Is MJF finally getting ready to make the leap to WWE? At the Worlds End PPV on Saturday night, Samoa Joe became the new AEW World Champion when he defeated the heel-turned-babyface, prompting his friend, Adam Cole, to console him in the ring.
Four of The Devil's henchmen then appeared at ringside and, after the lights went out and turned back on again, Roderick Strong, Mike Bennett, Matt Taven, and Wardlow unmasked and attacked MJF as Cole - now revealed to be The Devil - watched on.
It's a strange creative decision on AEW's part as Cole is still injured and unable to wrestle and MJF is expected to take several months off due to issues of his own.
There have, of course, been rumblings about MJF becoming a free agent on January 1 to set the stage for what he's described as a "bidding war" between WWE and AEW. While MJF insists he hasn't signed a new contract, some believe he's already agreed to a multi-year AEW contract and that the whole thing is a work.
Adding further fuel to the fire is the fact AEW has now removed MJF from its roster page. This isn't the first time we've seen the company pull that trick, of course, and it's getting a little old at this point.
If MJF was legitimately leaving the promotion, AEW World End would have likely ended much differently rather than setting up an eventual feud between him and Cole.
Recently, MJF acknowledged that his character has grown stale in recent months. His babyface persona has quickly worn thin, making the decision to have Cole turn heel all the more confusing.
"I think one big thing I want to say is for everybody who fell in love with me, I understand the criticisms," he admitted. "I understand the critiques. I think the reason that people criticize me more now than ever is because they hold me to a higher standard. Because they know what I’m capable of. On December 30th, I’m going to remind people exactly what the f*ck I’m capable of and I’m going to do it with a smile on my face."
If MJF has indeed signed with AEW, then it's hard to figure out what he's thinking beyond money. WWE is on a hot streak right now and AEW is on the decline, so why MJF wouldn't want to capitalise on WWE's popularity and become a household name is impossible to say. Fingers crossed he shows up at the Royal Rumble, eh?
As always, we'll keep you updated as we learn more.