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MJF Makes Surprise Return To MLW, Attacks Místico

Former AEW World Champion MJF returned to MLW after 5 years to continue his heated rivalry with CMLL legend Místico
Lyric Swinton|
MJF is currently a member of the Hurt Syndicate in AEW.
MJF is currently a member of the Hurt Syndicate in AEW. | Lee South - All Elite Wrestling

Maxwell Jacob Friedman made a surprise return to his old stomping grounds on Thursday night.

At MLW Summer of Beasts, top CMLL star Místico came out to the ring to address the crowd and was quickly attacked by Contra Unit, a top heel stable in MLW wearing black masks. One of the masked men was shockingly former AEW World Champion MJF.

MJF is no stranger to Major League Wrestling. Before joining AEW, he was a part of the company from 2017 to 2020 and became the inaugural MLW World Middleweight Champion. He also held the MLW World Tag Team Championships with Richard Holliday.

MJF and Místico's cross-promotional rivalry began in the weeks leading up to AEW Grand Slam Mexico. Following an emotional and unforgettable entrance from Místico that quickly went viral, the two did battle in the cathedral of professional wrestling a.k.a Arena Mexico on June 18, ending in a DQ victory for Mistico after MJF went for a low blow in front of the referee.

To add insult to injury, MJF stole Místico's mask in front of his home crowd. The audience in Arena Mexico was so disturbed that one fan reportedly tried to go after MJF after the show. According to Wrestlenomics, their match was the highest performing quarter hour of the show in Nielsen ratings.

Since stealing Místico's mask, MJF has paraded it around like a trophy, including during his surprise appearance at MLW. Following his attack at Summer of Beasts, MJF reiterated that he is "not done" with Místico and plans to wrestle him again soon.

While an official date for the rematch hasn't been confirmed, it's worth noting that AEW All In Texas is coming up on Saturday, July 12, and CMLL's 92nd Anniversary show was recently announced for Saturday, September 19.

CMLL and MLW have been working together for years, but it remains to be seen if MJF's return to MLW after 5 years is a one-off appearance or a sign of a consistent working relationship between AEW and MLW. AEW hasn't formally acknowledged the appearance on any of their social media channels, but on MLW's X account, the caption for the clip of the surprise appearance says, "FINAL FORBIDDEN DOOR UNLOCKED!"

MJF will be in action this upcoming Wednesday on the 300th episode of AEW Dynamite in a 4-way match to determine the #1 entrant into the men's Casino Gauntlet at All In Texas.

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Lyric Swinton
LYRIC SWINTON

Lyric Swinton is a proud graduate of the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor’s in Sport & Entertainment Management. Her lifelong passion for wrestling has taken her around the world, primarily writing about alternative and international promotions for several major wrestling and media outlets, such as Pro Wrestling Illustrated Magazine, Blavity, Fightful, and more. She has covered wrestling for seven major promotions in some of the most famous venues in the world, including Wembley Stadium and the Tokyo Dome.

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