Dave Meltzer Gives Thoughts On MJF’s AEW Future
Following Double Or Nothing, which saw MJF clash with Wardlow, Dave Meltzer has speculated on what the future holds for the star’s in AEW amid ongoing uncertainty.
Over the last few months, MJF has been surprisingly vocal about his contract situation with AEW and has let it be known on several occasions that, when his deal expires in 2024, he will be available to the highest bidder.
The Salt of the Earth’s relationship with AEW President Tony Khan has seemingly deteriorated recently and the two are said to have had a “heated” conversation following MJF participating in an interview that wasn’t cleared by the company.
Things seemed to come to a head in the days leading up to Double Or Nothing in Las Vegas with MJF no-showing a meet and greet he had been advertised for and his status for his bout with Wardlow at the show becoming uncertain.
However, MJF did appear at the T-Mobile Arena to open the show with his former bodyguard. The three-time Dynamite Diamond Ring winner took 10 brutal powerbombs from Wardlow before Mr. Mayhem pinned him with his foot to finally officially become a member of the AEW roster.
Speaking after Double Or Nothing on Wrestling Observer Radio, wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer has speculated about what the past few days and months might mean for MJF’s future in AEW. He and co-host Bryan Alvarez also addressed the rumours of a flight being booked for MJF so he could go home before Double Or Nothing event began, confirming that no such flight was actually booked for the star.
The two then discussed the theory that the situation was a “work” between MJF and the company. Meltzer believes the situation at least started as real as Tony Khan refused to discuss MJF after Double Or Nothing.
“While he did not say a word about it, it was very obvious that there had been a lot going on between Tony [Khan] and Max in some way, shape or form that was, you know, whatever it was that happened, something happened. If nothing had happened, after this thing, [Khan] would have said nothing happened.”
“[But] he would not talk about anything to do with Max. The very first question [at the post-show media scrum] he was like ‘I will not talk about this subject’ and later I tried to ask him about will we ever see him in AEW again and it’s again, he would not say anything.”
Bryan Alvarez confirmed that the match card available for the talent working the show had MJF’s match with Wardlow going on first and that hadn’t changed all day ahead of the show. Meltzer added that “of course” anything further is now storyline given MJF’s last-minute arrival at the T-Mobile Arena, suggesting that the company knew he’d be there and that he would be leaving the show immediately after his loss to Wardlow.
Dave Meltzer then added that he thinks “it’s more likely than not” MJF will return to AEW at some point but says he can’t prove that theory. He also thinks that given MJF was stretchered out of the arena, “it may be a few weeks but it may be much longer” before he is back on AEW TV.