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MJF hasn't been seen on television since losing the AEW World Championship to Samoa Joe at the Worlds End pay-per-view on December 30. As speculation about his future swirls, wrestling veteran Konnan has offered his opinion on the young star's next step.
At just 27 years old, Maxwell Jacob Friedman already holds the record for the longest AEW World Championship reign in history. The Salt of the Earth is easily the promotion's most successful homegrown star and the most distinguished among the Four Pillars of AEW. This group includes Darby Allin, Sammy Guevara, and Jack Perry, all of whom have held titles in the company.
MJF has long hyped "The Bidding War of 2024" and maintains that he has not signed a new contract with Tony Khan's promotion. Despite many fans believing that he secretly re-signed more than a year ago, the 27-year-old was recently removed from the company's official roster, leaving his future in doubt.
Speaking on the latest edition of Keepin' It 100, legendary wrestling star Konnan discussed MJF's future and expressed his belief that the former AEW World Champion will end up in WWE:
"I think he will eventually end up there because he's done it all here. There's nowhere to go but down or maintain where you're at, where everybody's gonna be coming at you, you know? He does probably what he wants at work, with the long promos, you can tell. He's probably the highest-paid guy there, or one of the top three, I would think. But you need professional growth, bro, and I think he's gone as far as he's gonna go there, but we'll see." (4:06-4:35)
MJF appears in the latest betting pool for WWE Royal Rumble 2024
Maxwell Jacob Friedman battled through the last stretch of his World Championship reign with several nagging injuries, with the most serious issue being a torn labrum.
The young star is currently out of action and could be gone for quite a while, depending on how he chooses to rehab his injuries. However, that hasn't stopped BetOnline from including him in its recent betting odds for WWE Royal Rumble 2024.
As of this writing, the site's official pool lists The Salt of the Earth among the other potential winners of the Men's Royal Rumble match with 10/1 odds, putting him at the same level as Jey Uso and Drew McIntyre. According to these odds, not only is MJF favored to make a WWE debut before or at the premium live event, but he's also favored above the likes of Sami Zayn, Finn Balor, and Solo Sikoa to win it.
WWE Royal Rumble takes place on January 27, less than two weeks from now. With MJF's injuries, it seems highly unlikely that he would debut in the traditional battle royal, but stranger things have happened in wrestling.
Do you think MJF will make his way to WWE, or has he already signed a new deal with Tony Khan? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below!
