The History of Wrestling's 'Last Chance' World Title Stipulation Ahead of MJF vs. Omega

Kenny Omega will complete his trilogy of matches against Maxwell Jacob Friedman during the Beach Break edition of Dynamite, with a controversial stipulation.

Omega has had his sights set on the world title since New Year's Smash, but he failed to reclaim All Elite Wrestling's top prize at Dynasty. Following his win over Zack Sabre Jr., the Canadian made a deal with the devil for one more chance to cement his legacy.

However, his upcoming rematch comes at a steep price. If he can't defeat MJF this time, Omega can never challenge for the AEW World Championship again.

It's a bit surprising that the company would revisit this provision so soon. Even more, most of us assumed The Best Bout Machine would challenge Friedman again at Redemption, which takes place in his home country on July 26.

It's unclear if the terms of the match were always planned, but the decision to reschedule it was reportedly "fairly recent."

The added stakes will make this must-see television, but AEW doesn't exactly have a great track record with this match stipulation.

A Brief History of Pro Wrestling's Most Unforgiving Stipulation

MJF referenced the two other matches in AEW history that involved these terms and vowed that Omega would suffer the same fate as his two friends. Nevertheless, pro wrestling wager matches such as this have existed since the early 1900s.

During the carnival era, traveling wrestlers would make side bets with locals to add suspense to their act. This eventually evolved into high-stakes stipulations, in which performers could lose something of value rather than just a title.

Lucha libre famously has a rich history of wager matches, including mask vs. mask, hair vs. hair, mask vs. career, and so on. In mainstream pro wrestling, we've seen examples such as a career vs. title match or a loser-leaves-town match.

Still, this particular stipulation has been so divisive among AEW fans because it created such an unforced error with Cody Rhodes. In 2019, the second-generation star promised never to challenge for the world title again if he couldn't defeat Chris Jericho.

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At Full Gear, MJF turned on Rhodes and threw in the towel, guaranteeing his mentor would never be AEW world champion. The outcome created one of the biggest what-ifs in the company's relatively short history.

Similarly, he goaded "Hangman" Adam Page into accepting the same provision ahead of their encounter at Revolution in March. At the event, Friedman beat him in his signature Texas Deathmatch, and we haven't seen him since.

This sets the stage for Omega to succeed where the other two founding members of AEW failed and return to his homeland as a two-time champ. Conversely, this gives MJF the chance to slam the door shut on the most celebrated singles wrestler to join the roster.

Third Time's A Charm

It's hard to imagine AEW would make the same mistake a third time with arguably its greatest signing.

We don't know how much longer the 42-year-old will be able to compete at such a high level following his well-documented bout with diverticulitis.

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His role with the company has changed since he returned last year. With such a loaded roster, Omega doesn't need to carry the brand on his back anymore. Nonetheless, his aspirations to earn a world title reign that he can be proud of can't end this way.

This is his chance to redeem himself after his actions as The Belt Collector and the way he beat Jon Moxley in 2020. That redemption arc would ultimately put him on a collision course with the men's Owen Hart Cup winner, Will Ospreay.

MJF's role in the wager matches with Rhodes and Page heightens the drama surrounding their rematch. Referencing his history with the stipulation and using The Young Bucks as a voice of reason was a nice touch.

Regardless, Omega must be the one to break the cycle and reclaim his spot as AEW world champion. That's the gratifying conclusion we need to set up a marquee match with Ospreay for All In: London.