Backstage News On AEW's Original Plans For Samoa Joe Vs. MJF At Worlds End

AEW Worlds End this past Saturday will be a night MJF won't soon forget, in the same way Chicago Cubs fans will never forget Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS. Not only did MJF's run as AEW World Champion come to an end at the hands of Samoa Joe, but he also learned that the Devil was none other than his best friend Adam Cole, who proceeded, along with his stablemates Roderick Strong, Wardlow, Matt Taven, and Mike Bennett, to lay out MJF to close the show. Add in that it all took place in MJF's hometown of Long Island, and it all seems quite crushing.

While details on how Cole's alliance and plan to destroy MJF remain vague, one thing that wasn't vague going into the show was the direction of the AEW World Title. On Sunday's edition of "Wrestling Observer Radio," Dave Meltzer revealed that plans had always called for Joe to defeat MJF at Worlds End, and were made long before MJF's injury woes started to pile up. As such, AEW was ready to put the World Title on Samoa Joe at Worlds End, regardless of MJF's condition.

The injuries will play a part in what comes next for MJF, as he is expected to be off AEW TV for the foreseeable future, in part to recover from ailments such as a torn labrum in his left shoulder. As for MJF's contractual status with AEW, while both he and AEW owner Tony Khan have played up the "bidding war of 2024" in the past week, the consensus in wrestling remains that MJF has re-signed with AEW sometime in the past and that his upcoming hiatus is merely a continuation of the storyline.