A top AEW star could be getting some time away from television.
MJF lost the AEW World Championship to Kenny Omega last week on the Beach Break edition of AEW Dynamite, ending his third reign as champion. The match had originally been planned for the AEW Redemption pay-per-view before being moved to television, leaving an open question about what MJF would be doing at Redemption instead.
According to Fightful Select, the answer may be nothing. The outlet reported that when it asked about MJF’s plans for the pay-per-view, it was indicated that he could be off television for a period of time.
Fightful was careful to note that nothing on that front is confirmed, only indicated, and that no time frame was attached to how long any absence might last. The outlet added that the people it spoke with still anticipate MJF being part of the AEW All In pay-per-view in some form, though what that role would look like was not clear.
MJF dropped the title at Beach Break on July 8 in Clearwater, Florida, in a match carrying the stipulation that Omega could never challenge for the championship again if he lost. Omega survived a low blow and a title belt shot, and Will Ospreay ran out to take MJF’s Dynamite Diamond Ring away before Omega finished the match with the One-Winged Angel. It was Omega’s second AEW World Championship. MJF had held the title since beating Darby Allin at Double or Nothing in May.
The decision to move the match to Dynamite was itself a talking point. On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reported that the match and its stipulation had been the plan for Redemption, and that MJF is believed to have pushed for it to be moved to television, a change Tony Khan approved. Fightful Select has separately reported that the belief in AEW was that MJF pushed for the switch, and that the plan for Omega to take the title from him had been in place for months.
AEW Redemption takes place July 26 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, where Thekla defending the AEW Women’s World Championship against Willow Nightingale is the only match confirmed so far. All In is set for August 30 at Wembley Stadium in London, where Omega is scheduled to defend the AEW World Championship against Ospreay.
