At the Grand Slam Mexico edition of "AEW Dynamite"on June 18, MJF's match with Mistico didn't go the way the former AEW World Champion would have hoped. Unable to get the better of the CMLL star, Maxwell Jacob Friedman kicked Mistico in the groin, getting himself disqualified in the process, before unmasking the luchador to the disgust and anger of the fans in Mexico City. Clearly not over his trip south of the border, MJF sent another message to Mistico, this time in the form of a sneak attack at MLW's "Summer of the Beasts" event on June 26 in NewYork City.
Still wearing the mask he stole from Mistico at Grand Slam Mexico, MJF once again kicked him between the legs, before beating him down and grabbing the microphone to let Mistico know that he will wrestle MJF again, and when they meet for a second time, the former AEW World Champion is going to beat him within an inch of his life. However, MJF said that before that happens, he is going to make a mockery of CMLL, Mexico as a country, and its people.
The surprise appearance in MLW marks the first time in over five years that MJF has appeared in the promotion that he has a long history with. Before his time in AEW, MJF held the MLW World Middleweight Championship (a title that was coincidentally last held by Mistico) for five months before vacating it due to injury, and he spent four months as one half of the MLW World Tag Team Champions alongside Richard Holliday as part of The Dynasty stable. His last appearance came in 2020 where he lost a "Loser Leaves MLW" Empty Arena match against Mance Warner in April 2020 (the match was taped in January), which also marked MJF's final appearance outside of AEW for three years.
