Will Ospreay has made it clear that he is not interested in sharing the AEW championship conversation with MJF.
Following WrestleDream, Ospreay addressed MJF’s continued claim that he is the “Real World Champion” while carrying the Triple B belt. Ospreay, who became AEW Men’s World Champion at Clockwork Carnage and has now completed three title defenses, questioned how MJF can continue presenting himself as champion while remaining away from AEW programming.
The exchange came during the post-WrestleDream press scrum, where Ospreay initially turned the question toward AEW owner Tony Khan. In a playful but pointed moment, the champion questioned what could be done about MJF appearing with a title belt while maintaining that his loss to Kenny Omega in July was not legitimate.
“What are you going to do to solve this problem?” Ospreay said to Khan. “There’s a governing body that hands these out, there’s a whole team around this thing, and he can just walk in with the belt?”
For more background on this topic, read Nick Jackson Says He Would ‘Do Anything’ for Tony Khan, Reflects on Young Bucks’ AEW Commitment.
Khan responded by noting the central issue: MJF has not actually walked into AEW lately.
“Where has he walked into?” Khan said. “He hasn’t been here!”
Ospreay accepted the point, but used it to deliver a direct challenge to his absent rival.
“Oh yeah, to be fair, he’s been hiding away,” Ospreay said. “Let him go there. If he ever wants to come out and find out who the real champion is, he knows where I am. B***h.”
Ospreay’s reign continues to build momentum
Ospreay’s position is straightforward. He holds the AEW Men’s World Championship, has defended it three times since defeating MJF at Clockwork Carnage, and is operating as the active standard-bearer for the men’s division. In the practical sense, there is no ambiguity around who is representing the championship in AEW: Ospreay is the champion appearing, competing, and adding defenses to his reign.
That has not stopped MJF from advancing a competing version of events. The former AEW World Champion has maintained that his July title defeat to Kenny Omega was unfair. Based on that belief, MJF has continued calling himself the Real World Champion and has carried the Triple B as a visual representation of his claim.
The dispute is therefore not simply about possession of a belt. It is about legitimacy, absence, and the difference between a wrestler declaring himself champion and the promotion recognizing a champion who is actively defending the title. Ospreay’s comments at WrestleDream centered on that divide. He did not suggest uncertainty over who AEW recognizes. Instead, he challenged MJF to return and prove his assertion in the ring.
For Ospreay, the answer appears simple: if MJF believes he is still the rightful champion, then he needs to confront the man who currently holds AEW’s top men’s title. Until that happens, Ospreay’s growing list of defenses continues to strengthen his case both officially and competitively.
MJF has been away since All In
MJF has been absent from AEW since All In, where he failed to secure a guaranteed AEW World Title opportunity in the Casino Gauntlet match. That match was won by Andrade El Idolo, one of MJF’s rivals, leaving MJF without the route to an immediate title shot that he had sought.
His time away from AEW has not meant he has abandoned his championship rhetoric. Quite the opposite: MJF has continued to speak as though his claim to the AEW World Championship remains intact, even as Ospreay’s reign moves forward. The Triple B has remained part of that presentation, giving MJF a physical symbol for an argument that AEW’s active champion firmly rejects.
Khan’s response at the scrum highlighted the unusual nature of the situation. Ospreay posed the question of how MJF could simply appear with the belt, but Khan countered that MJF has not been appearing in AEW at all. That distinction matters. MJF’s claim has remained alive through his own declarations, while Ospreay has been visibly carrying the responsibilities of the championship inside AEW.
Ospreay’s follow-up also made clear that he sees MJF’s absence as a choice rather than an obstacle. By saying MJF has been “hiding away,” Ospreay framed the former champion’s stance as something that can only be resolved if MJF returns. The challenge was not accompanied by a match announcement, a date, or any stated decision from AEW. It was a personal invitation from the champion to a rival who has remained outside the company’s immediate title picture.
MJF has turned his attention toward NJPW
While Ospreay continues to defend the AEW Men’s World Championship, MJF has directed his attention toward New Japan Pro-Wrestling. He has called out G1 Climax winner Ryohei Oiwa for a match and has promised to defend what he describes as the “actual” AEW World Title.
That stance further emphasizes the conflict at the center of Ospreay’s WrestleDream comments. MJF is treating his own title claim as valid enough to bring into another promotion, while AEW’s recognized champion is challenging him to settle the issue where Ospreay is currently competing.
There is no stated resolution to the disagreement, and no confirmed match between Ospreay and MJF at this point. Still, their contrasting approaches create an obvious tension. Ospreay is building an active championship reign in AEW. MJF is presenting himself as a wronged former champion whose title loss should not be accepted as final. Both men are invoking the idea of being the real champion, but only one is currently defending the AEW Men’s World Championship.
Ospreay’s comments also did not dismiss MJF as irrelevant. If anything, the champion’s words acknowledged that MJF remains a significant enough figure for the question to be asked in the first place. Ospreay simply drew a line: MJF can continue carrying the Triple B and making his argument elsewhere, but if he wants to establish himself as the real champion, he will have to face Ospreay.
A familiar rivalry could be heading for another chapter
There is already substantial history between Ospreay and MJF. MJF defeated Ospreay to win the AEW International Championship on a 2024 episode of Dynamite. Ospreay later regained that title at All In. Their previous meetings gave the rivalry a high-profile foundation long before Ospreay became AEW Men’s World Champion and MJF began carrying the Triple B while disputing his own title loss.
That history makes the possibility of a renewed issue especially notable. Their past clashes were tied to the International Championship; the current disagreement is much larger. Ospreay now holds the top men’s championship in AEW, while MJF has built his present identity around the belief that he never truly lost his place at the top.
Many expect MJF to return to AEW before the end of the year, potentially bringing him back into Ospreay’s orbit. That expectation remains just that for now. MJF’s callout of Oiwa and his stated intention to defend the “actual” AEW World Title show that his immediate focus has included NJPW, and no return date has been announced.
Even so, Ospreay has left little doubt about his position should MJF reappear. The champion is not asking for clarification, waiting for an explanation, or conceding that MJF’s claim has merit. He is inviting a fight.
Until then, Ospreay’s reign continues with three successful defenses behind it, while MJF’s counterclaim remains tied to the Triple B and his insistence that the July loss to Omega was unfair. The argument may continue outside an AEW ring for the moment, but Ospreay’s message at WrestleDream was unmistakable: if MJF wants to find out who the real champion is, the AEW Men’s World Champion is ready for him.
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Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.