MJF may still be missing from AEW television, but he just made his return to a wrestling ring in a pretty unexpected place. The former AEW World Champion popped up at the Create A Pro Wrestling Academy on October 25, serving as the special guest referee for a huge 12-man tag team match.
MJF received a big reaction when he made his entrance, with fans cheering as he headed toward the ring. Naturally, he soaked up every second of it and played to the crowd in typical MJF fashion. Things also got very MJF before the match even started.
At one point during his entrance, he took off his Dynamite Diamond Ring and shoved it down his pants for safekeeping, because apparently being the referee wasn’t going to stop him from making the night about himself.
The appearance is notable because MJF hasn’t been seen on AEW television since All In on August 30. While this wasn’t his official AEW comeback, it did put him back inside a wrestling ring while his absence from the company continues.
MJF previously addressed his time away during a September 24 interview with Pro Wrestling Illustrated. He made it clear that his AEW absence isn’t happening without a plan and said he’s simply waiting until the timing feels right.
“I don’t want to give anything away. I don’t want to give anything away, but just know whenever I come back because I’m waiting for the right time, the right moment.”
Whenever that moment arrives, MJF has already made it pretty obvious what he wants. He said the AEW World Championship will be at the top of his list regardless of who is holding it when he finally returns.
“What you can expect from me coming back is I’m going to whoever has the fake title, I’m going to beat them and prove that I am the one true champion emphatically. I’m going to become the first ever undisputed world champion in the history of my company. And then I’m going to continue to increase business as that is what I do best. And I’m going to continue to face some of the best names professional wrestling has to offer because the best professional wrestlers professional wrestling has to offer, bell-to-bell, resides in All Elite Wrestling.”
For now, there’s still no word on exactly when MJF will walk back onto AEW television. His surprise Create A Pro appearance at least gave fans their first chance in a while to see him back in a wrestling ring, even if he was wearing stripes instead of actually competing.
What do you think about MJF making a surprise wrestling appearance while fans continue waiting for his AEW return? Let us know in the comments below.
