Former AEW World Champion MJF made his return to All Elite Wrestling during Holiday Bash in Manchester, England, immediately inserting himself back into the AEW World Championship picture.
MJF appeared during the second hour of the show, interrupting a World Championship contract signing involving Samoa Joe, “Hangman” Adam Page and Swerve Strickland. He announced that he was cashing in his Casino Gauntlet contract, officially adding himself to the AEW World Title match at Worlds End.
Friedman said his decision was driven by a desire to prove Adam Page wrong after being labelled a coward, while also making it clear that he intends to defeat both Page and two of his biggest rivals in the process. He also addressed Samoa Joe directly, noting that he still harbours resentment over Joe taking the AEW World Championship from him.
Turning his attention to Swerve Strickland, Friedman launched into a verbal exchange that included a comparison to Sean Combs and references to their respective paths through the independent scene. He contrasted Strickland’s time in WWE with his own success in AEW before closing the segment by declaring that AEW was his house and that “rent was due”.
Friedman had been absent from AEW television since losing to Mark Briscoe at AEW All Out 2025. He previously earned his World Title opportunity by winning the Casino Gauntlet at All In.
How Long Was MJF The AEW World Champion?
MJF held the AEW World Championship for 406 days from November 19, 2022, until December 30, 2023. He won the title from Jon Moxley at Full Gear 2022 after cashing in his Casino Poker Chip for a title shot, and his 406-day reign is currently the record-longest single reign in the title’s history.
He defended the title 12 times, including his All In 2023 defence against Adam Cole in Wembley Stadium, and it was claimed that this show set a new paid attendance record for a pro wrestling event of 81,035. However, this has been disputed, and the reported turnstile attendance is 72,265.
