• Update On Samoa Joe’s Retirement Plans After Heel Turn At AEW WrestleDream
Samoa Joe went head-to-head with “Hangman” Adam Page for the AEW World Championship at the WrestleDream PPV in St. Louis, Missouri last night. The Samoan Submission Machine failed to capture the title after taking three Buckshot Lariats from Page.
After the match, Joe (along with Powerhouse Hobbs and Katsuyori Shibata of The Opps) turned heel and attacked the AEW World Champion.
In a recent interview, Joe revealed that he is planning to retire at the end of his current AEW run and would prefer to quietly hang up his boots one day rather than putting on a grand farewell.
AEW President Tony Khan addressed Joe’s comments on Lou Info and stated the former World Champion still has plenty of time left on his contract.
“We don’t wanna think about that yet, because I think Samoa Joe still has years left with AEW, which is great. And I think we’ll focus on Samoa Joe as one of the top stars in wrestling right now.
If and when the time ever comes for Samoa Joe to hang them up, I hope that AEW will be able to pay great tribute to somebody that is one of the most accomplished stars ever in AEW and one of the great champions in wrestling.”
Fightful Select is reporting that Joe is under contract with AEW at least until 2027.
• Chris Jericho Reportedly Leaving AEW For WWE Retirement Tour & Hall Of Fame Induction
Chris Jericho’s AEW contract is reportedly set to expire at the end of 2025. As the year draws to a close, speculation is growing that the former World Heavyweight Champion could return to WWE for one final run next year.
According to the Wrestling Observer, WWE believes that Jericho is returning for a Retirement Tour and a Hall of Fame induction.
Y2J hasn’t appeared in AEW since April of this year. His 2026 cruise is not advertising any AEW matches or talent, which is unusual compared to the last few years.
In a recent interview, he also mentioned that he would be open to a WWE return.
