SEScoops

Tag: Samoa Joe

  • Former AEW Champion Announces Extended Hiatus From The Company

    Former AEW Champion Announces Extended Hiatus From The Company

    Samoa Joe announced that he is taking an extended hiatus from AEW during the May 27th episode of Collision. The announcement came during a backstage segment featuring The Opps, Joe’s faction that includes Katsuyori Shibata, HOOK, and Anthony Bowens.

    The two-time AEW Champion revealed he will be stepping away for a few months, noting that Hollywood has come calling once again. He instructed the group to “keep things in order” while he’s gone, making it clear this is a temporary exit rather than a permanent departure from the promotion.

    Twisted Metal Connection

    While no official project has been confirmed, Joe has previously taken time away from AEW to work on the Twisted Metal series on Peacock, where he portrays Sweet Tooth. The series has already been renewed for a third season and is currently expected to premiere in 2027.

    Joe’s Hollywood commitments have periodically taken him away from in-ring action throughout his AEW tenure. His most recent absence for the Twisted Metal series demonstrated the promotion’s willingness to accommodate outside projects for talents while maintaining their role within the company.

    The Opps will continue their mission during Joe’s absence, with the veteran wrestler expected to return to AEW programming once his filming commitments are complete.

  • Former World Champion Returns On Dynamite After Unknown Injury

    Former World Champion Returns On Dynamite After Unknown Injury

    Samoa Joe is back.

    The Samoan Submission Machine was put on the shelf with an unspecified injury back in January. He had been pursuing an AEW title rematch after dropping the belt to MJF at Worlds End and had defeated Mike Bailey in a Dynamite singles match before being taken off TV.

    Tony Khan then announced the return of Joe on Twitter before this week’s episode of the Wednesday night show in Portland, Oregon.

    Samoa Joe faced Cody Chhun in a singles match. Excalibur mentioned on commentary that the heavyweight star had been out of action after suffering an injury while training, but did not provide any further details.

    The former WWE star went on to pick up the victory in his return match, defeating Chhun in less than three minutes. HOOK, who had been running The Opps in Joe’s absence, was waiting to give a hug to the returning star after his match.

    Darby Allin defeated MJF to win the AEW World Championship on Dynamite last week. So we’ll have to see if Samoa Joe goes after the world title again now that he’s back, or if he tries to settle the score with MJF first.

  • Update On Samoa Joe Injury

    Samoa Joe is in concussion protocol.

    AEW had announced during the latest Dynamite that the former AEW World Heavyweight Champion was out of action after sustaining a \’non-contact\’ injury.

    Fightful Select recently provided an update on his status, noting that Joe has been put in concussion protocol by the company.

    The Samoan Submission Machine last wrestled during the January 21 episode of Dynamite, where he defeated Mike Bailey.

    Samoa Joe was expected to continue being involved in the world title story after dropping the belt to MJF at Worlds End, but plans were adjusted after his injury. HOOK has been acting as the leader of the Opps in his absence.

    Andrade has found himself in the main event mix as part of the changed creative plans. AEW is said to be happy with the recent rise in popularity for the Mexican star, and it\’s reflected in his booking. The former La Sombra has picked up victories over the likes of Kenny Omega and Swerve Strickland recently.

    Though it\’s unknown if his spot is something that was originally meant for Joe. There is no update on how long the former champion would stay out of action either. Stay tuned for more updates on his status.

  • AEW Changes World Title Plans Due to Injury

    AEW has adjusted its plans for the road to the next AEW World Championship challenger. A contenders series featuring Kenny Omega, Andrade El Idolo, Swerve Strickland, and Hangman Adam Page will determine the top contender, but the original lineup has changed due to an injury.

    The series will culminate in a #1 contender’s match at Grand Slam Australia on February 14, airing on pay-per-view. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Samoa Joe was initially slated to participate but suffered a non-contact injury during training.

    Andrade El Idolo has already secured a victory over Swerve Strickland and is set to face Kenny Omega on February 4. Adam Page’s specific role remains to be seen, but he is expected to compete in a match on either February 4 or February 11.

    AEW World Championship Picture

    With Samoa Joe sidelined, the contenders series takes on a new dimension. Andrade El Idolo\’s win over Swerve Strickland positions him as an early frontrunner. The matches between Omega and Andrade, and Page\’s eventual involvement, will be crucial in shaping the final outcome.

    The winner of the series will challenge for the AEW World Championship at a future event, potentially Revolution.

  • AEW Champion Jumping Ship To WWE (Report)

    WWE is set to add a powerhouse to their roster.

    According to latest update from Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select, the contract of AEW star Will Hobbs is set to expire this Wednesday and he will be entering free agency at midnight. The former TNT Champion is believed to be on his way to WWE, with sources within the company expecting him to join the promotion soon.

    AEW officials had the intention of retaining the services of the heavyweight star and negotiations have been going on between the two sides for some time. While Tony Khan is said to have made a \’substantial\’ offer for him to remain with the promotion, Powerhouse Hobbs decided to explore free agency instead.

    Despite the decision, however, the former champion is not parting ways with the company on bad terms. This is reflected in his recent booking as well, with Hobbs being featured regularly on TV in recent months as part of The Opps faction.

    Having made his wrestling debut back in 2009, Hobbs spent 11 years in the independent circuit before AEW brought him on board in 2020. He has been part of factions such as Team Taz and Don Callis Family in the promotion. It\’s unknown what WWE is planning for the wrestling star but we should get an idea soon.

    Hobbs also holds the AEW Trios title with his Opps partners. You can check out spoilers on how AEW is dealing with that situation here.

  • MJF Becomes 2-Time AEW Champion At World\’s End

    MJF is a world champion again.

    The AEW World\’s End PPV this Saturday featured Samoa Joe defending his championship against the Salt of the Earth, Hangman Adam Page, and Swerve Strickland.

    At first, MJF was making little impact in the bout as he kept getting taken out by other contenders whenever he tried to gain some momentum. The Opps intervened on behalf of Joe when the young star finally started getting some chances.

    Though Samoa Joe failed to take advantage of the chance provided by his teammates, as Hangman Page somehow managed to kick out of the Muscle Buster. The referee then ejected the outside parties, and the match continued.

    The ending saw Swerve Strickland delivering a big powerbomb to the champion. He failed to do any further damage as MJF shoved Strickland from the top rope, only to eat a kick from Adam Page in return.

    Page took charge with a couple of big Lariats on the defending champion, but Joe only looked staggered instead of going down. As Hangman went for the third Buckshot, MJF low-blowed him outta nowhere. The 29-year-old then delivered a Heatseeker to Samoa Joe to win the AEW World title for the second time in his career.

    This ends Samoa Joe\’s second AEW World title reign at just 34 days. Now we\’ll have to see how long MJF, who held the belt for a record 406 days last time, is able to keep the title around his waist.

  • Watch: Samoa Joe Pays Tribute To John Cena At Winter Is Coming Dynamite

    Samoa Joe paid tribute to John Cena before his upcoming retirement.

    The AEW World Champion defended his title against Eddie Kingston in the latest Winter Is Coming special of Dynamite, coming live from Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia, this week.

    A spot in the match saw the former WWE star locking in the STF submission on Kingston and doing the patent salute, which the Cenation Leader always does during his entrance:

    Samoa Joe paid tribute to John Cena with his signature salute and STF on #AEWDynamite #JohnCena pic.twitter.com/J1nzhJeNzW

    — Anutosh Bajpai || SEScoops || Wrestling News (@AuthorAnutosh) December 11, 2025

    Cena has since responded, posting a photo of Joe\’s salute on his Instagram page.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/DSH0VCWjs0f/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

    Kingston bit the finger of Joe to get out of the submission, but he was unable to win the match in the end. Joe locked in the Coquina Clutch and let his opponent fade out to retain his title and end the special episode of Dynamite.

    Samoa Joe had discussed John Cena’s retirement and the tribute paid to him during the Crown Jewel match with AJ Styles in an interview earlier this year. The AEW Champion had said that he had ‘unyielding amounts of respect’ for both the competitors of this bout.

    John Cena never had a one-on-one match with the AEW star on TV. The two did get a chance to lock up for a couple of WWE Live Event matches back in 2017.

    Apart from this, the Winter is Coming special of Dynamite saw the crowning of the inaugural Women’s Tag Team Champions, as well as the debut of a legend’s son. You can check out more details about it here.

  • Samoa Joe First World Title Defence Set After Full Gear

    Samoa Joe gets an opponent.

    Eddie Kingston had called the new AEW World Heavyweight Champion out at the Thanksgiving special of Collision this week. This came after Kingston defeated Katsuyori Shibata at the show.

    While the Samoan Submission Machine did not respond to this challenge, Tony Khan on Friday, made the World Heavyweight Championship match official for the Winter is Coming Dynamite on December 10:

    Samoa Joe defeated Hangman Page to become a two-time AEW Champion at Full Gear on November 22. The ending of the Steel Cage bout saw HOOK cracking Page with the title belt to turn heel and side with The Opps.

    As the former TNA star was celebrating his victory with his team, however, Swerve Strickland made his surprise return to the company.

    Swerve was offered a chance to take revenge on Page, who was still out, but the returning star chose to attack Joe and the rest of the Opps instead. The show had then ended with Hangman coming back alive and standing tall with his arch rival after taking out the last of the Opps\’ minions.

    The duo of Strickland and Page were seen together on this week\’s Dynamite again. A violent brawl between them and the Opps ended with the security having to pull them apart.