Backstage Update On AEW's MJF Vs. Mistico For CMLL Title

MJF may be challenging "Hangman" Adam Page for the AEW World Championship this weekend at Forbidden Door, but it's far from the only thing on his plate. In fact, one could argue MJF has an even bigger feud going on in Mexico right now with CMLL's Mistico. The rivalry got between the "AEW Grand Slam: Mexico City" opponents got even more juice this past Friday in Arena Mexico, where MJF successfully defended the CMLL World Light Heavyweight Championship against Zandokan Jr., and agreed to face Mistico at the CMLL Aniversario on September 19 in a mask vs. title match. No sooner did the two agree to the match did MJF attack Mistico again, unmasking him and laying him out with a Tombstone Piledriver to huge boos from the crowd.

The mask vs. title stipulation sets up Mistico vs. MJF to be the marquee match at CMLL's biggest event, though it surprised some who thought MJF could put his hair on the line instead. As Dave Meltzer explained on Sunday's "Wrestling Observer Radio," however, the mask vs. title idea had become the more likely stipulation after MJF attacked on Mistico during a recent episode of Ring of Honor.

"That's kind of what's been expected, because they did an angle on ROH where MJF basically...said 'I'm going to take everything from you,'" Meltzer said. "Sp we all saw 'Okay, it's going to be the mask.'"

Meltzer had plenty of praise for the Arena Mexico angle, and ultimately believes that Mistico vs. MJF will lead to the CMLL Aniversario selling out, continuing a trend of CMLL selling out Arena Mexico on Friday's. He also speculated that the event could become the quickest CMLL Aniversario to sell out, and that CMLL could set their all-time gate record, breaking the record believed to have been set by the 81st Aniversario in 2014.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Wrestling Observer Radio" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription