Taking the ring in the main event of AEW Worlds End, MJF knew he wasn't just wrestling one opponent but two, with Samoa Joe set to take him to task between the bells and The Devil, his masked foe of unknown identification, all but certainly set to participate in some extracurricular activities when the match came to an end or maybe even while it was going on, depending on how brash he wanted to be.

A harrowing task? You bet, but come on, MJF had almost 10,000 fans at the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island behind him, and that sort of home-court advantage can move mountains, even for performers who are injured against one, two, six, or even more potential in-ring foes.

Introduced to the Coliseum by a very Long Island video package, MJF sold his shoulder injury for the entire match but found creative ways around it in order to produce some pretty compelling offense, using Joe's own hand tape to produce leverage on his signature armbar and using the ropes to help facilitate big moves like the Heatseaker – the maneuver used against him on Dynamite in his Ring of Honor Tag Team Championship match – and a very cool stomp on his opponent's injured left arm.

Unfortunately though, when MJF had a window to really get himself back and put the match away, requesting his Dynamite Diamond Ring from Adam Cole to really knock his foe down for the count, the former NXT Champion simply couldn't find it quickly enough, and that allowed Joe to recover and lock him up in a chock for the eventual submission victory.

Disappointing? For Max, you bet, but just wait, it got even worse, as after The Devil's masked men surrounded the ring, they locked himself and Cole up for what felt like a guaranteed beating, only for the lights to go out and the former leader of the Undisputed Era to find himself sitting in a chair with the devil mask in his pocket. The beating came swift, though only after Wardlow, Roderick Strong, Matt Taven, and Mike Bennett revealed themselves as The Devils' masked men, and the show went off the air with everyone who hated the “Salt of the Earth” surrounding the former champion.

Tony Khan “predicted” a big Devil reveal at AEW Worlds End.

Whoa, a The Devil reveal at AEW Worlds End? Who ever could have seen that coming? Well, all fans should have really, as Tony Khan specifically suggested on the Worlds End media call, that there could be a major reveal on the show, namely the identity of The Devil.

“It feels like we’re getting close to that point. I do expect some big revelations and big moments at Worlds End. It’s its own idea, and it’s something that I’m excited about,” Tony Khan said on the AEW Worlds End media call via Fightful. “I do feel like it’s coming close to the culmination and it does feel like the secrets will be revealed at Worlds End, and I’m looking forward to it. It’s been very different than the other aspects of AEW. One aspect of it has been really interesting, and it’s been something to keep people hooked, and those people that want to see that kind of episodic story is really something that has a lot of people talking and built a lot of interest for Worlds End is the identity of the Devil.”

Whoa, good on TK for guessing that one correctly, as it's not like he… booked the reveal to happen on the Long Island-based show.

All jokes aside, after Full Gear came and went without a big Devil reveal, AEW pretty much had to give the Devil his due at Worlds End, as the excitement and intrigue surrounding the storyline was starting to dip with each passing week. Once the masked man's men unseated MJF as the Ring of Honor Tag Team Champions, the last vestiges of his reigns minus the Triple B, it felt like only a matter of time before this particular mystery was revealed and the promotion could take a step forward into its aftermath.

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Swerve Strickland with a text bubble reading "But let’s be real, we are the best wrestling" next to Grayson Waller with the AEW logo as the background.

Matty Breisch ·

Tony Khan next to MJF with the AEW Dynasty logo as the background.

Matty Breisch ·

Swerve Strickland and Kofi Kingston with the AEW Dynasty logo as the background.

Matty Breisch ·

Where does MJF go from here?

So, with MJF down and out, his title reign ended and a new “Era” added to Cole's career, what does the future hold for MJF? Will he be back on Dynamite this Wednesday with a renewed spirit and a few buddies to back him up? Or will he be off of AEW television for a few weeks, a few months, or even more?

Well, considering even the former World Champion admitted that there's probably some fatigue surrounding his title reign, it's safe to say he'll probably be off of television for at least some period of time, but the second half is the far more interesting question, as it's tough to imagine he'll be able to defeat The Devil and his band of buddies alone, especially when you consider Wardlow has had his goat in an AEW ring already. Fortunately, there are a few performers around the professional wrestling world who still have a soft spot for MJF, including his buddies in the Dynasty, Alex Hammerstone and Richard Holliday, who have finished up their runs in MLW in 2023.

Would MJF really consider forming – or, in this new case, reforming – a faction after his time in The Pinnacle went so poorly? Or is there another solution that can build towards an eventual rematch between MJF and Adam Cole at, say, All In 2024, one that keeps MJF a solo act without putting him back in the title picture? Fans will have to wait for his return to find out… or watch him make his debut in WWE should they win the “bidding war of 2024.”