As MJF prepares for the “bidding war of 2024,” fans of AEW and WWE have been debating where the “Best in the World” should wrestle next and what the future of Tony Khan's company could look like if they lose yet another marquee performer to Paul “Triple H” Levesque's newly revamped creative department.

With WWE currently negotiating with Warner Brothers Discovery for a spot on TBS or TNT for RAW and two former AEW standouts, Cody Rhodes and CM Punk, likely set to headline Night 1 and Night 2 of WrestleMania 40, outside observers have been questioning the future of the promotion as a whole, with an Impact-esque future being whispered about by some of the promotion's more pessimistic fans.

Could MJF go to WWE one day? His mentor Cody certainly thinks so, but regardless of his individual future, the “Salt of the Earth” wants nothing more than to see WWE succeed, as he believes that competition is incredibly important for fans and the professional wrestlers who make a living in the squared circle.

“There’s a reason that ‘workers rights' get brought up so often in conversations around AEW: It’s because we have a lot goddamn more of them now. This s**t isn’t rocket science. Competition = bad for management, good for labor,” MJF wrote for The Players' Tribune. “There used to be one major American wrestling company, now there’s two. That f**king matters. It matters for the wrestlers who work here, since we all have jobs that literally didn’t exist five years ago. But it also matters for the wrestlers who don’t work here. For everyone in WWE, AEW means not having to work in monopoly conditions. It means more options, which means more leverage, which means more money. (And I’ll take a wild guess and say better treatment.) And for wrestlers outside those two companies, AEW matters not just because it exists, but because of how it exists. Listen … if you google me, I think it says I’m 5'11” — but we all know that’s horses**t. I’m like 5'8″, guys. And this is a place where, simply put, a 5'8″ Jew can be world champ. If you know wrestling history then you know that’s a big deal and why.”

What does the future hold for AEW? Will Tony Khan be able to find a new home for the promotion if Warner Brothers Discovery opts to take things in another direction? Or will AEW be forced to downsize, remaining a juggernaut on Pay-Per-View but losing its spot as a true challenge brand on a pair of major networks? Fans will have to wait to find out, but based on TK's comments, it's safe to say he's still incredibly optimistic.

Tony Khan believes AEW will remain on television one way or another.

Speaking of AEW's television future, Tony Khan commented on the promotion's media rights deal on the Worlds End media call and explained where things currently stand between himself, the promotion, and Warner Brothers Discovery.

“We have a great relationship with Warner Bros Discovery. It’s amazing now. We’ve been talking to them for several years and this coming weekend marks the five-year anniversary of the launch of AEW. We announced the formation on January 1, 2019 and here we are, days away from the five-year anniversary of that. Warner Brothers Discovery has been an indespenisible partner throughout this journey. I’m very excited about the future of AEW and excited to work with Warner Brothers Discovery throughout 2024 and going forward after that, there is going to be a lot of exciting conversations about AEW media rights. It’ll be a very exciting year and a lot of things are going to happen. We have a great situation with Warner Bros Discovery and it’s been a great year for that partnership,” Tony Khan told fans on the AEW Worlds End media call via Fightful.

“We’re under an exclusive agreement. I can’t say what the future of AEW will hold for certain, but I know there is a lot of interest in pro wrestling, and judging by the market, I’ve had lots of interest in Ring of Honor, which I’m holding and looking forward to having an extra card to play later in the coming year in such negotiations. Knowing there is a ton of interest in ROH and that product from outside parties, and knowing there is far more interest in AEW, multiple times more, and far greater rights fees for AEW in the future, it bodes well in the market knowing there will likely be a lot of suitors for AEW. We’ll find out for sure as we get closer to the end of the year. I have to say, it’s really great working at Warner Brothers Discovery, and if anyone came in, it would have to be a heck of an offer because we have a great thing going here, and it’s a great place to be. I do value the relationship.”

While some fans may feel as though AEW is teeter-tottering on the edge of disaster if they end up “losing” their spots on TBS and TNT, it sounds like Khan is much less “all or nothing” about the promotion's future, as he clearly has some insight into the market that casual fans and even wrestling media members. For his sake, and the sake of professional wrestling as a whole, fans should hope that remains the case.