Top AEW Star MJF's Status In Question Hours Before 'Double Or Nothing' PPV

The status of one of All Elite Wrestling's biggest stars' status remains in question hours before the company's Double of Nothing pay-per-view event on Sunday (May 29) night.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman, more commonly known by his initials, MJF, missed a scheduled appearance at AEW Fan Fest on Saturday (May 28) afternoon and was reported to have booked a flight out of Las Vegas, Fightful Select reported, later confirming that the Long Island native did not get on the flight, but his status for the event remained uncertain.

On Sunday afternoon, Wrestle Zone reported Friedman hadn't been spotted backstage in the hours leading up to the event.

One source within the company told Fightful that AEW management was "very unhappy about how it all played out" in relation to the incident over the weekend, while another claimed that communication between Friedman and AEW management was at an all-time low amid reports that he was unable to be contacted during his absence from the Fan Fest event.

Friedman is currently booked to face Wardlow, his longtime former bodyguard, in a match that is anticipated to be the payoff of a long-running storyline between the two. On Sunday, Wrestling Observer Newsletter's Bryan Alvarez reported that the match between MJF and Wardlow was "still on the line-up for tonight."

Friedman has publicly acknowledged his upcoming free agency in 2024 and the interest he'll likely receive from both AEW and WWE.

Fightful had previously reported that Friedman -- who has been with the company since its initial launch in 2019 -- has become frustrated by his contract and pay scale in comparison to AEW's recent acquisitions.

AEW founder, co-owner, president and CEO Tony Khan was reportedly willing to discuss a new contract with MJF and offer "top performer money," however, wanted to reach an extension to avoid his upcoming free agency, which Friedman was not willing to accept.

Fightful reported that Friedman's public comments of going "wherever the money is" caused a heated exchange with Khan in early April and the wrestler has kept to himself much more since the argument took place.

AEW's Double or Nothing pay-per-view event will broadcast live from T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada at 8:00 p.m. EST.