MJF has publicly acknowledged multiple times that his contract with AEW is set to expire on January 1st 2024 and has declared his intentions to create a ‘bidding war of 2024’ between the biggest companies in professional wrestling to secure his signature.
Maxwell Jacob Friedman’s contract situation has been a topic of much debate over the last few months and reportedly led to genuine heat between Friedman and AEW President Tony Khan and resulted in MJF no-showing a meet and greet event prior to Double Or Nothing in May.
Following the alleged backstage dispute between MJF and Khan, the ‘Generational Talent’ cut a scathing promo on his boss on the post-Double Or Nothing edition of Dynamite and then took a hiatus for several months before making his return at All Out in September.
MJF Denies Signing A Contract Extension With AEW
Upon his return to AEW television, many fans speculated that MJF had signed a new, lucrative long-term contract with the company.
Friedman has always denied signing an extension to his contract, but has confirmed that he struck a deal with Tony Khan that now sees him being paid significantly more money than he was on before.
Speaking in a recent interview with Joseph Staszewski of the New York Post, MJF had the following to say when asked whether or not he had signed a contract extension with AEW:
“I know the truth. I most certainly haven’t. I think that wrestling fans are kind of just doing that to kid themselves. So maybe they feel a little less heartbroken as things are going on. Now I’ll tell you this, bonus and brownie points from Tony Khan for paying me what he’s paying me now with no extension. He did not have to do that.”
MJF is set to challenge Jon Moxley for the AEW World Championship at this Saturday’s Full Gear event.