Konnan says Tony Khan is not "dumb" to let a top AEW star jump ship to WWE
Konnan and Disco Inferno recently addressed the possibility of AEW World Champion MJF leaving for WWE next year.
The Salt of the Earth has teased igniting the "bidding war of 2024" between the two promotions. He has more than once threatened to take his services to the Stamford-based company once his contract expires. There's no word whether Friedman has signed a contract extension with his current employer, which has fueled speculation of his possible WWE move.
Speaking on the Keepin' It 100 podcast, Disco Inferno speculated that MJF had already signed a contract extension with AEW, and his apparent teases are merely part of his character:
"I would be willing to bet that MJF has already signed an extension with AEW. He's just doing this as part of his character. Well, I wouldn't bet 100% because, like, you know, I don't know. They give these guys freedom to say stuff, and I don't know what the angles are and when are these guys shooting in promos (...) The obvious answer to the question is if he leaves in six months and goes to WWE, they'll look foolish."
Konnan chimed in and added that Tony Khan isn't dumb to let one of his biggest AEW homegrown stars jump ship to WWE anytime soon:
"I'm going to assume that probably he [sic] signed a longer deal with Tony. I can't imagine Tony would let him go out there and say stuff like that. And if he hasn't, he will never ever live it down. I just cannot believe in any way, shape, or form because Tony is not dumb that he'll let him be going out there if there's a chance that he's leaving." (0:58 onwards)
You can watch the full clip below:
What's next for MJF in AEW?
MJF is brimming with confidence after a successful title defense against Hiroshi Tanahashi at AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door II.
However, he's got a lot on his plate as Adam Cole has set sights on the world title. The two men clashed in a world title eliminator match on the June 14, 2023, episode of Dynamite, which ended in a time-limit draw.
We’ll hear from the unlikely team of #AEW World Champion @the_mjf & his Blind Eliminator Tournament Tag partner @adamcolepro TOMORROW on #AEWDynamite LIVE from Hamilton, Ontario!
Don’t miss Wednesday Night #AEWDynamite at 8pm ET/7pm CT on @tbsnetwork! https://t.co/qrBLGYdANM
The Panama City Playboy was pulled from Forbidden Door II due to illness. However, Cole and Friedman have been announced as participants in the Blind Eliminator tournament for a shot at FTR's tag team championship. Will the two men coexist, or their ongoing issues will hinder their alliance? Only time will tell.
If you use quotes from this article, please give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription and credit the Keepin' It 100 podcast.