MJF Makes AEW Return, Alters Worlds End Title Picture

Maxwell Jacob Friedman is officially back, and his return has instantly changed the landscape of the AEW World Championship scene.

During this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, MJF re-emerged to cash in his Casino Gauntlet contract, inserting himself into the already high-stakes World Title match scheduled for Worlds End. The bout was originally set to feature reigning champion Samoa Joe defending against both Swerve Strickland and “Hangman” Adam Page, but MJF has now made it a four-way showdown.

Samoa Joe captured the AEW World Championship at Full Gear in November by defeating Page, aided by Hook’s involvement and Joe’s renewed alliance with The Opps. Strickland later returned to the picture, joining forces with Page as the two former rivals united against Joe and his allies. Their partnership was on full display at Dynamite: Winter Is Coming, where Page and Strickland fended off Joe’s Trios Championship partners, Katsuyori Shibata and Powerhouse Hobbs, before officially declaring their shared pursuit of the world title.

On Dynamite, Joe, Page, and Strickland met in the ring to sign the contract for their upcoming clash. While tensions were high, Page and Strickland stood shoulder to shoulder, warning Joe that he had underestimated them. Moments later, the arena went dark — and MJF’s music hit.

The former champion made his first AEW appearance in three months, having last been seen losing to Mark Briscoe in a brutal Tables n’ Tacks match at All Out in Toronto. MJF wasted no time reminding everyone why he was there, signing the Casino Gauntlet contract he earned by winning the match at All In back in July, officially adding his name to the Worlds End title bout.

MJF then addressed each of his future opponents, taking shots at Strickland with a controversial comparison and referencing his WWE past, while also making it clear that his goal was to humiliate Page and the two men he considers his biggest rivals.

There’s plenty of history between all four competitors. Page defeated MJF to retain the AEW World Championship at Forbidden Door in August, while Joe ended MJF’s first title reign at Worlds End 2023. Joe would later lose the championship to Strickland at Dynasty 2024, setting the stage for a deeply intertwined and volatile main event heading into this year’s Worlds End.

AEW Dynamite & Collision – ‘Holiday Bash’ Preview 12/17/2025

AEW will present its 3-hour ‘Holiday Bash’ special episode of AEW Dynamite & Collision tonight on TBS and HBO Max from the Co-Op Live in Manchester, England.

  • AEW World Tag Team Championship Match: FTR (c) vs. Bang Bang Gang (Juice Robinson & Austin Gunn)
  • Mercedes Mone’, Athena, Megan Bayne & Marina Shafir vs. Harley Cameron, Willow Nightingale, Toni Storm & Mina Shirakawa
  • $1 Million Match: The Elite vs. The Don Callis Family (Kazuchika Okada, Konosuke Takeshita & Hechicero)
  • AEW World Championship Three-Way Match Contract Signing For Worlds End: Samoa Joe, Hangman Page and Swerve Strickland
  • Continental Classic Blue League Match: Mascara Dorada vs. Orange Cassidy
  • Continental Classic Blue League Match: Jon Moxley vs. Roderick Strong
  • Continental Classic Gold League Match: Kyle Fletcher vs. PAC
  • Dynamite Diamond Ring Battle Royale

AEW Dynamite ‘Winter Is Coming’ Preview 12/10/2025

AEW Dynamite: Winter Is Coming airs live tonight on TBS and HBO Max from the Gateway Center in Arena in College Park, Georgia – 10 miles south of Atlanta.

  • AEW World Championship Match: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Eddie Kingston
  • AEW Women’s World Championship Tournament Final: Babes of Wrath (Willow Nightingale & Harley Cameron) vs. Timeless Love Bombs (Toni Storm & Mina Shirakawa)
  • Tornado Tag Match: ‘Hangman’ Adam Page & Swerve Strickland vs. Katsuyori Shibata & Powerhouse Hobbs
  • Continental Classic Gold League Match: Kazuchika Okada vs. Jack Perry
  • Continental Classic Gold League Match: Kyle Fletcher vs. ‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey

AEW Dynamite Preview 12/3/2025

AEW Dynamite live tonight 8/7c on TBA and HBO Max from the Fishers Event Center in Fishers, IN.

  • Continental Classic Tournament – Blue League match: Claudio Castagnoli vs. Jon Moxley
  • Continental Classic Tournament – Gold League match: Kazuchika Okada vs. Pac
  • Continental Classic Tournament – Gold League match: Kyle Fletcher vs. Kevin Knight
  • AEW Women’s Tag Team Title Tournament Semifinals Hardcore Holiday Deathmatch: Timeless Love Bombs vs. The MegaProblems
  • Samoa Joe and Eddie Kingston face-to-face

Backstage Update On The Finish To AEW Dynamite/Collision Match After Miscommunication

A bit more clarity has emerged regarding the odd finish to Shelton Benjamin’s match with “Speedball” Mike Bailey during Wednesday night’s special three-hour AEW Dynamite/Collision broadcast from Boston’s Agganis Arena.

The closing stretch left plenty of fans scratching their heads. Benjamin nailed Bailey with a sharp superkick and covered him, only for the referee to abruptly halt the count despite Bailey’s shoulders being flat on the mat. The match rolled on for a few more moments before Benjamin ultimately sealed the win with a German suplex, a knee strike, and another superkick.

Naturally, viewers wondered if Bailey might have been legitimately rocked on the first kick. However, Bryan Alvarez reported that the situation came down to nothing more than an in-ring miscommunication — and no one was hurt.

Per Alvarez, the planned finish was indeed a superkick, and Bailey sold it with a huge flip bump that looked picture-perfect. Benjamin, recognizing how strong the moment came off, called an audible on the fly to end the match right there. The issue? The referee never caught the cue and stopped the count because it didn’t match the layout they’d been given.

Alvarez emphasized that Bailey did nothing wrong and wasn’t injured in the exchange. The blame, if any, falls on the miscommunication between Benjamin and the referee. Once the count was halted, the wrestlers simply reverted to the original closing sequence.

In the end, everyone walked away fine — just another case of live TV wrestling unpredictability creating a bit of confusion in real time.

AEW Dynamite & Collision Preview 11/19/2025

AEW Dynamite and Collision will air live tonight on TBS and HBO Max, beginning at 8:00 pm ET.

Tonight’s live 3-hour special, which is the go-home show for this Saturday’s Full Gear PPV, will take place from the Agganis Arena on the campus of Boston University in Boston, MA.

  • ROH Women’s Television Title Unification Match: Mercedes Mone’ vs. Red Velvet
  • AEW Women’s Tag Team Title Tournament Quarterfinal: Toni Storm & Mina Shirakawa vs. Riho & Alex Windsor
  • AEW Women’s Tag Team Title Tournament Quarterfinal: TayJay vs. Megan Bayne & Marina Shafir
  • The #1 Spot in the National Title Casino Gauntlet Match at Full Gear: Bobby Lashley vs. Ricochet
  • The #2 Spot in the National Title Casino Gauntlet Match at Full Gear: Mike Bailey vs. Shelton Benjamin
  • AEW World Champion Hangman Adam Page vs. Katsuyori Shibata (non-title)
  • Double Jeopardy Match: AEW unified Champion Kazuchika Okada vs. CMLL World Trios Champion Mascara Dorada
  • Kenny Omega to appear live

Backstage Update On AEW Stars After Brutal Blood & Guts

AEW’s annual Blood & Guts spectacle has come and gone, and as expected, the double-cage war left its mark on everyone involved. With shattered glass, broken mirrors, and enough bloodshed to fill an arena, fans naturally wondered just how banged up the roster was after Wednesday’s chaos in Greensboro.

According to a new report from Fightful Select, the overall verdict is a lot more positive than you might expect.

Women’s Blood & Guts: Banged Up, But Battling Through

Jamie Hayter walked out of the cage bruised and beaten, reportedly even chipping some teeth during the match. Still, one AEW source told Fightful she was “as badass as you’d expect,” which shouldn’t surprise anyone who saw the former Women’s Champion throw herself into the violence.

Skye Blue arguably had the roughest night visually—entering first for her team and wearing a 45-minute crimson mask—but despite being the bloodiest competitor on the card, she was said to be completely fine once she got backstage.

Men’s Blood & Guts: No Major Injuries Reported

As of Fightful’s report, AEW hadn’t provided specifics on the condition of the men’s teams, but the early indication is that no serious injuries occurred—a minor miracle considering the carnage that typically comes with Blood & Guts.

Hangman vs. Hobbs Also Escapes Injury Scare

The night’s lone non–Blood & Guts bout—a wild Falls Count Anywhere fight between Hangman Page and Powerhouse Hobbs—also wrapped without any major medical issues. AEW sources described both men as “sore,” but everything reportedly went exactly as planned.

A Thinner Roster Behind the Scenes

Interestingly, AEW had fewer roster members on hand than usual. With only three matches booked and AEW Collision set to air live this Saturday, the company traveled with a smaller crew—making the overall lack of injuries even more fortunate.


For a show built on violence and risk, AEW’s latest Blood & Guts may go down as one of the safer entries in the history of the match—at least in terms of long-term damage. The visuals were brutal, but behind the curtain, it sounds like the roster made it through the war in surprisingly good shape.

Ric Flair Misses Planned AEW Dynamite Segment Due to Injury, Backstage Scramble Ensues

WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair was expected to resurface on AEW Dynamite this week alongside longtime rival Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat—at least, that was the plan on paper. Instead, only Steamboat made it onto the broadcast, leaving many fans wondering why Flair, who was advertised for the segment, never hit the stage.

According to Wrestling Observer Radio, Flair was in the building but unable to appear due to a recently suffered torn rotator cuff. Dave Meltzer reported that Flair’s injury came from a fall, though details are still unclear. Despite showing up to the arena, Flair was said to be in significant pain throughout the day.

Meltzer noted that Flair even removed his arm from its sling while speaking to fans before the show began—apparently not wanting anyone to notice he was hurt. After addressing the crowd, Flair quietly left the venue before Dynamite went live.

While Meltzer wasn’t 100% certain Flair was originally scripted to participate in the Steamboat/FTR promo segment, the references made to Flair during the broadcast strongly suggest he was meant to be part of the angle. With Flair unable to perform, AEW reportedly had to adjust the segment on short notice—a change that Bryan Alvarez believes contributed to Steamboat coming off “frantic” during his promo.

Flair’s most recent AEW television appearance came during the build to Sting’s retirement earlier this year. He has since acknowledged ongoing health issues as the primary reason for his light AEW schedule.

As of now, there’s no word on when (or if) Flair will return to AEW programming, but the company clearly had plans for “The Nature Boy” on Dynamite. Whether those plans get revisited once he recovers remains to be seen.

AEW Dynamite ‘Blood And Guts’ Preview 11/12/2025

AEW Dynamite: Blood and Guts airs live tonight on TBS and HBO Max from the First Horizon Center in Greensboro, North Carolina. Blood and Guts is a 2.5 hour special.

  • Men’s Blood and Guts Match: Death Riders (Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, Daniel Garcia, & Pac) vs. Darby Allin & The Conglomeration (Mark Briscoe, Orange Cassidy, Roderick Strong & Kyle O’Reilly)
  • Women’s Blood and Guts Match: Mercedes Mone, Megan Bayne, Marina Shafir & The Triangle of Madness (Julia Hart, Skye Blue, & Thekla) vs. Kris Statlander, Toni Storm, Willow Nightingale, Mina Shirakawa, Jamie Hayter & Harley Cameron
  • Falls Count Anywhere: Hangman Adam Page vs. Powerhouse Hobbs
  • Appearances by Ricky Steamboat and Ric Flair

AEW Dynamite Preview 11/5/2025

AEW Dynamite airs live tonight on TBS and HBO Max from the Bayou Music Center in Houston, Texas.

  • Trios Match: Hangman Adam Page, Hook & Eddie Kingston vs. The Opps
  • AEW Women’s Tag Team Championship Quarterfinal Match: Mercedes Mone and Athena vs. Harley Cameron and Willow Nightingale
  • Men’s Blood & Guts Advantage Battle Match I: Orange Cassidy vs. Claudio Castagnoli
  • Men’s Blood & Guts Advantage Battle Match II: Darby Allin vs. Daniel Garcia
  • Women’s Blood & Guts Advantage Battle Match I: Megan Bayne vs. Queen Aminata