Kenny Omega’s AEW World Title win almost happened in Canada. Instead, MJF helped drag the whole thing onto television weeks early.
According to Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Omega’s title match with MJF—and the stipulation banning Omega from ever challenging again if he lost—was originally planned for AEW Redemption in Montreal on July 26. The setup fit almost too perfectly. Omega would be back in Canada, the show was literally called Redemption, and he would be walking into one final shot after two major 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.”
Then the plan suddenly changed. Meltzer reported that the push to move the match to the July 8 edition of Dynamite is believed to have come from MJF. No reason was given, but Tony Khan signed off on it, turning what looked like a major 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.”
That change ended up being massive. Omega beat MJF at Beach Break and walked out as the new AEW World Champion, meaning Montreal lost a title match that had apparently been designed around Omega’s entire redemption story. The stipulation, the location, and the history were all sitting there. AEW still decided not to wait.
That is the real mystery coming out of this. AEW gave away Omega vs. MJF with the World Title and a career-altering stipulation on Dynamite, so whatever replaces it at Redemption has to feel big enough to justify ripping apart the original plan.
Omega already has the championship. MJF lost the belt earlier than expected. And Montreal is now waiting to see what Tony Khan believed was worth making that sacrifice.
Do you think AEW made the right call moving Kenny Omega vs. MJF to television, or should it have stayed at Redemption? Let us know in the comments.
