Maxwell Jacob Friedman is back, and he\'s coming for the AEW World Championship.
MJF made his long-awaited return to AEW during Wednesday\'s Holiday Bash episode of Dynamite, taped from Co-op Live in Manchester, England. The former world champion interrupted the contract signing between AEW World Champion Samoa Joe, Hangman Adam Page, and Swerve Strickland, cashing in his Casino Gauntlet contract to transform the Worlds End main event into a four-way match.
https://x.com/AEW/status/2001474723603984557?s=20
Friedman won the guaranteed title shot by winning the Casino Gauntlet Match at All In: Texas earlier this year. AEW President Tony Khan had instituted a rule requiring MJF to announce his intentions at least one week in advance, a condition now satisfied with Worlds End ten days away.
During his promo, MJF addressed Hangman\'s previous accusations of cowardice, stating his decision to enter the match proved otherwise. He reignited his rivalry with Samoa Joe, expressing lingering resentment over losing the AEW World Championship to him two years ago at Worlds End 2023. MJF also took shots at Swerve Strickland, mocking his time in WWE before both men found success in AEW.
This marks MJF\'s first appearance since his loss to Mark Briscoe in a Tables N\' Tacks match at All Out in September.
The four-way championship match now features Samoa Joe defending against Hangman Adam Page, Swerve Strickland, and MJF. With all four men having history with one another, AEW has set the stage for an unpredictable main event to close out 2025.
AEW Worlds End takes place Saturday, December 27 from the Now Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, streaming live on pay-per-view.
