Royal Rampage is set to return at this Friday’s Rampage but who will be victorious in the two-ring battle royal?
Last year, Brody King was the last man standing and his efforts were rewarded with a world title shot against then-champion Jon Moxley.
It’s still not confirmed whether this year’s victor will receive an AEW title shot but if that is the case, DAZN looks at a number of potential winners.
Wardlow
The last man to defeat MJF is his former bodyguard, Wardlow, but can he repeat the win when it matters most with the gold on the line?
When defeating MJF at last year’s Double or Nothing, Wardlow looked set to become one of the biggest stars in the industry, but he still hasn’t reached that point yet.
MJF’s return to AEW last autumn has seen the New Yorker push onto huge heights but his feud with Wardow has still not been revisited.
While Mr. Mayhem lost his last match, and the TNT title, to Luchasaurus and hasn't been seen since, the nature of the Royal Rampage would logically springboard him back into MJF's path.
Could the Royal Rampage be the platform that Wardlow needs to renew hostilities with his ex-Pinnacle colleague?
Adam Cole
Adam Cole has already had one opportunity to earn a title shot at MJF, but he couldn’t quite grasp it following a time limit draw with the champion.
Since then, the pair have featured on-screen frequently after becoming partners in the Blind Eliminator tournament that is seeing them push towards a tag team title shot at FTR.
The partnership seems to have improved in recent weeks, but you get the feeling that an explosive ending is not far away. Could that come as the result of Cole finally grabbing a crack at MJF’s belt?
It could lead to a situation where the duo earn a tag title match on Wednesday, only for Cole to become number one contender to MJF before they challenge Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler, which would be a lot of fun.
Roderick Strong
The longtime ally of Adam Cole has been nursing an injury in recent weeks following his Collision match with Samoa Joe, but could Roderick Strong be about to make a comeback?
On screen in recent weeks, Strong has demonstarted a serious disdain towards Cole’s friendship with MJF so imagine how frosty things could get between the pair if Strong receives a title shot against the world champion.
There's still no word on whether Strong is able to even participate in this match but he’d be a big favourite to perform well and further test the loyalties of Cole in the build-up to a potential match against MJF.