Speculation surrounding MJF’s future ignited following this week’s episode of WWE NXT. During a blindfold match against Myles Borne, Lexis King uttered the phrase famously associated with the former AEW World Champion: “I’m better than you and you know it.”
The reference is notable given that King and MJF are known to be friends. The moment on NXT television has fueled fan discussion about a potential move to WWE for the star.
This development comes just days after MJF failed to capture the AEW World Championship from “Hangman” Adam Page in the co-main event of Forbidden Door on August 24. His loss was a direct result of interference from Mark Briscoe.
Despite the defeat, MJF still holds a guaranteed contract for one last AEW World Championship opportunity. In a statement on August 26, Hangman Page remarked that after what happened at Forbidden Door, MJF will likely “think twice” about his tactics.
However, the nature of that championship contract has fundamentally changed. In a media scrum following the event, AEW President Tony Khan announced a new rule requiring all future guaranteed title shots to be declared with at least one week’s notice. Khan stated the decision was made to ensure the integrity of the championships and allow for the proper promotion of title matches.
Khan specified that this new rule will not be applied retroactively to MJF’s existing contract. This positions him as the final wrestler in AEW who can cash in a title shot without any prior announcement.