AEW President Tony Khan has announced a significant change to the rules governing Casino Gauntlet contracts. Effective immediately, any wrestler who wins a title opportunity via the Casino Gauntlet match must now provide at least one week’s notice before challenging for the AEW World Championship.
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The announcement was made during the post-event media scrum for Forbidden Door. Khan explained the decision was made to distinguish AEW from its competition and to ensure the integrity of major championship bouts. “I want AEW to be different and I’ve been listening to the feedback and the voice of the fans,” Khan stated. “I don’t want to have a big ticket championship match that we are unable to advertise.”
This new policy officially ends the “any time, any place” stipulation, which was first introduced on this date one year ago, just prior to All In 2024. That rule allowed for surprise cash-ins, a tactic Christian Cage attempted at Revolution in March when he inserted himself into the main event between Jon Moxley and Adam Copeland.
The rule change directly impacts MJF, the current holder of the men’s Casino Gauntlet contract. While Athena recently won the women’s equivalent, she had already arranged her title match against Toni Storm for Forbidden Door ahead of time.
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