MJF reportedly convinced Tony Khan to scrap the main event built specifically for Montreal, moving his AEW World Championship match against Kenny Omega from the July 26 Redemption pay-per-view to the July 8 episode of AEW Dynamite.
The change cost the company a marquee PPV attraction and left the Montreal card searching for a replacement.
Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the title match, along with its stipulation that Omega could never challenge for the AEW World Title again if he lost, was originally slated for AEW Redemption in Montreal. The pieces lined up almost too neatly.
Omega would return to Canada, the show was literally named Redemption, and he would walk into a final shot after two high-profile losses to MJF.
This match, and stipulation, where if Omega lost he could never challenge for the AEW title again for the rest of his career, was the plan for the 7/26 Redemption show in Montreal. The idea was Canada, and the name of the show was Omega getting his last shot after two high-profile losses.
Why MJF Wanted The Match On Television
Meltzer reported that the push to move the bout to Dynamite is believed to have come from MJF himself. No reason was given, but Khan signed off on it, turning a planned pay-per-view main event into a loaded television title fight.
It was pushed, believed to be by MJF, to get it moved to television. I was not given a reason why, but it doesn’t matter where the suggestion came from; that’s a major change, and Tony Khan approved of it. So he must feel he’s got something PPV worthy for Montreal on 7/26.
The wrinkle here is that MJF effectively gave away his own title reign weeks earlier than planned. His willingness to reshape the booking blueprint speaks to the influence he carries inside AEW’s creative process. Meltzer’s report has not been independently confirmed by other outlets.
Omega Wins The Title On Dynamite
The match headlined AEW Dynamite: Beach Break on July 8, 2026, where Omega defeated MJF by pinfall to win the AEW World Championship. Montreal lost a title bout designed around Omega’s entire redemption story, with the stipulation, the location, and the history all in place.
The real question now is what Khan believes is worth the sacrifice. Whatever replaces MJF vs. Omega at Redemption on July 26 has to feel big enough to justify tearing apart the original plan.
