MJF reportedly withdraws from another event amid AEW absence, former WWE star replaces him

A former WWE star has reportedly replaced the former AEW World Champion, MJF, for a recent event, as he pulled himself back amid absence from TV. The name in question is Swerve Strickland.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman has been absent from TV ever since losing his World Championship to Samoa Joe at Worlds End pay-per-view on December 30. Fans have been anticipating his return for the past few months now. Meanwhile, MJF reportedly withdrew from a recent major event, increasing the uncertainty of his return even more.

According to the latest report from Fightful Select, Maxwell withdrew himself from this weekend's Toy and Comic Con event in Lexington. The report also stated that Swerve Strickland had to replace Max for the event as he is one of the company's top stars.

Swerve has risen in the ranks over the past year like no one else. The 33-year-old star is currently considered one of the top stars in AEW and is also destined to become the world champion sooner rather than later.

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Tony Khan commented on MJF's AEW return

As mentioned earlier, Maxwell has been out of action for the past few months and was last seen at the Worlds End PPV, where he lost his title to Samoa Joe.

During his recent interview with SportsGrid, the All Elite Wrestling President, Tony Khan, was asked about the status of MJF's return, and he said:

"Well, it’s something to keep an eye on with MJF. He’s a great wrestler for AEW and he’s been a great World Champion and he was very injured and I would love to have MJF back, as soon as uh..any time, we’ll see what happens here." [H/T Ringside News]

Meanwhile, the current All Elite roster is stacked, but it can't be denied that Max's absence can be felt. More updates regarding his return will be provided soon.