Highlights
- WWE sources believe that MJF has quietly re-signed with AEW, ending the anticipated bidding war between the two wrestling promotions.
- Despite his success in AEW, there are concerns that MJF may be limiting his potential by staying with the company, given its declining attendance and ratings.
- If AEW faces failure in the future, MJF may consider jumping ship to WWE, indicating that his decision to stay with AEW until 2027 is a significant one.
There have been a lot of big name wrestling signings of late, from Jade Cargill jumping ship from AEW to WWE, to Will Ospreay joining AEW. The biggest soon-to-be free agent, however, is one Maxwell Jacob Freidman, known simply as MJF. The AEW World Champion has spoken many times in interviews and in-ring promos about "the bidding war of 2024," where AEW and WWE will battle to land the 27-year-old star and face of AEW. A new report, however, makes it seem like that bidding war is over before it even began.
According to Haus of Wrestling, WWE sources believe that MJF has already quietly re-signed with AEW. A higher up WWE source told them that there have been no discussions between WWE and MJF. All talk from the AEW World Champion about free agency is said to be a "false narrative." One WWE source told Haus of Wrestling, “This is a completely in his head storyline." Another WWE source said, “1000%. I was told a while ago he is under a long-term deal, which is why they stopped pushing the 2024 stuff.” The source believed MJF has re-signed with AEW through 2027.
Haus of Wrestling said they have reached out to AEW to see if they had a comment about MJF's contract, but hadn't heard back from Tony Khan's promotion.
RELATED: Why MJF's AEW Championship Reign Should Be Better Than It Is
Is Staying With AEW MJF's Best Move?
MJF has been with AEW since the beginning in 2019. He's had an up-and-down career in All Elite Wrestling. While he was for years AEW's most hated heel (going so far as to always stay in kayfabe) he didn't have a lot of success until his phenomenal feud with CM Punk. Last year, MJF was so frustrated with AEW that he took a hiatus from the company. Since coming back, however, Tony Khan has given MJF a huge push. He put the AEW World Championship on him soon after, and he is now the longest reigning titleholder in the promotion's young history. MJF also successfully went from being a hated heel to an over babyface thanks to his work with Adam Cole.
After a recent episode of Collision, following his defeat of Kenny Omega, MJF told the crowd after the show, "I'll be honest. I still don't know what I'm gonna do for the bidding war of 2024." If WWE's belief is right, MJF already knows and has ended the war before it started.
So, if MJF did indeed re-sign with AEW, was it the right decision? AEW offers him comfort as the biggest star in their company, but with attendance and ratings down, is MJF the biggest name in an ever smaller pond? Would MJF have been better off signing with WWE to see just how huge of a star he could become? If MJF did already decide to stay with AEW, 2027 will be another big year. AEW is in a make-or-break moment. Four years from now, they could be doing well or on the brink of failure. If it's the latter, look for MJF to jump a sinking ship to WWE.
