MJF debating whether to rehab shoulder injury or get surgery

MJF could be out of action for a long time. 

The former AEW World Champion announced in November that he was dealing with a torn labrum but would still defend his title against Samoa Joe at Worlds End. 

Our own Dave Meltzer gave an update on MJF’s condition on Wrestling Observer Radio, noting that the 27-year-old is still deciding whether to have surgery or rehab the injury. 

Meltzer said: 

From what I was told, he is either going to have to rehab the shoulder, which is the main problem, or he may need surgery and just judging from how severe it was, he may need that surgery. And the surgery would put him out for quite a while. He is still debating which tact to take. I think it’s probably the best thing is for him to have the surgery but that’s a long time off.

MJF went into his match against Jay White at Full Gear with his shoulder already injured. However, it was further aggravated by a top rope uranage during the bout. MJF also injured his hip after delivering a top rope elbow drop to the outside of the ring. Meltzer addressed these injuries in the November 27 edition of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter. 

MJF legit suffered a dislocated hip during the match as well as aggravated a prior shoulder injury. The hip injury took place when he was planning to do the spot where you come off the top rope and fly far, ending with an elbow drop putting your opponent through a table. However, when he put White on the table, it collapsed. Instead of just ditching the spot, he felt that the crowd was going to flatten if he didn’t do the spot, climbed up to the top rope and did an elbow drop from the top rope to the floor, which is an absolute killer on your hip. It was popped back in but he was in terrible pain. The shoulder injury worsened from a top rope uranage.