Tony Khan Addresses MJF Being Removed From AEW Roster Page
Tony Khan did his best to reply to a question about AEW removing MJF from the company’s website roster, even if it’s just a storyline.
At AEW Worlds End, former AEW World Champion MJF’s world ended. That’s because on the same night in his hometown, a physically broken MJF lost the AEW World Title to Samoa Joe, which put an end to MJF’s record-long 406-day reign as AEW World Champion.
After the match, MJF’s “best friend” Adam Cole also revealed that he was “The Devil” who had been mentally and physically torturing MJF for months. Cole’s Undisputed Kingdom group with Wardlow, Roderick Strong, Matt Taven & Mike Bennett also beat up MJF to end that show.
On New Year’s Day, AEW removed MJF from their website roster page. That’s because, for several years, MJF did promos about the “Bidding War of 2024” referencing January 1, 2024 when he claimed his AEW contract was going to expire.
In an interview with Going Ringside, AEW owner Tony Khan danced around the subject of MJF’s contract status when he was asked about it.
“I can say that MJF certainly has been a great part of AEW for the first five years. And through those five years, certainly, he’s been one of our great homegrown stars…and he’s somebody we really value and I would love to have MJF in AEW in the future, should the contractual situation allow.”
“Certainly MJF is somebody we would love to have an AEW going forward. And he’s been a great wrestler and a great champion for us.”
For fans frustrated about how vague Tony Khan is on the subject, he has done this before. At the AEW Worlds End press conference, Tony Khan also avoided the question about MJF’s future by saying he can’t comment on it.
Tony Khan Won’t Reveal MJF’s Real AEW Contract Status
As mentioned by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s Dave Meltzer, MJF’s absence from AEW is just a storyline because it’s believed that he had signed a long-term deal to remain with AEW. Tony Khan doesn’t want to reveal that MJF has actually signed a new contract, so that’s why he continues to dance around the subject.
“They are also doing a storyline that MJF is now a free agent. MJF was not advertised for Wembley and was pulled from the roster on the website to play up the idea his contract expired at the end of the year. Most believe he had signed a new long-term deal in 2022 although he always denied it. One would think it would be crazy to have MJF as champion for almost the entire year of 2023 if his contract ended at the end of the year.”
“But Tony Khan put the title on Jon Moxley who was working without a contract, although Moxley at the time was pretty much sure he wasn’t going to WWE and they had an understanding he was staying and they were finalizing the new deal.”
MJF is currently dealing with a torn labrum left shoulder injury along with other injuries. It is expected that MJF will be off TV to deal with those injuries and if he needs surgery on his shoulder then he’ll miss most of 2024.