AEW's upcoming World Championship clash between MJF and Kenny Omega may have only just been confirmed, but the company has reportedly been working toward the bout for months.

During the July 1 edition of Dynamite, AEW announced that MJF will put the AEW World Championship on the line against Omega at next week's Beach Break special. The stakes could not be higher, as Omega has agreed to a career-changing stipulation that would prevent him from ever challenging for the championship again if he comes up short.

According to Fightful Select, however, the showdown was not a last-minute decision. The report states that MJF vs. Omega had originally been pencilled in for the AEW Redemption 2026 pay-per-view before plans changed and the match was brought forward to television.

The report also notes that AEW has had this championship program mapped out for at least the past three months. The story reportedly began taking shape at AEW Dynasty 2026, where MJF used underhanded tactics to defeat Omega and capture the AEW World Championship in the main event.

Since then, the rivalry has continued to develop through a number of promos and storyline segments involving Omega, MJF, Will Ospreay, and several other major names connected to the AEW World Championship picture, leading to next week's highly anticipated title encounter.