Backstage Report On MJF's AEW Schedule Following World Title Loss

MJF's third reign with the AEW World Championship came to an end on the Beach Break edition of "AEW Dynamite" as Kenny Omega, with the help of Will Ospreay, got the job done to win his first world title in nearly five years. Maxwell Jacob Friedman has been a focal point of the AEW main event scene throughout 2026, so it was only natural for fans to wonder what is next for him with AEW Redemption and AEW All In London 2026 on the horizon. However, it could be a little while before fans see the former AEW World Champion on television again.

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select recently asked sources within AEW what the plans were for MJF heading into Redemption, to which it was indicated that he might actually be away from AEW programming for a period of time. No timeframe was given in regards to how long MJF could be away from the ring, nor was there a specific reason as to why he will be taking time off, primarily because it wasn't 100% confirmed that he would be away from television, only indicated.

As for MJF's plans for All In London at Wembley Stadium, Fightful were told that he is expected to be back from his break in time to be factored into plans for the big event on August 30, though nothing specific was said by the AEW sources. MJF took a break from the ring in the aftermath of AEW All Out 2025 to complete his filming obligations, but would return to AEW in December and has been on television consistently ever since. There were rumors that MJF would take time off after initially suffering a legitimate knee injury against Rush in June, but he was able to work through it without any issues.