MJF, Andrade Set For Heavy Casino Gauntlet Focus At All In

MJF and Andrade have reportedly been slated to be central figures in the Casino Gauntlet match at AEW All In, with those plans in place well before MJF dropped the AEW World Championship. The match itself was reportedly built to lean heavily on the two of them, using their presence to give the multi-man showcase added marquee weight.

That detail is notable given how AEW has traditionally used the Casino Gauntlet format. It’s historically been a way to spotlight a large chunk of the roster in one high-stakes sprint, often doubling as a launching pad for a wrestler heading toward a bigger spot on the card. Building the match specifically around MJF and Andrade suggests AEW wanted a clear focal point rather than just a chaotic multi-man affair, and it signals that both men remain very much part of the company’s top-of-the-card plans heading into its biggest show of the year.

The timing is what makes this worth watching closely. These plans were reportedly locked in before MJF lost the AEW World Championship, meaning the framework for his involvement in the Casino Gauntlet predates whatever new direction his character takes as a former champion. MJF has spent the better part of the last several years as one of AEW’s most reliable box-office and storyline engines, cycling through world title runs, career-redefining feuds, and heel-turn theatrics. Losing the title changes his position on paper, but if the promotion was already building a marquee Casino Gauntlet spot around him, it suggests he’s not being pushed to the margins — he’s simply being repositioned within the same tier of the card.

Andrade’s inclusion alongside him is just as interesting. Since returning to AEW, Andrade has worked his way back into meaningful spots on major shows, and being paired with MJF as one of the two names a marquee gauntlet match is designed around is a real vote of confidence. It points to AEW wanting to use All In, its flagship annual event, to reinforce Andrade’s standing as more than a mid-card veteran.

All In has become AEW’s answer to WrestleMania in terms of scale and importance, the show where the promotion tends to make its biggest statements about which stars it’s elevating. A Casino Gauntlet built to spotlight MJF and Andrade fits that pattern — it’s a way to give a multi-man match genuine stakes and a story to follow, rather than just a parade of surprise entrants and quick eliminations.

Exactly how the finish plays out, and what it means for both men going forward, remains to be seen. But the framing here matters: even with the AEW World Championship no longer around his waist, MJF appears to still be positioned as a linchpin of AEW’s biggest weekend of the year, with Andrade riding shotgun as a co-focal point. Expect All In to tell us a lot about where both of their pushes go from here.