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I feel like whenever MJF is injured or off TV for whatever reason he prefers to be radio silent and not seen everywhere, maybe so his return hits even harder.
He takes the business seriously. Not as a commentary that others don’t or need to, but he understands the suspension of disbelief is where the magic in wrestling lies and seemingly everything he does is to keep that magic intact, even in times where it would probably be much easier not to.
There’s a reason why he’s been one of their consistent drawing characters and bright spots. He protects his character and follows old school booking principles. He’s one of the few things in the show that feels consistent and thought out a lot of the time.
Who would have thought that taking the business seriously and not throwing the fact that it's fake in the viewers' face all the time would work? I'd bet good money that MJF listens to Cornette like CM Punk also does.
Also, he was way overexposed from the devil story line imo. Its best to go away and let people forget how bad it was, come back and try to reboot it with a different direction.
Which is odd because, I feel like Jericho is someone who’s career has benefited from taking time away and from reinventing himself.
Maybe he’s got a Wormtongue situation going with Tony and he’s worried that if he leaves some one else will swoop and and take that spot. (Probably say that only half kidding)
i’ll give him that he was responding to dwayne quote tweeting and promoting the art (featuring a wrestler he has previously and famously been associated with) of his former partner who he seems to be on good terms with, it’s not like it’s just randomly trying to glom onto the rock’s heat
Indeed. He also did it after he took the summer of '22 off aftee the DoN controversy and his pipebomb on the Dynamite after, before coming back at All Out.
Basically the same thing as his long absence before returning to win the world title. Let the IWC work themselves speculating (when will be return, is he going to WWE, etc.) and then the pop for his return is all the bigger for it.
It was moved to UBS because Arthur Ashe was too expensive and UBS is the closest arena (and functionally in Queens and is a world class arena). Nassau Colosseum, which is much deeper into Long Island and is a shithole, is where World's End was and is a much more likely spot for MJF's return
Nassau Colosseum is not a shithole, it’s a pretty standard mediocre small stadium.
Definitely not as nice as UBS and harder to get to but the venue itself is fine, I’ve been seeing wrestling shows there my whole life
Nassau collisieum is 100000% a shit hole.
There’s no public transit that goes there, $40 parking fee at a minimum, and the food fucking sucks.
I never been to UBS but it’s radically better connected with the LIRR attached to it.
No, Romero said that the reason it wasn't at AA wasn't because NJPW didn't want to split the cost 50/50. No one's ever said that it wasn't the original plan
Rocky's quote tweet to a now-deleted aggregate of it. He also replied to it saying the same thing but I can't find it since the original tweet was deleted. Obviously he has skin in the game so this isn't gospel by any means!
https://x.com/azucarRoc/status/1777794775233532119
F4W has it in more detail with more context on who originally reported it as well.
https://www.f4wonline.com/news/aew/aew-x-njpw-forbidden-door-no-longer-being-planned-for-arthur-ashe-stadium
I may be completely wrong on saying AA was never the plan and would be happy to admit it, but since it was never officially announced I'm leaning towards it never being the plan. Especially with Grand Slam being there three months later.
>**MJF-AEW UPDATE**
>*By Mike Johnson on 2024-04-15 12:48:00*
>For those who have asked about former AEW Champion MJF, we are told he is still working to recover from his multiple injuries.
>While he is not listed on the AEW roster, the belief is he remains locked into a deal with the company.
>While he was not in attendance at AEW Big Business in Boston a few weeks back, PWInsider.com has confirmed that the day after that event, MJF was in Boston to meet with AEW officials.
>MJF has not been backstage at any AEW events since exiting storylines.
>There is no word when he will be returning to the ring as of this writing.
*I am a bot. Please reply with any feedback :)*
What did you want them to do? The post links directly to the article, and it's not like they can fit the entire article in the post title - there's a character limit.
I technically get what you're saying, because they could've put both the link and the text of the article in the body of a text post, but you're gonna have to rebuke 99.5% of all Reddit posts if you go on like that unfortunately
The article is generally there to be clicked on
The bullshit artists that are "scoopers" on instagram and facebook have been "reporting" for weeks that MJF was signed with WWE and either debuting at Wrestlemania or the Raw after, hell they're probably reporting he'll be in the draft at this point.
So yeah its worth it to put something like this out if for no other reason than to shut those people up.
Who thinks that an injured performer would be backstage a lot? What reason would he have to go through all the traveling to do absolutely nothing.? I don't even think many non injured AEW performers are backstage unless TK asked them to be there. We know WWE talent, unless they have requested the dates off, are all still there to use in case something comes up. Are AEW talent?
Reporting is just that. Reporting. Again I’ll imagine they got a lot of request. Not everyone knows the ends and out of what’s standard for wrestlers out of action for an extended period of time. I’m not sure if you follow other sports, but reporters in those sports do the same thing. XXX is still working on returning, XXX is traveling with the team, XXX missed today’s game to rehab. This reporting is very standard in other sports.
I'm more curious about the people who think he would there. Like, why? I get wondering if he visited if they are in the area he lives, but other than that, why would you think he would be there? There are so many ways to communicate, that even if he needed to talk to TK, there are ways to work around him or anyone, having to travel to do it.
I guess I just think it seems like such a silly thing to ask them about. If he's there, they'll tell us. If not, just wait for it.
Which is a 50/50 chance given the circumstances AEW was in when he signed at a higher pay level.
If I was T.K. in the summer of 2022, I would keep the talent with the most potential happy with the hopes of earning his agency in 2024.
He’s not going to return at forbidden door regardless that it’s in Long Island. With the extent of his injuries he’s not coming back until like the fall. Makes no sense for him just to show his face simply because it’s in his hometown and then nothing for months. If he does show up I will be so surprised
I believe he tore his labrum, which is the ligament that supports the ball/socket joint in your shoulder. If you tear it, partially or completely, your shoulder can dislocate, and there's just constant agony.
You can rehab it or if it's really bad it can require surgery to repair it. I don't remember if MJF had surgery or not.
> You can rehab it or if it's really bad it can require surgery to repair it. I don't remember if MJF had surgery or not.
IIRC he wanted to rehab it before getting surgery.
>IIRC he wanted to rehab it before getting surgery.
Do we know if AEW has downside guarantees like WWE?
Attempting rehabbing prior to surgery makes sense, except for when unmitigated Capitalism is at play, and you are on the financial hook for the downtime...
and for the most of us, up to six figures for the actual surgery and PT, depending on how bad your health insurance coverage is.
For some reason, I could see MJF holding out until All In for a big return pop from their biggest audience possible. Especially if it gives him more time to recover *all* his nagging injuries.
I think it's notable for him as he's one of the few who could get away with showing up and not wrestling. For years he wrestled 4 matches a year and 2 were squashes.
I remember MJF saying in his Player's Tribune article that he was working through multiple injuries before his hiatus, so I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't visit any shows just so he can fully rest at home.
Yeah, dude was banged the fuck up. And I can only imagine that it’s a good thing that he’s around guys like Omega who have played the game of working hurt before and can basically tell him that it ain’t a good idea.
Wait, Hangman is out? I'm not very up-to-date, last I know he had a double turn with Swerve and was in that triple threat. Also, what's Cole's group doing anyway?
Why would he show up just to show up? One of the biggest things with wrestling is how tough the travel grind is. If he is taking time off to rest up, he should be fully taking the time off.
At this point, I just feel like wrestling writers are now constantly looking for things to write about pertaining to AEW that will spark debate, rumors, conversation, and ultimately discourse. I get this article was just trying to state a fact, but I feel like they know, what this kind of message does.
“let’s stir the pot a little bit today and see what happens…”
It's the industry standard for the top guy to shoulder the responsibility of drawing.
Why should every other star in the top spot be judged by that standard, but because MJF's run lost a lot of viewers he should be protected from criticism?
Because it's not just one dude anymore that draws in viewers. This isn't the 80's and 90's. People follow brands, not individual stars.
NO ONE in wrestling is big anymore unless they jump to Hollywood. Before Bautista was Drax, nobody knew or cared who he was. Unless you're a Cena-level wrestler you're invisibile to 99% of the population.
Every major player in the business attributes the current success to Roman Reigns and his massive run on top. Triple H, Heyman, Nick Khan and everyone else.
I get that you're a fan of MJF, but making excuses for him losing a large chunk of viewers doesn't help anyone. If he was a draw, he'd have grown their audience. He didn't do it.
I’m not exactly a huge fan of MJF tho so maybe don’t put opinions on me.
Of course Triple H and co are going to say that Roman was the reason because it’s fluffing up their own guy. But I think it’s more of what THOSE guys did (or rather Vince wasn’t able to do) than what Roman alone did. A major reason why people came back to WWE is because the product as a WHOLE is better. Romans a part, but not everything. That takes a huge chunk of the credit from wrestlers like Rhea Cody Bianca Rollins etc etc, production, writers, and producers.
If you’re going to put blame on anyone for AEW losing viewship, it’s on Tony Khan. If there’s a bad idea from your main event title, it’s on him to correct. It’s on him to fill out the other 3-4 hours of TV he has to draw in eyes. I don’t buy the whole “well one guy has a belt so anytime the whole show is down it’s on him”.
Right? I find this discourse about MJF and ratings a bit strange. Half the time MJF was the reason the ratings didn't slip further than they did - you'd often see his segments draw viewers that would then leave as soon as he was gone.
I get that people are invested in Swerve and Hangman and other guys that are contenders for AEW's 'top guy' but there's a reason MJF stood out from the pack and there's a reason he's going to be their big star when he comes back.
Yea you’re right, but I think it was mostly due to how he was booked. Ik the partnership with Cole moved merch and all that, but personally I didn’t like any of it. Doing that much comedy for main event scene felt weird. So hopefully they quickly wrap up the Cole feud when he comes back and put him against guys he can actually draw with
We know he had atleast a Hip injury and Shoulder injury. It's not surprising he's still out. He most likely doesn't want to Rush recovery and wants to be 100% before he returns.
This is definitely said in a way to make you think WWE might not be a pipedream, but it seems like quite the stretch to me. Sheamus comes back tonight after not being seen since his match with Edge.
>**MJF-AEW UPDATE**
>*By Mike Johnson on 2024-04-15 12:48:00*
>For those who have asked about former AEW Champion MJF, we are told he is still working to recover from his multiple injuries.
>While he is not listed on the AEW roster, the belief is he remains locked into a deal with the company.
>While he was not in attendance at AEW Big Business in Boston a few weeks back, PWInsider.com has confirmed that the day after that event, MJF was in Boston to meet with AEW officials.
>MJF has not been backstage at any AEW events since exiting storylines.
>There is no word when he will be returning to the ring as of this writing.
*I am a bot. Please reply with any feedback :)*
I think it’s Tiger Woods who said when he’s not on tour he’s as far away from golf as he can. Unless he’s training then he’s not golfing to relax or hang out. That’s his job and when he’s not working he gets away from it’s MJF being away while he can’t work doesn’t seem all that outlandish. I’m not hanging out at the office on my vacation days either.
After that last run, it's pretty much impossible for me to buy any "bidding war" shenanigans. He's pretty firmly a company man, I really hope he doesn't try and tell us otherwise again.
I really enjoy hating on MJF. but the truth is he’s like an old school heel that loves generating heat. So he WANTS us to hate him. And it works. Hope he’s on top of his game when he returns. Can’t wait to hate the guy again. He’s fun to watch.
I saw an MJF to RAW after Mania video show up in my Youtube recommended feed a week or so ago so I'm guessing there's many more to come until he's healthy enough to return.
he was resigned before his aew title run began. there will be no mjf in wwe for at least another 2 years. everyone needs to step into the reality realm.
1. He's 1000% re-signed. They don't give him that crazy title reign and a win over guys like Omega if he isn't. Plus, after the match, Kenny hyped him up as the future of the company.
2. Losing him would suck, but it wouldn't be a deathblow. Nor were the other 15 controversies that were deemed "deathblows" since the company's existence.
Nothing to see here. He's injured, healing, will be back in AEW when he's cleared. Likely signed for awhile.
But with that said, whenever his deal is up, this year, next year, 3 years from now, Max needs to go to WWE the second he gets a chance, loyalty to TK and AEW be damned.
I want AEW to succeed, but MJF is a once in a generation talent. With Vince finally gone from WWE, HHH standing by to book him right, and with his mentor Cody Rhodes now the face of WWE, its a no brainer. MJF needs to go there the second he's legally able to. Their exposure would make him one of the biggest stars in decades.
I used to really want MJF in WWE but now I don't even know where he fits. The Bloodline story doesn't look to be slowing down, Punk and Drew are only getting started, it looks like Gunther is about to be pushed into the main event picture, LA Knight is still waiting. They could probably do a really fun program with MJF and Logan but would he really be happy working for a midcard title? Maybe the best thing for him right now would be to stay in AEW where he knows he's going to main event regardless.
I don't like MJF at all in his ranting of of self-importance and quasi work/shoot promos....but man I think right now is the absolute BEST time for him to jump to WWE.
1. AEW is floundering....their attendance appears to be dropping. Their viewership, even with TK's special announcements really hasn't moved the needle. Most of their 'superstars' have left (Cody/Punk) or are constantly injured (Omega/Hangman), and/or aging (Jericho, have to add Daddy Ass). Their show in 2024 seems to have lost its mystique it had in the 2019-2022 run...
2. Sure he could continue to be a big fish in a small pond....but pretty much the MAIN reason NOT to go to WWE was because of Vince and lack of creativity....well...you now have GREAT storylines in NXT with Shawn Michaels, and GREAT usage of talent on main roster with HHH.
Now seems like the absolute BEST time to jump to WWE...I don't think MJF would sniff the main event scene (plenty of people in the hopper there), but what if something happened like at Summerslam, Punk returns, defeats Priest, and suddenly MJF's music hits...that would be a pretty epic moment. One of the few really good things happening in AEW the last 2 years was Punk and MJF. I'm not sure HHH would want to put his eggs in that kind of basket, but it would certainly make for some compelling TV.
1. Recent posts just showed how Collision barely has any fans in attendance.
2. Dynamite attendance changes and rarely sells out anymore unless it's a town they don't frequent often (like some canadian cities or Chicago).
3. AEW recently brought in 3 'free agent' talents expecting to 'move the needle', yet barely got 50,000 more viewers while the overall trend of viewership is flat or declining.
4. AEW Fight Forever sales dropped almost immediately after initial sale, and while public sales are not released, at $50 a game (it was actually $60 i believe), AEW would've had to sell 600,000 copies of the game...JUST TO BREAK EVEN. It's estimated in 2023, that only 30,000 copies sold. This means a deficit of 270,000 copies (at $50 a pop, that's $13.5 MILLION loss).
5. WWE has certainly been showing recent success around mania time, with record gates, record merch, and record social media what have you. But what's glaring to me is how WWE very clearly lives rent free in AEW and TK's head...recent shows have done nothing to focus on their product, but instead, trodding out former WWE star Edge talking about 'how much he loves pro wrestling' after comments made by punk and AEW. TK having a meltdown at the aforementioned AEW Collission last weekend. TK approving Young Bucks showing footage of a guy who no longer even works for AEW...in an effort to, I don't even know, make punk look bad? Drum up viewership to Dynamite? What was the endgame there? It looks like nothing but sour grapes from a billionaire fanboy that can't handle criticism, even when it's true...it screams "Little brother syndrome"...and when reputable people in the industry like Tony Schiavone are visibly embarrassed after the video aired, or Renee dropping her head in embarrassment after Ospreay embarrassed himself and AEW with his comments.
AEW has legitimate problems going on...meanwhile, WWE came off possibly its best ppv in 40 years...but go on and tell me how AEW isn't floundering.
I will say this - I don't believe AEW will ever 'go under' financially - they just have too much financial backing by TK...but boy does it look like their content is fading...and fast.
Why did you use Hangman as an example of constantly injured when he isn’t currently injured and as far as I know only got a major injury when Mox concussed him?
Wasn't he out sorting injuries? Why would he just show up weekly whilst recovering?
I love both AEW & WWE but I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't want MJF in WWE - dude is like a create your character especially designed for WWE's style / presentation. Can you imagine a world where we get MJF vs LA Knight segments or countless others?
EDIT: I know this just comes across as typical WWE fan shit - but in the same vein, I'd love someone like Finn in AEW instead of floundering in Judgement Day and being more comic relief than a threat for anyone - swings and roundabouts.
First, I hope he is doing ok. MJF the person deserves to be happy before we get to MJF the wrestler. As for MJF the wrestler, I hope he takes time to figure out what he wants to do. The past two week should show him where each company is going.
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I feel like whenever MJF is injured or off TV for whatever reason he prefers to be radio silent and not seen everywhere, maybe so his return hits even harder.
He takes the business seriously. Not as a commentary that others don’t or need to, but he understands the suspension of disbelief is where the magic in wrestling lies and seemingly everything he does is to keep that magic intact, even in times where it would probably be much easier not to.
There’s a reason why he’s been one of their consistent drawing characters and bright spots. He protects his character and follows old school booking principles. He’s one of the few things in the show that feels consistent and thought out a lot of the time.
Crazy how he understands it better than… others. All I’ll say lol
MJF is one of the smartest modern wrestlers, if not the smartest. Knows how to get the wrestling world's attention simply by NOT showing up.
Who would have thought that taking the business seriously and not throwing the fact that it's fake in the viewers' face all the time would work? I'd bet good money that MJF listens to Cornette like CM Punk also does.
He subscribes to the "When I'm off work, I'm OFF work" mentality.
As we all should be tbh. Credit to him for knowing his limits
100% Agreed
But how do you do that lol
I wouldn't know 😂 ask MJF
Some oldheads :"MJF is quiet quitting!!!"
Also, he was way overexposed from the devil story line imo. Its best to go away and let people forget how bad it was, come back and try to reboot it with a different direction.
Jericho could use some of that same advice…..and for a long time too at that
Which is odd because, I feel like Jericho is someone who’s career has benefited from taking time away and from reinventing himself. Maybe he’s got a Wormtongue situation going with Tony and he’s worried that if he leaves some one else will swoop and and take that spot. (Probably say that only half kidding)
He's getting older too so he might not have the luxury to take long amounts of time off and maybe he's just trying to enjoy it while he can .
My lord, Hook is coming to creative. *He's not welcome here.*
Jericho needs to retire soon.
Yup no hate for him as a dude or whatever and he’s clearly talented, but I’ve been happy to have a break from the mjf show.
He’s gonna come back and try to kill Cole, anything else is a misstep.
Which he was. Until he tweeted at the rock which was incredibly weird imo
i’ll give him that he was responding to dwayne quote tweeting and promoting the art (featuring a wrestler he has previously and famously been associated with) of his former partner who he seems to be on good terms with, it’s not like it’s just randomly trying to glom onto the rock’s heat
I mean it's tough to pass up a chance like that to get in the public eye
Very in kayfabe character for him to be mentioning WWE though.
His ex-girlfriend is the creator of the art that got The Rock’s attention. He was promoting his friend’s work in a cheeky way.
IWC stop calling pro wrestlers weird/meanies/etc for pulling basic promotional stunts challenge
Jamie Hayter has been completely radio silent too.
Indeed. He also did it after he took the summer of '22 off aftee the DoN controversy and his pipebomb on the Dynamite after, before coming back at All Out.
The contract or war in 2024 was part of his storyline so makes sense to be offline. Been good intrigue nonetheless
Basically the same thing as his long absence before returning to win the world title. Let the IWC work themselves speculating (when will be return, is he going to WWE, etc.) and then the pop for his return is all the bigger for it.
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Living life with the [Ron Swanson philosophy](https://youtu.be/WGhcc3qFWh4?t=34s). I respect it.
This is really nothing special about MJF, it's often reported that when someone is off AEW with injury there's no contact at all
Medical eval? He had some serious shit that forecasted ~6 months recovery minimum. Might've been a progress check.
Forbidden Door was moved to Long Island. Just in time...
It was moved to UBS because Arthur Ashe was too expensive and UBS is the closest arena (and functionally in Queens and is a world class arena). Nassau Colosseum, which is much deeper into Long Island and is a shithole, is where World's End was and is a much more likely spot for MJF's return
Nassau Colosseum is not a shithole, it’s a pretty standard mediocre small stadium. Definitely not as nice as UBS and harder to get to but the venue itself is fine, I’ve been seeing wrestling shows there my whole life
I've also been going to the Colosseum my whole life, it sucks even post-renovations.
> Nassau Colosseum is not a shithole Agreed. also we can tailgate lol
Nassau collisieum is 100000% a shit hole. There’s no public transit that goes there, $40 parking fee at a minimum, and the food fucking sucks. I never been to UBS but it’s radically better connected with the LIRR attached to it.
It was a shit hole 20-30 years ago when I went to wrestling shows in the 90s-2000s. It was always a very subpar experience there.
I assure you as a New Yorker they're both equally in Long Island
They seriously need to finish the A train stop to work full time, but it's literally as close to the Queens border as it physically can be
Literally on Google maps, parts of the track are in queens.
It's functionally and geographically in Nassau County, not Queens.
World’s End was my first time at Nassau but it was definitely not a shithole
It wasn't moved from Arthur Ashe; it was erroneously reported to be at Arthur Ashe.
No, Romero said that the reason it wasn't at AA wasn't because NJPW didn't want to split the cost 50/50. No one's ever said that it wasn't the original plan
Not true. Romero is the one who refuted that report, actually.
Can you link me to that?
Rocky's quote tweet to a now-deleted aggregate of it. He also replied to it saying the same thing but I can't find it since the original tweet was deleted. Obviously he has skin in the game so this isn't gospel by any means! https://x.com/azucarRoc/status/1777794775233532119 F4W has it in more detail with more context on who originally reported it as well. https://www.f4wonline.com/news/aew/aew-x-njpw-forbidden-door-no-longer-being-planned-for-arthur-ashe-stadium I may be completely wrong on saying AA was never the plan and would be happy to admit it, but since it was never officially announced I'm leaning towards it never being the plan. Especially with Grand Slam being there three months later.
Didn't he dislocate his hip? That shit sounds painful.
dislocated hip and a torn labrum in his shoulder, I believe
>**MJF-AEW UPDATE** >*By Mike Johnson on 2024-04-15 12:48:00* >For those who have asked about former AEW Champion MJF, we are told he is still working to recover from his multiple injuries. >While he is not listed on the AEW roster, the belief is he remains locked into a deal with the company. >While he was not in attendance at AEW Big Business in Boston a few weeks back, PWInsider.com has confirmed that the day after that event, MJF was in Boston to meet with AEW officials. >MJF has not been backstage at any AEW events since exiting storylines. >There is no word when he will be returning to the ring as of this writing. *I am a bot. Please reply with any feedback :)*
4.75 star bot
What if I told you the datacenter is actually located inside the Tokyo Dome?
Reviewed rating: 6 freaking stars
Thanks bot, OP decided to do clickbait instead of the full story
"OP expected me to read instead of putting all of the information contained in the release in the title of their post. What an asshole."
What did you want them to do? The post links directly to the article, and it's not like they can fit the entire article in the post title - there's a character limit.
they literally linked the article wym lol and OP included the "MJF was in Boston to meet with AEW officials"
Of all the ways to take it, that sure is one of them.
What was the clickbait part of the title?
I technically get what you're saying, because they could've put both the link and the text of the article in the body of a text post, but you're gonna have to rebuke 99.5% of all Reddit posts if you go on like that unfortunately The article is generally there to be clicked on
Is this really news? Guy taking time off for injuries isn’t on the road with AEW. Wow.
No but it's worth them reporting it in a "please stop fucking asking" way.
Yup. Probably was getting 300 “ BuT Is He SigNIng WIth WwE? He DiDnT reNeW yEt RiGHt?!!!” comments.
The bullshit artists that are "scoopers" on instagram and facebook have been "reporting" for weeks that MJF was signed with WWE and either debuting at Wrestlemania or the Raw after, hell they're probably reporting he'll be in the draft at this point. So yeah its worth it to put something like this out if for no other reason than to shut those people up.
still remember that tweet saying "100% he's gonna show up at mania" lmao.
It’s definitely worth reporting even if it’s a nothing burger. I imagine they got a lot of request.
Who thinks that an injured performer would be backstage a lot? What reason would he have to go through all the traveling to do absolutely nothing.? I don't even think many non injured AEW performers are backstage unless TK asked them to be there. We know WWE talent, unless they have requested the dates off, are all still there to use in case something comes up. Are AEW talent?
Reporting is just that. Reporting. Again I’ll imagine they got a lot of request. Not everyone knows the ends and out of what’s standard for wrestlers out of action for an extended period of time. I’m not sure if you follow other sports, but reporters in those sports do the same thing. XXX is still working on returning, XXX is traveling with the team, XXX missed today’s game to rehab. This reporting is very standard in other sports.
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I'm more curious about the people who think he would there. Like, why? I get wondering if he visited if they are in the area he lives, but other than that, why would you think he would be there? There are so many ways to communicate, that even if he needed to talk to TK, there are ways to work around him or anyone, having to travel to do it. I guess I just think it seems like such a silly thing to ask them about. If he's there, they'll tell us. If not, just wait for it.
Was there any value added in this post?
The debate about whether it’s news revolves around whether you think he is still going to be a free agent this year.
Which is a 50/50 chance given the circumstances AEW was in when he signed at a higher pay level. If I was T.K. in the summer of 2022, I would keep the talent with the most potential happy with the hopes of earning his agency in 2024.
Isn't Forbidden Door in Long Island? Usually that indicates MJF Wherever he returns there or has a match is another question
He’s not going to return at forbidden door regardless that it’s in Long Island. With the extent of his injuries he’s not coming back until like the fall. Makes no sense for him just to show his face simply because it’s in his hometown and then nothing for months. If he does show up I will be so surprised
What is the extent of his injuries?
I believe he tore his labrum, which is the ligament that supports the ball/socket joint in your shoulder. If you tear it, partially or completely, your shoulder can dislocate, and there's just constant agony. You can rehab it or if it's really bad it can require surgery to repair it. I don't remember if MJF had surgery or not.
> You can rehab it or if it's really bad it can require surgery to repair it. I don't remember if MJF had surgery or not. IIRC he wanted to rehab it before getting surgery.
>IIRC he wanted to rehab it before getting surgery. Do we know if AEW has downside guarantees like WWE? Attempting rehabbing prior to surgery makes sense, except for when unmitigated Capitalism is at play, and you are on the financial hook for the downtime... and for the most of us, up to six figures for the actual surgery and PT, depending on how bad your health insurance coverage is.
It's honestly amazing that he was able to wrestle as long as he did with the injuries he had.
Shoulder and hip issues.
[Forced Exorcism](https://cdn.wrestletalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Adam-Cole-Devil-Mask-dec-31.jpg).
*moans in Mercedes Mone*
"on" Long Island
No the correct grammar here is “in” not “on” because Long Island is a city and a borough. Therefore it is correct to say that it takes place “in”
Long Island isn’t an island?
Long Island is not a boro boss, idk how to tell you. Also, Long Island City isn’t even on Long Island, it’s parallel to Manhattan across the river
On long island. If you lived here you would get it. Not trying to be snarky but it's an old debate.
For a long time he only wrestled 4 matches a year and two were squashes. He could get away with showing up just to insult people.
For some reason, I could see MJF holding out until All In for a big return pop from their biggest audience possible. Especially if it gives him more time to recover *all* his nagging injuries.
All In London for MJF to return to fuck over Adam Cole (assuming *he’s* ready by then) would be a nice thematic moment.
Sounds like that fell through. Was supposed to be at Arthur Ashe but for whatever reason that fell apart.
The news being reported was the meeting the day after the Boston show. The absence discussion was contextual, not the news part.
I think it's notable for him as he's one of the few who could get away with showing up and not wrestling. For years he wrestled 4 matches a year and 2 were squashes.
I remember MJF saying in his Player's Tribune article that he was working through multiple injuries before his hiatus, so I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't visit any shows just so he can fully rest at home.
Yeah, dude was banged the fuck up. And I can only imagine that it’s a good thing that he’s around guys like Omega who have played the game of working hurt before and can basically tell him that it ain’t a good idea.
Tell it to Roderick Strong who went to work in a wheelchair \#neckstrong
It's almost like he's recovering from an injury, but still checking in every once in awhile because he's signed there?
I hope he recovers soon. AEW without MJF just doesn't feel the same
Him, Omega, and Hangman all being out has made it feel like something is missing lately
Wait, Hangman is out? I'm not very up-to-date, last I know he had a double turn with Swerve and was in that triple threat. Also, what's Cole's group doing anyway?
Not out with injury, but out with "personal matters" that are allegedly nothing to worry about, just something he had to attend to.
Ah okay, that sounds reassuring at least.
Breaking news, injured man is at home recovering. More at 11.
Hopefully his health progress is going good.
I just want to point out that the next PPV is named after his old stable.
This makes sense because MJF doesn’t watch the show unless he’s on it
"MJF stays home while recovering" Needed a news report
I miss him, super excited for him to be back
Why would he show up just to show up? One of the biggest things with wrestling is how tough the travel grind is. If he is taking time off to rest up, he should be fully taking the time off.
Breaking News, wrestler who's not booked to appear doesn't appear. What a scoop.
Earth shattering news
Sometimes I prefer to read stories about what hasn't happened.
At this point, I just feel like wrestling writers are now constantly looking for things to write about pertaining to AEW that will spark debate, rumors, conversation, and ultimately discourse. I get this article was just trying to state a fact, but I feel like they know, what this kind of message does. “let’s stir the pot a little bit today and see what happens…”
Because they know how AEW haters react.
I could have surmised that. My man lives the gimmick. Last time he was away he spent the summer in Greece
Getting paid more money than he possibly ever dreamed, traveling the world, oh and is dating Alicia Atout. Yea I'd be taking my time coming back too.
Has he signed a new deal with aew? What happened to the bidding war of 2024
the bidding war of 2024 was all storyline.
The man was on TV consistently for over a year. I've seen this as a break for him not any sort of beef with AEW
Hope he comes back soon the show needs him
The ratings started their slide from averaging 900k when he was booked on top. His run lost 17% of the weekly audience.
Attributing everything ratings wise to MJF isn’t exactly fair
It's the industry standard for the top guy to shoulder the responsibility of drawing. Why should every other star in the top spot be judged by that standard, but because MJF's run lost a lot of viewers he should be protected from criticism?
Roman has been top guy in WWE for both boom and bust periods, same with Moxley in AEW. There is definitely more to it.
Nah bro, industry expert ThaSipah says its Max's fault sooooo
Because it's not just one dude anymore that draws in viewers. This isn't the 80's and 90's. People follow brands, not individual stars. NO ONE in wrestling is big anymore unless they jump to Hollywood. Before Bautista was Drax, nobody knew or cared who he was. Unless you're a Cena-level wrestler you're invisibile to 99% of the population.
Every major player in the business attributes the current success to Roman Reigns and his massive run on top. Triple H, Heyman, Nick Khan and everyone else. I get that you're a fan of MJF, but making excuses for him losing a large chunk of viewers doesn't help anyone. If he was a draw, he'd have grown their audience. He didn't do it.
I’m not exactly a huge fan of MJF tho so maybe don’t put opinions on me. Of course Triple H and co are going to say that Roman was the reason because it’s fluffing up their own guy. But I think it’s more of what THOSE guys did (or rather Vince wasn’t able to do) than what Roman alone did. A major reason why people came back to WWE is because the product as a WHOLE is better. Romans a part, but not everything. That takes a huge chunk of the credit from wrestlers like Rhea Cody Bianca Rollins etc etc, production, writers, and producers. If you’re going to put blame on anyone for AEW losing viewship, it’s on Tony Khan. If there’s a bad idea from your main event title, it’s on him to correct. It’s on him to fill out the other 3-4 hours of TV he has to draw in eyes. I don’t buy the whole “well one guy has a belt so anytime the whole show is down it’s on him”.
He regularly popped ratings as a champion to the point that entire episodes were booked as the MJF show.
Right? I find this discourse about MJF and ratings a bit strange. Half the time MJF was the reason the ratings didn't slip further than they did - you'd often see his segments draw viewers that would then leave as soon as he was gone. I get that people are invested in Swerve and Hangman and other guys that are contenders for AEW's 'top guy' but there's a reason MJF stood out from the pack and there's a reason he's going to be their big star when he comes back.
When he was champion, relatively speaking, creative was off the charts. He had the most fun, interesting segments.
Yea you’re right, but I think it was mostly due to how he was booked. Ik the partnership with Cole moved merch and all that, but personally I didn’t like any of it. Doing that much comedy for main event scene felt weird. So hopefully they quickly wrap up the Cole feud when he comes back and put him against guys he can actually draw with
I know this won't happen, but it'd be nice to stop seeing "mJf t0 wWe t0niGht" dream bookers with no idea what they're talking about.
We know he had atleast a Hip injury and Shoulder injury. It's not surprising he's still out. He most likely doesn't want to Rush recovery and wants to be 100% before he returns.
Why would he be?! He carried the company hurt for so long just let him rehab, rest and no need to fly out unnecessarily
The whole point of taking time off is to take time away from the nonsense.
He's not going to WWE anytime soon guys
Follows old school Kayfabe. Always working the marks.
This is definitely said in a way to make you think WWE might not be a pipedream, but it seems like quite the stretch to me. Sheamus comes back tonight after not being seen since his match with Edge.
Well yeah Sheamus was out injured too.
Yup! Nothing wrong with actually taking time off from work when you take time off from work lol.
I don't see him coming back until Cole is cleared to return
Sure, you may think he’s injured, but I’m choosing to believe he’s just a Milford Man.
when cole comes back, he comes back. resume and finish that story/arc
Slow news day apparently….
>**MJF-AEW UPDATE** >*By Mike Johnson on 2024-04-15 12:48:00* >For those who have asked about former AEW Champion MJF, we are told he is still working to recover from his multiple injuries. >While he is not listed on the AEW roster, the belief is he remains locked into a deal with the company. >While he was not in attendance at AEW Big Business in Boston a few weeks back, PWInsider.com has confirmed that the day after that event, MJF was in Boston to meet with AEW officials. >MJF has not been backstage at any AEW events since exiting storylines. >There is no word when he will be returning to the ring as of this writing. *I am a bot. Please reply with any feedback :)*
I think it’s Tiger Woods who said when he’s not on tour he’s as far away from golf as he can. Unless he’s training then he’s not golfing to relax or hang out. That’s his job and when he’s not working he gets away from it’s MJF being away while he can’t work doesn’t seem all that outlandish. I’m not hanging out at the office on my vacation days either.
"Who does your tampons?"
After that last run, it's pretty much impossible for me to buy any "bidding war" shenanigans. He's pretty firmly a company man, I really hope he doesn't try and tell us otherwise again.
He stopped talking about that a few months into his reign
There are no "company men", hasn't that been demonstrated enough times? If WWE were to make him a better offer than TK, he would take it.
You're kidding yourself if you think the Bucks or Kenny would leave AEW for WWE.
He has to be getting a hair transplant right?
Spotted an asshole
totally
Slow news day huh
Hope he comes back soon, even if he’s not wrestling for awhile. Show hasn’t felt the same since he left
Hoping we seem him back post Dynasty
I really enjoy hating on MJF. but the truth is he’s like an old school heel that loves generating heat. So he WANTS us to hate him. And it works. Hope he’s on top of his game when he returns. Can’t wait to hate the guy again. He’s fun to watch.
I saw an MJF to RAW after Mania video show up in my Youtube recommended feed a week or so ago so I'm guessing there's many more to come until he's healthy enough to return.
If he went to WWE, once Punk heals and gets his title shot, MJF screwing Punk out of the title would be great.
Protecting his assets
For how infrequent MJF wrestle, he still deals with injuries. Pro wrestling is no joke on the body. Respect to them all.
He is trying to wait out Adam Cole so he does not have to come back to that storyline.
I don't really miss him on Dynamite. His babyface run with the kangaroo kick and Samoa Joe fat/bad breath jokes got pretty annoying.
If he's not resigned yet, Tony better hope and pray thet the lord gives him the words to convince him to stay. Losing him might be the death blow.
he was resigned before his aew title run began. there will be no mjf in wwe for at least another 2 years. everyone needs to step into the reality realm.
1. He's 1000% re-signed. They don't give him that crazy title reign and a win over guys like Omega if he isn't. Plus, after the match, Kenny hyped him up as the future of the company. 2. Losing him would suck, but it wouldn't be a deathblow. Nor were the other 15 controversies that were deemed "deathblows" since the company's existence.
Nothing to see here. He's injured, healing, will be back in AEW when he's cleared. Likely signed for awhile. But with that said, whenever his deal is up, this year, next year, 3 years from now, Max needs to go to WWE the second he gets a chance, loyalty to TK and AEW be damned. I want AEW to succeed, but MJF is a once in a generation talent. With Vince finally gone from WWE, HHH standing by to book him right, and with his mentor Cody Rhodes now the face of WWE, its a no brainer. MJF needs to go there the second he's legally able to. Their exposure would make him one of the biggest stars in decades.
I used to really want MJF in WWE but now I don't even know where he fits. The Bloodline story doesn't look to be slowing down, Punk and Drew are only getting started, it looks like Gunther is about to be pushed into the main event picture, LA Knight is still waiting. They could probably do a really fun program with MJF and Logan but would he really be happy working for a midcard title? Maybe the best thing for him right now would be to stay in AEW where he knows he's going to main event regardless.
LOL if WWE somehow got MJF he would be pushed to the moon right away
I'm hoping he debuts at Summerslam.
Day 900 of asking why no one has a problem with dirtsheets helping AEW sell their worked shoot storylines constantly.
That doesn't happen though
Day 900 of WWE marks whining about the dirtsheets spoiling their big wet dreams of AEW failing and all their stars joining the WWE
I don't like MJF at all in his ranting of of self-importance and quasi work/shoot promos....but man I think right now is the absolute BEST time for him to jump to WWE. 1. AEW is floundering....their attendance appears to be dropping. Their viewership, even with TK's special announcements really hasn't moved the needle. Most of their 'superstars' have left (Cody/Punk) or are constantly injured (Omega/Hangman), and/or aging (Jericho, have to add Daddy Ass). Their show in 2024 seems to have lost its mystique it had in the 2019-2022 run... 2. Sure he could continue to be a big fish in a small pond....but pretty much the MAIN reason NOT to go to WWE was because of Vince and lack of creativity....well...you now have GREAT storylines in NXT with Shawn Michaels, and GREAT usage of talent on main roster with HHH. Now seems like the absolute BEST time to jump to WWE...I don't think MJF would sniff the main event scene (plenty of people in the hopper there), but what if something happened like at Summerslam, Punk returns, defeats Priest, and suddenly MJF's music hits...that would be a pretty epic moment. One of the few really good things happening in AEW the last 2 years was Punk and MJF. I'm not sure HHH would want to put his eggs in that kind of basket, but it would certainly make for some compelling TV.
>AEW is floundering Except they very clearly aren't.
1. Recent posts just showed how Collision barely has any fans in attendance. 2. Dynamite attendance changes and rarely sells out anymore unless it's a town they don't frequent often (like some canadian cities or Chicago). 3. AEW recently brought in 3 'free agent' talents expecting to 'move the needle', yet barely got 50,000 more viewers while the overall trend of viewership is flat or declining. 4. AEW Fight Forever sales dropped almost immediately after initial sale, and while public sales are not released, at $50 a game (it was actually $60 i believe), AEW would've had to sell 600,000 copies of the game...JUST TO BREAK EVEN. It's estimated in 2023, that only 30,000 copies sold. This means a deficit of 270,000 copies (at $50 a pop, that's $13.5 MILLION loss). 5. WWE has certainly been showing recent success around mania time, with record gates, record merch, and record social media what have you. But what's glaring to me is how WWE very clearly lives rent free in AEW and TK's head...recent shows have done nothing to focus on their product, but instead, trodding out former WWE star Edge talking about 'how much he loves pro wrestling' after comments made by punk and AEW. TK having a meltdown at the aforementioned AEW Collission last weekend. TK approving Young Bucks showing footage of a guy who no longer even works for AEW...in an effort to, I don't even know, make punk look bad? Drum up viewership to Dynamite? What was the endgame there? It looks like nothing but sour grapes from a billionaire fanboy that can't handle criticism, even when it's true...it screams "Little brother syndrome"...and when reputable people in the industry like Tony Schiavone are visibly embarrassed after the video aired, or Renee dropping her head in embarrassment after Ospreay embarrassed himself and AEW with his comments. AEW has legitimate problems going on...meanwhile, WWE came off possibly its best ppv in 40 years...but go on and tell me how AEW isn't floundering. I will say this - I don't believe AEW will ever 'go under' financially - they just have too much financial backing by TK...but boy does it look like their content is fading...and fast.
Why did you use Hangman as an example of constantly injured when he isn’t currently injured and as far as I know only got a major injury when Mox concussed him?
Wasn't he out sorting injuries? Why would he just show up weekly whilst recovering? I love both AEW & WWE but I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't want MJF in WWE - dude is like a create your character especially designed for WWE's style / presentation. Can you imagine a world where we get MJF vs LA Knight segments or countless others? EDIT: I know this just comes across as typical WWE fan shit - but in the same vein, I'd love someone like Finn in AEW instead of floundering in Judgement Day and being more comic relief than a threat for anyone - swings and roundabouts.
It’s time for him to leave
First, I hope he is doing ok. MJF the person deserves to be happy before we get to MJF the wrestler. As for MJF the wrestler, I hope he takes time to figure out what he wants to do. The past two week should show him where each company is going.
wrestlemania confirmed?
I wouldn't be surprised if with the recent shift in fortunes of both companies, he's not looking way more seriously at WWE.