belief within AEW was that MJF advocated for the switch and that plans for Omega to dethrone him had been in place for several months.
AEW Redemption is scheduled for July 26 at Montreal’s Bell Centre. As of this writing, the only officially announced match is Thekla defending the AEW Women’s World Championship against Willow Nightingale.
Meanwhile, AEW All In will take place on August 30 at Wembley Stadium in London, where Kenny Omega is set to defend the AEW World Championship against Will Ospreay.
