MJF made history at the AEW Double or Nothing pay-per-view last weekend in Queens, New York. He defeated Darby Allin in an incredible Hair vs. Title match to become a 3-time AEW World Champion. The Salt of the Earth has been around the world as the title picture for the entirety of 2026. Therefore, fans now wonder what Tony Khan might be planning for him from here on.
Over this year, Maxwell Jacob Friedman has feuded with names like Brody King, Hangman Page, and Kenny Omega. Fans are looking for some fresh feuds for the world champion moving forward. Besides, with AEW now moving on to the path towards All In: London, MJF is expected to be a focal point of the promotion. From some new challengers to a major rival, there are several credible names who could challenge Friedman for the world title in the coming months.
In this article, let’s take a look at four AEW stars who could challenge MJF for the AEW World Championship following Double or Nothing 2026:
#4. Andrade
Andrade has had tensions with MJF for the past few months in All Elite Wrestling. El Idolo has had major back-and-forth banters with The Salt of the Earth on social media. Fans have been enjoying these heated interactions between the two stars, and they are clamoring to see them have a showdown in the squared circle. Andrade and Max have never faced each other in the ring before in a singles match.
Therefore, it is a major showdown that Tony Khan could plan for an AEW pay-per-view down the line. Besides, Andrade has been getting a lot of support from the fans all over the globe. People are enjoying his current character arc, making El Idolo one of the most popular names in the Jacksonville-based promotion. As a result, it would be incredible to see the former AEW star getting a world title push.
Tony Khan can book this massive showdown for any of the special episodes of the Dynamite in the coming months. It would be something fresh for the fans in the main event scene of the Jacksonville-based promotion.
#3. Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho made his return to All Elite Wrestling in the first week of April. He then had a decent feud with Ricochet this month. Now that Y2J has seemingly ended his program with The Lightskin Kingpin at Double or Nothing, he can go on to have a fresh feud in the company. Jericho was away from wrestling for a year, and fans are looking forward to some big clashes for him.
Therefore, he could go on to have a feud with MJF from here on. The former WWE star has been working as a babyface in the Jacksonville-based promotion. As a result, it would be intriguing to see him take on a heel Maxwell Jacob Friedman. Besides, both of these stars are great talkers. Hence, it would be amazing to see their promos and banters during a potential feud.
Tony Khan can easily book this showdown for a pay-per-view like Forbidden Door or even a special episode of Dynamite. Moreover, a program with Jericho would heavily elevate MJF’s third-world title reign.
#2. Jack Perry
Jack Perry recently lost his AEW National Championship following a decent run. He has been doing an incredible job as a babyface, and now, fans are excited to see what is next for him. Perry has been looking for the main event push in AEW for the past few years. However, unfortunate injuries and events have kept him away from the world title throughout his AEW run.
However, now is the perfect time to bring Perry into the main event scene against MJF. The Jungle Boy is a fan-favorite gimmick, and fans enjoy rooting for him. Such a character would be a perfect opponent for a villain like MJF. Besides, it would be a whole new dynamic for the All Elite fans. Jack Perry vs. MJF could also be a battle of two different wrestling styles in the AEW ring.
#1. Kenny Omega could challenge MJF
Kenny Omega has already battled MJF this year at the Dynasty pay-per-view. He failed to beat The Salt of the Earth in that battle. However, there is still some unfinished business between the two icons. Omega vs. Max had an incredible match, and Tony Khan could run that back down the line. Therefore, The Cleaner is one of the top contenders to challenge Friedman in his third title reign.
This year, AEW is set to host another pay-per-view in Canada called AEW Redemption in July. The Best Bout Machine hails from Canada, and he is most likely to be involved in one of the key matches for the event. As a result, there is a good possibility that Tony Khan could have Kenny Omega vs. MJF III at the inaugural Redemption pay-per-view.
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Edited by Anugrah Tyagi