It looks like MJF could be returning to AEW soon, at least that’s what the internal belief is.
The former AEW Champion has not been seen since losing the AEW Championship last year. He lost to Samoa Joe at World’s End, before Adam Cole revealed he was The Devil that had been targeting him for many months.
This was the climax of a six-month storyline involving Cole and MJF. Sadly, both men suffered injuries and were unable to follow up on the angle. The former AEW Champion has been radio silent since then, drawing out speculation about his future.
According to a new report via Fightful Select, MJF is expected to return to AEW “sooner rather than later.” Most expect him to be back before this year’s Forbidden Door event. It takes place in his hometown of Long Island, New York on June 30th.
It also noted that MJF was suffering from a “plethora of injures” before his clash with Samoa Joe. Reports indicated that he underwent shoulder surgery following World’s End, although Fightful could not confirm that fact.
MJF is expected to return within the next month, with Sunday’s Double or Nothing event another likely candidate. However, Adam Cole’s injury status could also have a bearing on that. This is given how intertwined their stories became since last summer.
MJF Reportedly Signed A New Contract With AEW
While he has gone on about “the bidding war of 2024”, MJF looks set to stay with AEW for “quite some time.”
Fightful Select also reported that the four-time Dynamite Diamond Ring holder signed a new, long-term deal with AEW at some point after Double or Nothing 2022. One thing that does remain unclear, however, is if the extension effectively replaced his prior deal, which would have expired on December 31, 2023.
They wrote that the extension will keep MJF with AEW for “quite some time”, and puts him among the highest-paid wrestlers in AEW.
This new deal should quell any speculation of MJF signing with WWE. After Cody Rhodes made the jump in 2022, some thought MJF could follow him once his deal expires. That does not look to be the case, or at least not for several years.
