The status of MJF, who was supposed to be in a big match that would be the culmination of his feud with Wardlow at Double or Nothing in Las Vegas Sunday night, is now apparently very much up in the air.
Perhaps even literally. Fightful Select reported Saturday evening that after MJF did not appear at a scheduled AEW meet and greet, he also had a flight booked “out of Las Vegas across the country” for later that night. The site also cited sources saying “communication between the two sides had reached an all-time low” when describing the current status of his relationship with AEW.
Whatever the circumstances around MJF’s no-show and potential departure from Las Vegas, Bryan Alvarez of Wrestling Observer said no one with direct knowledge is talking about them.
As far as what's happening with MJF, it appears anyone who knows isn't talking and the rest have no idea what's going on. No clue at this point whether he will be on the show tomorrow.
— Bryan Alvarez (@bryanalvarez) May 29, 2022
Considering how vocal MJF has been about his unhappiness with his contract and his desire to test the free agency waters come Jan. 1, 2024, a falling out with AEW can’t be ruled out. When that’s a talking point in promos and interviews on a regular basis, it’s natural for fans and industry observers to go there first.
Leaving before a heavily publicized and highly anticipated match, albeit one that MJF is expected to lose, would be an unusual negotiating tactic, to say the least. There are parallels that can be drawn to the Sasha Banks-Naomi walkout on Raw earlier this month, but it’s harder to see MJF as the sympathetic party if he indeed just leaves town because he’s disgruntled.
That said, there are other reasons that could lead a wrestler to need to leave suddenly, including a family emergency. And, this being pro wrestling, the idea that it’s a work driven by the fans’ knowledge of MJF’s discontent can’t be ruled out either. However the situation plays out, it’s unquestionably added an extra dose of intrigue on the eve of Double or Nothing.