AEWs Casino Gauntlet title shot rule just got a serious overhaulstraight from Tony Khan himself.
Speaking during the AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door press conference, Khan revealed that the chaotic surprise cash-ins are officially over. Going forward, any winner of the Casino Gauntlet will be required to give at least one weeks notice before executing their guaranteed championship match.
He explained the reasoning was largely about presentation and fairnessto fans and to AEWs business partners.
This is a clear shift from how the gauntlet contracts have been used in the past. In 2024, Christian Cage shocked everyone when he cashed in mid-match between Jon Moxley and Cope, turning it into a triple threat on the spot. In 2025, both Athena and MJF announced their title match intentions weeks ahead of Forbidden Doorbut MJF later pulled out after manipulating Hangman Page into removing the execution clause following a disturbing threat aimed at Mark Briscoe.
Even after his loss to Hangman Page at Forbidden Door, MJF still holds his guaranteed title shot. However, under this new rule, hell have to give AEW and its audience a heads-up before cashing it in.
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