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When you’re running an independent promotion, it’s not often that you’re able to make the best out of a tough situation, but Beyond Wrestling owner and founder Drew Cordeiro managed to do just that when AEW World Champion MJF, who was scheduled to face Bobby Orlando in the marquee match at Break the Walls Down, was injured on Dynamite last Wednesday while defending the AEW World Championship against Rush.
MJF, who hyperextended his knee during the match, was not allowed to fly due to his injury. With very little notice, Cordeiro managed to get AEW’s Andrade El Idolo to replace MJF. Idolo is also the IWGP Global Hvt. Champion. Cordeiro was also able to add AEW wrestlers Wheeler Yuta and Lio Rush to the card. Cordeiro began the process of finding a replacement by reaching out to his connections in AEW, TNA, and WWE.
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“I started reaching out to wrestlers in AEW, TNA, and WWE that I had connections with,” Cordeiro told PWTorch. “It’s hard to replace the World Champion of the second biggest wrestling company in the entire world. It was incredible to have Andrade compete for Beyond Wrestling for the first time besides the returns of Lio Rush and Wheeler Yuta. It means a lot to me and the crew that those within the industry care so much about Beyond Wrestling that they reached out to so many wrestlers on short notice to give our fans the best show possible.”
The match between MJF and Orlando had a lot going for it heading into the final week of hype. Orlando and MJF trained together at Create A Pro and this was going to be their first singles match. Beyond Wrestling was the place where MJF got the chance to face big name talent and those performances put him on the map before he signed with AEW.
MJF had indicated prior to the match and his injury that this was going to be his last independent date for quite some time, as he was going to put all his focus on AEW for the foreseeable future in an interview with Justin Barrasso of Undisputed. It would have been a homecoming for MJF, but it wasn’t meant to be.
Heading into Break the Walls Down on Friday, Cordeiro was running his third wrestling event in five days having already run two Wrestling Open events earlier in the week. He said he went into the show with a clear mindset because he had made a change in recent years where he doesn’t put the card together for the show until the day it takes place. “It’s going to sound insane but I stopped formatting shows until I get to the venue the day of and I make sure everyone booked actually gets to the event,” said Cordeiro. “Call it superstition, call me a procrastinator, call me lazy – I don’t care. I put the match orders together 15 minutes before doors opened. I’ve been doing this for so long I just have a sixth sense about it more often than not.”
Cordeiro said that the circumstances surrounding MJF’s injury meant that he wasn’t available as he wanted to be for Wrestle Open on Thursday, but he has measures in place in case he isn’t able to be around to help run the show as normal. “I wasn’t as available as I wanted to be for Open on Thursday, but it’s not a one-man show and hasn’t been for years,” said Cordeiro. “We have a massive crew – not everyone who works behind the scenes wants credit – so I respect their wishes. But trust me, there was a big shift in the approach coming out of the pandemic that if any one person couldn’t be there the show would still go on.”
MJF wasn’t able to appear, but after watching Orlando’s match against Idolo, it was clear that Orlando made a strong impression on fans both in the venue live and those that watched the stream on IWTV. Cordeiro said he was worried how the match would go briefly given how big of a star Andrade is, but he praised Orlando for entering the match with the proper mindset.
“I guess I was worried for a split second that the fans may turn on Bobby Orlando but he’s the biggest star for our weekly Wrestling Open RI events in Cranston,’ said Cordeiro. “But when you work with a star the magnitude of Andrade, you run the risk of everyone involved getting swallowed up whole. That’s not what happened. Bobby was so calm and confident. He did not look out of place at all.”
Cordeiro said he wants to deliver the MJF vs. Orlando match when MJF is able to appear again. “And hopefully we can get back to him and MJF when MJF’s schedule finally allows, ” said Cordeiro. “The crowd at Rhodes On The Pawtuxet in Cranston has been cultivated over the last year and it’s the best fans in wrestling. I can say that without bias.”
Given the response of the crowd to Orlando during his match against Idolo, it was clear he made a great impression. The crowd was loud and engaged in the match right from the start. They were also thrilled to see Idolo, who has been one of the best in-ring performers of 2026 across AEW and NJPW. This was his first time wrestling in Beyond Wrestling
They were also thrilled to see Orlando get an opportunity this big on this stage where he’s been cutting his teeth for a long time. Idolo didn’t have to do a lot to engage the crowd during the match. Orlando kept up well with Idolo as the match progressed, matching wits when he played his mind games, but also going toe-to-toe with Andrade trading blows when the occasion called for it.
Orlando hit everything smoothly during the match and also carried himself with charisma. The crowd never let down as the match progressed. They built up the action from stage to stage before going to the finish. The crowd chanted “both these guys” at one point, but it wasn’t an empty chant during a lull in the action. The crowd genuinely loved what they were seeing from Idolo as he tried to keep the up-and-coming Orlando at an arms length during the match.
Idolo ended up getting the win with the DM. Despite the loss, it was a great outing for Orlando. Beyond Wrestling couldn’t have asked for a better possible outcome to what had to have been crushing news just 24 hours earlier that MJF was going to have to pull out of the match. Idolo was gracious enough to give Orlando the spotlight after the match after putting him over on the mic.
Cordeiro said there’s a lot Orlando can take away from the match pointing to the fact that he hasn’t gotten the opportunities that some of his peers have gotten to date to showcase his skills. “Max Caster and Bryce Donovan teamed with Orlando early in his career,” said Cordeiro. “Max is with AEW. Bryce had his opportunity with WWE ID. Bobby Orlando hasn’t had the same opportunity, but there’s just no holes in his game. He’s gotten in the best shape of his life and has fully transformed his physique.”
Cordeiro said wrestlers like Orange Cassidy and Danhausen are similar to Orlando, but pointed to his unique character that sets him apart from other wrestlers on the indies.. “He’s got a unique charm about him,” said Cordeiro. “He keeps delivering against a variety of opponents. It’s just a matter of time before he gets to perform on a national platform. He has every asset to be a star the likes of Orange Cassidy and Danhausen. I don’t even want to lump him in with other wrestlers because it is a discredit to his individuality. He’s next up.”
Friday night could have been a negative for Beyond Wrestling given all of the adversity the company had to face after MJF had to be pulled from Break The Walls Down on Friday night, but the company braved adversity and made the best out of a difficult situation. Orlando will be right back at it on Wrestle Open RI tomorrow, as he tries to write the beginning of the next chapter of his career. Given the way he handled himself during his match against Idolo, it won’t be a surprise if we see him make a jump to the next level in the near future.
You can watch Idolo vs. Orlando and the entire Beyond Wrestling Break Down the Walls card with a subscription to the IWTV streaming service.
(Sean Radican has been Pro Wrestling Torch for over 22 years. He has covered the independents, ROH, and NJPW in-depth over the years in addition to also watching all the major promotions in the U.S. PWTorch VIP members get access to his weekly Radican Worlwide podcast looking at a variety of news topics from the past week and then an in-depth Go-Home segment with a guest on a big topic of the week. You can contact him at pwtorchsean@gmail.com. You can follow him on X @SR_Torch and on Bluesky @SeanRadican.)
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