Major Rule Change for AEW Casino Gauntlet Title Shot Execution

AEW’s Casino Gauntlet title shot rule just got a serious overhaul—straight from Tony Khan himself.

Speaking during the AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door press conference, Khan revealed that the chaotic surprise cash-ins are officially over. Going forward, any winner of the Casino Gauntlet will be required to give at least one week’s notice before executing their guaranteed championship match.

“I think it’s important to promote championship matches. I don’t want to have a big ticket championship match that we are unable to advertise,” Khan said. “I don’t necessarily want to utilize a stipulation here that is being utilized other places. I’m not trying to duplicate what other people are doing. I really believe we are our own promotion.”

He explained the reasoning was largely about presentation and fairness—to fans and to AEW’s business partners.

“Going forward, from now on, I think the right thing to do is that all contract executions should be on at least a week’s notice so that we can properly promote the matches and give the fans notice and have the integrity of a championship match. I think it’s the best for us and our media partners.”

This is a clear shift from how the gauntlet contracts have been used in the past. In 2024, Christian Cage shocked everyone when he cashed in mid-match between Jon Moxley and Cope, turning it into a triple threat on the spot. In 2025, both Athena and MJF announced their title match intentions weeks ahead of Forbidden Door—but MJF later pulled out after manipulating Hangman Page into removing the execution clause following a disturbing threat aimed at Mark Briscoe.

Even after his loss to Hangman Page at Forbidden Door, MJF still holds his guaranteed title shot. However, under this new rule, he’ll have to give AEW and its audience a heads-up before cashing it in.

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