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Browsing: Samoa
AEW/Lee South
What was a hastily-booked WrestleDream match between Samoa Joe and AEW Men’s World Champion “Hangman” Adam Page has turned into a bloody war for AEW’s top prize. St. Louis watched as the veteran Joe attempted to dominate the young Page, but while Page scored his win on paper, he left the Chaifetz Arena only with the help of security guards as his body, broken by The Opps, struggled to carry him home.
The champion found himself overwhelmed in the early goings of the match, as Joe’s brute force tossed him like a ragdoll. Page was only saved by his sheer agility, but all formalities were dashed the moment the fight spilled to the outside. Joe shoved Adam against the barriers, and while Page managed to land some aerial offense onto the Huntington Beach native, a Barrel Kick gone awry caused the champion to start bleeding from his mouth as he began to falter.
Joe continued to wear down on Page, but Page miraculously pushed through to break out of Joe’s typically-lethal submission to land two Buckshot Lariats for the win. Joe, understandably emotional after his loss, was comforted by Katsuyori Shibata and Powerhouse Hobbs. Page attempted to extend his respect to Joe with a handshake and an embrace, only to be swarmed by The Opps not two breaths after. Shibata and Hobbs beat the champion as Joe collected Page’s title, taunting him with it before leading the charge to hoist Page up on the top turnbuckle. Joe laid the AEW Men’s World Championship on the ground before Page, and Shibata and Hobbs unceremoniously tossed the broken champion onto his title to end the night.
Despite the beatdown, Page is set to continue his world title reign at 99 days and counting. So far, Page has defended against contenders like MJF, Jon Moxley, Lee Moriarty, and Kyle Fletcher.
“Hangman” Adam Page defeated Samoa Joe at WrestleDream on Saturday to retain the AEW World Championship.
Page won after hitting Samoa Joe with three Buckshot Lariats.
After the match, Samoa Joe raised Page’s arm in victory as a sign of respect, but it was a ruse. Samoa Joe and The Opps then ferociously attacked Page post-match.
In recent months, Page and Joe had common enemies in Jon Moxley and The Death Riders, which resulted in them lending each other a helping hand and even teaming up on occasion.
One such instance occurred on the Oct. 1 episode of Dynamite when Page, Joe and Powerhouse Hobbs joined forces to beat the Death Riders trio of Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli and Daniel Garcia.
While it was a great victory for the babyface team, Page and Joe ended up having an altercation after Joe seemingly felt Hangman wasn’t being respectful.
Security had to separate Page and Joe, and with emotions still running high, Hangman called out Joe and challenged him to a match during a backstage interview.
Page said he took issue with Joe telling him that he had never beaten the Samoan Submission Machine before during their argument, although what Joe said wasn’t incorrect.
Joe, Swerve Strickland and Brian Cage beat Page, Hook and Rob Van Dam in a six-man tag team match in early 2024, and Joe later went on to win a three-way match against Page and Strickland at Revolution in March 2024.
In the latter victory, Joe retained the AEW World Championship by making Page tap out to the Coquina Clutch.
That perhaps gave Joe the mental edge entering WrestleDream, although it marked the first-ever meeting between him and Page in a one-on-one match.
Page conquered his demons on Saturday, getting past one of his biggest threats yet in Joe to continue his reign as AEW world champ.
The AEW World title will be on the line as part of tonight’s AEW WrestleDream from St. Louis, Missouri.
Hangman Page will put the championship up against former titleholder Samoa Joe in a first time one-on-one match.
AEW Women’s World Champion Kris Statlander will defend against former champion Toni Storm in their first-ever singles match.
In an I Quit match, Darby Allin and Jon Moxley will attempt to settle their differences.
In the two other title matches, Brodido will defend the AEW World Tag Team Championship against Konosuke Takeshita & Kazuchika Okada while Kyle Fletcher defends the TNT title against Mark Briscoe.
The Young Bucks battle Jurassic Express for $500,000 while The Hurt Syndicate takes on The Demand in a tornado trios match.
The main card is rounded out by an appearance from TBS Champion Mercedes Mone and Jamie Hayter vs. Thekla.
The Tailgate Brawl pre-show begins at 7 PM Eastern with four tag team bouts.
**********
Tailgate Brawl
A video package for Darby Allin vs. Jon Moxleyâ€s I Quit Match is shown to kick off the Tailgate Brawl, with this feud truly kicking off at last years WrestleDream when Moxley & the Blackpool Combat Club retired Bryan Danielson. This leads to the opening contest, as Marina Shafir gave fist bumps to her crew before letting them go to the ring on their own. The Conglomerationâ€s tron video is right out of Saved By The Bell, as Roderick Strong reluctantly joined his teamâ€s entrance after being urged by Kyle Oâ€Reilly.
The Conglomeration (Orange Cassidy, Roderick Strong, Kyle Oâ€Reilly & Tomohiro Ishii) vs. Death Riders (Claudio Castagnoli, PAC, Wheeler Yuta & Daniel Garcia)
(This was a Collision level main event party match, as everyone got their offense in and despite being the first match on the pre-show, had the crowd loudly going out the gate. With this win by the Death Riders, the ball is in their leader Jon Moxley’s court if they want to walk away undefeated on the night.)
Tony Schiavone, Daddy Magic & Nigel McGuinness are on the call, as Strong & Oâ€Reilly lit up Garcia with strikes to start, until Yuta made the tag, only to walk into an arm drag. The fans are already loudly booing Yuta, who blocked a Stundog from Cassidy, tagged PAC, who connected on a guillotine legdrop off the second. PAC allowed Cassidy to recover, as things went to break.
We return to Ishii & Castagnoli slugging it out, until Ishii ramps it up with shoulder tackles, until Castagnoli delivered one of his own. After trading suplex attempts, Ishii was successful, until Yuta tried a cheap shot, but ate a forearm. The distraction allowed Garcia & PAC to floor the opposition and keep Ishii isolated, as Yuta delivered Anvil elbows. Ishii managed to mow down Garcia & Yuta with a double clothesline and make the Cassidy lukewarm tag. Stundog to Yuta, but Garcia was there for a rear naked choke. Cassidy escaped and delivered a flying clothesline off the top, before PAC came in and was spiked by a spinning DDT. Castagnoli ate a PK, but blocked an Orange Punch in the Giant Swing. Cassidy tried sitting his way up mid revolution and got a rear naked choke of his own, while Strong & Oâ€Reilly locked in abdominal stretches on Yuta & Garcia. PAC broke things up, as Castagnoli swung Cassidy around, blocked the Stundog into a no handed airplane spin into an F5. Pin attempt was broke up by Paragon, as thereâ€s a second commercial break.
Cassidy flew out of a choke hold by Castagnoli into a hurricanrana, as Strong made the tag and ran wild with backbreakers aplenty. Blind tag by Oâ€Reilly, who punted Garcia in the chest with a kick before double hip tossing Yuta with Strong. Castagnoli cleaned house, side-stepping the Strong/Oâ€Reilly high low with a double clothesline. Ishii tagged in and started throwing German Suplexes on everyone in his path, until PAC answered with a bounce back German of his own. The match broke down ringside, as Yuta laid out Oâ€Reilly with a Busiaku Knee, Cassidy fired off an Orange Punch on Cassidy, while Ishii turned PAC inside out with a lariat. Garcia grabbed the refs foot, giving distraction long enough for Ishii to get blindsided by a PAC running knee to steal the pin.
Match Result: Death Riders defeated The Conglomeration when PAC pinned Ishii
-Video package on Hangman Adam Page vs. Samoa Joe for the AEW Menâ€s World Title later tonight.
Eddie Kingston & HOOK vs. The Frat House (Cole Karter & Griff Garrison w/Jacked Jameson)
Excalibur tagged in for Daddy Magic, as there was an inset promo from LFI, which we didnâ€t hear much of due to audio issues. All we really got was Rush saying his Mess with the Bull, You Get the Horns line, as it was essentially to tell us LFI isnâ€t done with Eddie Kingston. HOOK & Kingston immediately destroyed Garrison & Karter ringside to start, but The Frat House turned the tables back inside, with Karter hitting a picture-perfect dropkick and Garrison with a huge splash, as Kingston was isolated. Garrison missed a second splash, as Kingston hit a shoulder tackle off the second, before HOOK made the hot tag with suplexes in bunches. Kingston joined and we got stereo overhead throws. HOOK brought Jameson in the hard way before Kingston lit him up with Kobashi machine gun chops. Garrison tried a discus forearm, but HOOK side-stepped and Karter ate the shot. Backfist by Kingston led to REDRUM from HOOK, as Karter tapped out.
Post-match, we saw LFI watching on by the stage, as I need to point out that Beast Mortos was wearing a suit jacket.
Match Result: Eddie Kingston & HOOK defeated The Frat House when HOOK submitted Karter
-Big Boom AJ & Big Justice are having a Tailgate Party for the PPV in Boca Raton, FL. They just plugged the show, while also saying come Full Gear next month, theyâ€ll bring the boom to Rocky Romero & Trent Beretta, as they’ll face AJ & a partner of his choosing. Romero & Beretta walked in, trash talked the internet guys, as AJ got his ass kicked, while Justice was crying over his dad after Romero & Beretta walked off. This was, whatever, at least itâ€s on the pre-show, this actually made me view Romero & Beretta as babyfaces if you ask me.
Willow Nightingale & Harley Cameron vs. Megan Bayne & Penelope Ford
(Aside from one messed up spot down the stretch, I thought this was an action-packed tag and the crowd was very much into it, even giving it a This Is Awesome chant. Commentary made sure to point out the upcoming Womenâ€s Tag Team Titles being created soon, but didnâ€t give us anymore details except that theyâ€re coming.)
Ford mocked Cameron after some early takedowns, but Cameron shot a double leg before tagging in Nightingale. 10 short arm lariats delivered to Ford, before locomotion corner splashes led to Cameron tagging back in for a short dropkick. Ford scurried free, tagged Bayne, who immediately asked for Nightingale. Cheap shot by Ford, but it led to nothing, as Nightingale got a near fall on Bayne. Ford tried to jump in for a double team, but Nightingale mowed both down with a double clothesline. Double enzugiri with Cameron & Nightingale, before a cazadora assisted splash on Ford led to a double suplex attempt on Bayne, who countered by suplexing both Cameron & Nightingale. Ford followed up by moonsaulting off the top to the floor onto both ladies as things went to break.
Things return right as Cameron managed a tilt-a-whirl DDT on Bayne, leading to a Nightingale hot tag, as she ran wild with clotheslines. Pounce launched Bayne, as Ford was flattened with a Spinebuster for two. Doctor Bomb was countered into a hurricanrana by Ford, as Bayne tagged in for an assisted Stunner for a near fall. Cameron ran in with a backstabber on Ford, but Bayne laid her out with a flying clothesline. Nightingale spiked Bayne with a DVD, but Ford was there with a Matrix Cutter into the reset.
Nightingale & Bayne traded shots, until a huge lariat connected by Nightingale before tagging in Cameron. Bayne fought off both women with a flying lariat out of the corner. Tag made by Ford, who went up top for a Doomsday Device, but Cameron rolled through and Ford crashed hard. Bayne was sent outside, as Nightingale met her with a cannonball off the apron. Ford tried I think a firemanâ€s carry double knee, but got none of it, so thankfully Cameron kicked out. Cameron blocked a boot, then drove Ford down with a pump-handle suplex before tagging Nightingale, who hit a Doctor Bomb for the win.
Match Result: Willow Nightingale & Harley Cameron defeated Megan Bayne & Penelope Ford when Nightingale pinned Ford
FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler w/Stokely) vs. JetSpeed (Speedball Mike Bailey & Kevin Knight)
With only 5 minutes left of the Tailgate Brawl, Tony Schiavone really put over how this match could bleed over into the PPV, something he said was unheard of. FTR attacked before the bell, but JetSpeed quickly turned the tables with a series of dropkicks and dueling slingshot dives. Harwood reversed an irish whip and slammed Bailey into the ring steps, as Knight leapt off the barricade for a dive. Back inside, Harwood decked Knight before Wheeler joined for a double suplex, but Bailey saved his partner. Each team try to suplex the other until everyone spill over the top, crashing outside. The end credit was shown for Tailgate Brawl, despite a minute being left, as Excalibur tells us to tune in to the PPV to see the finish.
AEW WrestleDream 2025
Pyro was set off as the crowd were going nuts, as FTR & JetSpeed turned things up to 100, as they slugged it out, until Harwood wanted a piledriver on Bailey on the apron, but Bailey countered into a backflip double knee. Wheeler sprinted in, Bailey dodged and took out both FTR with a springboard moonsault. Back inside, Shooting Star Press was rolled through by Bailey, who hit a hurricanrana thrust kick on Harwood, as Knight hit a rolling splash for two. Wheeler tripped Bailey to the floor, but Knight hit a leaping DDT on Harwood for another near fall. Knight sent Wheeler outside, wanted a dive, but Stokely grabbed the foot. Knight sent all three colliding before spiking Harwood with a Sky High for a close two.
Harwood was able to battle back with a Sharpshooter, but Knight just managed the rope break. FTR wanted a Power-Plex, but Bailey put a stop to it. An amazing spot where Harwood had Wheeler backflip out of a back suplex into a position to hit Knight with Shatter Machine, but Bailey flew in with a Shooting Star double knees to break the count. Machine gun kicks by Bailey, who, after all this action, made the legal tag before having a chop battle with Harwood. This turned to slaps, as the fans are losing their minds for this until Bailey threw a thrust kick and spin kick in the corner, but was cut off in the corner. Harwood hit a superplex, but Bailey got the knees up from a Wheeler splash. Harwood got his knees up from Knight UFO Splash, as Bailey got a backslide on Harwood, it was a three, but the ref slightly pulled the count. Time Adventure clobbered Harwood, as Wheeler came in, but Knight sent him packing. As Bailey went for a suplex on Harwood from the outside in, Stokely swept out the legs, held the feet and FTR stole the pin.
Post-match, Stokely trash talked children ringside so much I think one of them shoved Stokely, who ordered security to throw them out.
Match Result: FTR defeated JetSpeed when Harwood pinned Bailey
-Tony Schiavone is ringside with Charlie Thesz, the wife of the late great Lou Thesz, who thanks Schiavone so much for having her, she couldnâ€t be happier to be here.
Thekla vs. Jamie Hayter – Everyone Banned from Ringside
(This was incredibly hard hitting, as both ladies didnâ€t hold back. This couldâ€ve gone either way and at one point towards the finish, I thought Thekla was going to walk away with the victory. This is a good preview of what weâ€ll hopefully get come Blood & Guts in a few weeks, despite not knowing the teams officially as of yet, which is something weâ€ll learn soon hopefully.)
Both connected on early big boots before each trade full mount punches in bunches. Hayter ramped up machine gun chops, causing Thekla to take a powder. Tilt a whirl head scissors back inside by Thekla, but Hayter answered by running through her with a shoulder tackle. Hayter went to the floor, slamming Thekla into the barricade and steps. Placing Thekla right in front of Charlie Thesz, Hayter chopped Thekla before shaking Theszâ€s hand. The brief delay allowed Thekla to crack Hayter with a running boot and wild top rope cross body. Thekla violently slammed Hayter into the barricade in front of Thesz and faked a handshake, which got loud jeers.
Back inside, Thekla remained in control with a low thrust kick and multiple near falls. Tarantula head scissors in the corner, as Hayter tried powering out, but collapsed with Thekla still having the head locked. After being picked apart for minutes, Hayter finally battled back with an exploder and missile dropkick from the corner for two. Thekla fought back from the apron, went up top, but Hayter side stepped, Thekla rolled through, both missed corner charges until Thekla just popped Hayter with wild slap. Thekla was trapped in the Tree of Woe, but quickly powered up, only for Hayter to headbutt her in the face. Hayter missed a second missile dropkick, both traded high kicks, until Hayter nailed a firemanâ€s carry neckbreaker for the double down.
Both took turns throwing home run strikes that got more and more stiff, as Hayter wanted a Hayter-ade, but Thekla countered into the Black Widow. Hayter managed to escape, but Thekla locked in the Death Trap, with Hayter just managing the rope break. Thekla argued with referee Bryce, leading to Hayter to hit a Hayt-breaker for two. Thekla floated out of a back suplex, did her Spider bridge and laid out Hayter with a Spear, but Hayterâ€s foot was under the rope. Spider pose again, as Thekla wanted another Spear, but Hayter took her head off with a lariat, then hit a proper Hayter-ade for the win.
Post-match, Queen Aminatahit the ring to celebrate with Hayter, as Julia Hart & Skye Blue were standing on the ramp as Thekla was crawling to them.
Match Result: Jamie Hayter defeated Thekla
Jurassic Express (Jungle Jack Perry & Luchasaurus) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) for $500,000
(A classic PWG style tag match, with this crowd being so loud throughout it. Everyone was on their A game for this one, as Jurassic Express are right back in the Tag Title picture, as itâ€s nice to see them back as a duo and the fans being behind them. They continue to tease The Bucks & Omega mending fences, as I assume thatâ€s whatâ€s next, since Omega & Perry are back on the same page. Only time will tell.)
A hilarious graphic reading Young Bucks Bucks was shown on the big screen, showing all the expenses Matt & Nick have spent over the last few weeks after winning their last $500,000, with only $32.17 left in their accounts. The theme music was a computer saying “Insufficient Funds, Transaction Denied†as The Bucks tried taking money from fans ringside, who said theyâ€d pay to take a selfie with them before they looked at the bag full of $500,000 awarded to the winner.
Loud Luchasaurus & Jungle Jack chants from the St. Louis crowd, as it was Perry & Matt who kicked things off. Perry mocked The Elite hand gesture before flipping Matt off, who got a chop to the windpipe before tagging Nick, whose left side is taped up. Perry avoided a double hip toss, took down Nick with a hurricanrana and kipped up into a pose. Luchasaurus in now, as Nick tried to use his speed, hit a chop to the back, but only annoyed the dinosaur as a result. Blind tag to Matt, as The Bucks tried an assisted pop-up hurricanrana, but Luchasaurus caught Nick and chucked him into Matt. Perry repositioned the tag rope on a different corner, as it was distraction for Luchasaurus to bite at Matt. Hip toss, low dropkick, big boot combo, as The Bucks try running away, but Luchasaurus took them out with a moonsault off the apron. Perry followed by clearing the top with a dive onto Matt & Nick, smirking at the camera afterwards.
Perry used a fans sign to whack Matt in the head with, until back inside, Matt superkicked the leg out in the ropes, allowing Nick to hit a slingshot swanton. Luchasaurus ate a PK on the apron, as Matt followed with a moonsault off the barricade before smelling the bag of cash. The Bucks continued to pick apart Perry until the bounce back double stomp powerbomb was countered into a hurricanrana by Perry who leapt for the Luchasaurus hot tag. Big time beals, corner chops and lariats led to Luchasaurus standing tall. Double choke slam was countered into a double leg sweep and PK, as The Bucks did their pose, but Luchasaurus rose from the ashes, kipped up, ducked a superkick, laid out Matt with a thrust kick and chokeslammed Nick on his brother. Wild hurricanran to the floor by Perry, who sprung back inside with an assisted Tombstone Cutter to give Luchasaurus a near fall.
Doomsday Device is fought out of by Nick, as Perry rolled through, blind tag by Matt, as The Bucks hit a sunset German suplex combo. Superkick in the corner, as the bounce back double stomp powerbomb hit, but Perry kicked out. Both teams found themselves in a Chicken Fight on the floor, until Matt hit a flipping Cutter off the apron on Luchasaurus, while Nick hit a running Destroyer on Perry. Back inside, The Bucks wanted an TK Driver, but both collided, until Perry tried a head scissors on the apron, but ate a powerbomb for his troubles. Assisted Package Piledriver off the top, Excalibur said The Bucks dusted off an oldie (shoutout to Big Kev), but Perry kicked out. The Bucks wanted a BTE Trigger, Perry rolled through, tried a double DDT, but The Bucks countered, got the BTE Trigger, but Luchasaurus broke it up. More Bang for Your Bucks, countered, as Perry hit a top rope hurricanrana into a German suplex, as Luchasaurus hit a backflip splash, Perry sprinted in with a Destroyer, then hit a proper Doomsday Device, but Matt kicked out.
Perry punched Matt right in the ribs before hitting a TK Driver until Nick broke it up. Countdown to Extinction was avoided, as The Bucks hit a Superkick Party, including two on Luchasaurus and one in mid-air on Perry. BTE Trigger hits, but Perry kicked out. The Bucks called for a TK Driver, but Luchasaurus chokeslammed Nick in mid-air, as Perry hit a Poison-Rana on Matt. Countdown to Extinction connects, as Perry put away Matt.
Post-match, Perry & Luchasaurus offered their hands to The Bucks, who got up on their own. Perry offered some money to them, but they were attacked by Mark Davis, Josh Alexander & Lance Archer. Alexander got in The Bucks face, as Matt & Nick opted to walk away, until Kenny Omegaâ€s music hit. Omega walked out, tried to get The Bucks to join him, but sprinted to the ring in a 3-on-1. Jurassic Express helped even the odds and sent The Don Callis Family packing. Omega returned the favor from the help Jurassic Express gave him in recent weeks. Omega got a scarf from someone in the crowd and held up a sign that read Inoki Forever.
Match Result: Jurassic Express defeated The Young Bucks to win $500,000 when Perry pinned Matt
The Hurt Syndicate (Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin & MVP) vs. The Demand (Ricochet, Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona) in a Tornado Trios Tag
(I was skeptical when this match was announced and the stip was just like the Street Fight a few weeks ago. However, I give all 6 of these men credit, this felt completely different than their previous clashes, and aside from a table spot, didnâ€t rely on weapons at all, which is smart. The Hurt Syndicate vs. The Opps seem to be next on the schedule, which should be quite something to say the least, opening up a whole new series of matches.)
Weâ€re told this is also for the #1 Contender for the Trios Titles, as The Demand attacked during The Hurt Syndicateâ€s entrance. Benjamin fought back, turning Ricochet inside out with a lariat and applying an ankle lock on Kaun. Knee lift from Ricochet broke it up, as a running Shooting Star got two after MVP broke it up. Lashley saved MVP from getting picked apart, as Kaun was launched on the floor with an overhead suplex. Ricochet flew in with a dive, Lashley didnâ€t go down, so Liona mowed him down with a Pounce up the ramp. Lashley was placed on a table ringside, as G.O.A. Opened the Gates on Benjamin off the steps through Lashley and the table. MVP was left surrounded in the ring and was beaten down as a result. Step-up Shooting Star Press off the back of Liona by Ricochet, but Benjamin broke the count, only to be sent packing again.
MVP was able to side-step all three Demand members, as Lashley turned into a train and steamrolled everyone ringside. Ricochet was turned inside out with a lariat, while G.O.A. were dropped with a DDT/Flatliner combo. Dominator by Lashley to Ricochet, who kicked out at two. Lashley wanted a stalling superplex, but G.O.A. made the save with a super Tower of Doom almost for two. Kaun laid out Benjamin with a Big Ending, then took out MVP & Lashley with a slingshot dive. Ricochet wanted a dive, but Benjamin got a quick go-behind and launched Ricochet over the top onto the pile with a German Suplex before clearing the top with a dive. Thrust Kick popped Kaun, as Benjamin was low bridged by Ricochet, who tried a springboard on MVP, who side-stepped and hit the Ballin elbow. Fishermanâ€s Suplex hit, but Liona broke it up. Lashley & Liona traded submission attempts, until Benjamin flew in with a pump knee, giving Lashley a chance to hit the Spear on Liona. Ricochet was surrounded now, but Kaun pulled him to safety, opting to take the bullet for him. Knee strike by Benjamin led to another Spear by Lashley for the win.
Match Result: The Hurt Syndicate defeated The Demand to become #1 Contenders for the AEW Trios Titles when Lashley pinned Kaun
Kyle Fletcher (w/Don Callis) vs. Mark Briscoe for the TNT Title
(A slower start than you might expect, but these two ramped it up in a major way the second half. The crowd will forever cheer for Mark Briscoe and Iâ€m in the camp of thinking he shouldâ€ve won the title tonight, as Fletcher has proved he belongs in the main event level of talent in AEW. However, I understand with The Don Callis Family having a ton of titles, you donâ€t want Fletcher losing his so soon. An absolute excellent match.)
Callis joined commentary and said Fletcher is an Adonis, which you canâ€t spell without Don. Callis also said Briscoe has a genius IQ for a Golden Retriever, as after an early feeling out process, Briscoe hit a slingshot dive and bit at Fletcher before hitting a snap suplex on the floor, followed by a Cactus Elbow. Briscoe chucked a chair in the ring, tried to do his launch off it, but Fletcher grabbed it and took it to the floor. The brief delay allowed Briscoe to hit a baseball slide, had Fletcher take a seat, as it was followed by a somersault dive through the ropes, as Callis headed for higher ground. Briscoe wanted a Blockbuster off the apron, but Fletcher dodged and Briscoe went splat. Fletcher quickly set the ring steps up on its side and powerbombed Briscoe onto them.
Fletcher remained in firm control back inside, planting Briscoe with a Michinoku Driver for two. Both traded big boots, hit simultaneously, then collided with a double clothesline, turning one another inside out, which looked great on the slo-mo replay. Each exchange chops until Briscoe fired off a flying forearm, flipped out of a backdrop attempt into a Fisherman Buster for two. DVD countered, as Fletcher tried a lawn dart, Briscoe slipped free, Fletcher avoided Jay Driller into a Half and Half followed by a leg lariat and huge sit-out Last Ride powerbomb for two. Running corner boot connects, Briscoe floated over the brainbuster attempt, but Fletcher hit another running boot before heading up top. Fletcher wanted the brainbuster, Briscoe slid out, turned Fletcher around, wanted an Avalanche Splash Mountain Bomb, but Fletcher fought out and hit a big time superplex into the double down.
Fletcher tried a PK from the apron, Briscoe blocked, but ate a thrust kick flush. Fletcher tried a brainbuster, but Briscoe countered into a Jay Driller on the edge of the ring. Fletcher tried to get feeling going in his hands, as Briscoe threw him back inside, only to miss the Froggy Bow. A third running corner boot connects for Fletcher, but once more, Briscoe avoided the brainbuster, hung up Fletcher on the top rope, as Briscoe hit the Froggy Bow and another follow-up one on the outside. Briscoe completed the trifecta, hitting a third back inside, but Fletcher kicked out. Fletcher escaped a Jay Driller, traded pin attempts, until Briscoe hit an exploder, Fletcher still fought off a Jay Driller, this time into another Half and Half, but Briscoe fired up into a home run lariat. Jay Driller landed, but Fletcher got a literal finger on the ropes.
Briscoe wanted a Cutthroat Driver, but Fletcher grabbed the ref for leverage, shoved Briscoe into the ref, punted Briscoe low and hit a brainbuster, but Briscoe got a shoulder up. Fletcher had a gif worthy reaction, as a running knee caught Briscoe flush, but again, kicked out. Lawn dart and flying corner kick hits, as Fletcher quickly set Briscoe up for an Avalanche Brainbuster, connects and got the victory.
Post-match, El Clon came to the stage to celebrate with Fletcher & Callis, while The Conglomeration all were out to check on Briscoe.
Match Result: Kyle Fletcher defeated Mark Briscoe to retain the TNT Title
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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…
AEW WRESTLEDREAM PPV RESULTS
OCTOBER 18, 2025
ST. LOUIS, MI AT CHAIFETZ ARENA
AIRED LIVE ON PPV (including PPV.com)
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness
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(Pre-Show Match In Progress) FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) vs. JET SPEED (Kevin Knight & “Speedball” Mike Bailey)
They joined the match in progress, noting that it didn’t end within the pre-show window. No one has been more excited about anything ever than Tony Schiavone was about this match carrying over into the PPV portion. For the finish, Cash covered Speedball and got the three count when Stokely Hathaway held his feet from ringside out of the referee’s view.
WINNERS: FTR.
Samoa Joe isn’t sure the end of his career will be as ceremonial as it’s been for John Cena.
Joe is set to challenge Hangman Page for the AEW World Championship tonight at WrestleDream in St. Louis. He spoke with CBS Sports to promote the bout, and mentioned that similar to many wrestlers from his generation, he is considering an end to his in-ring career.
“You never want to outstay your welcome in this industry, and I have been fortunate that I have been able to be involved with it for over 25 years now,” Joe said. “The other thing, too, is that many of us want to preserve what we can of our health for our later years.”
Unlike Styles, Cena, or Hiroshi Tanahashi, Joe isn’t sure there will be much fanfare leading up to his retirement, saying he’s “not as ceremonial.”
“It might be a surprise. It might just be one day I’m gone and leave it at that,” Joe continued. “I’m not as ceremonial as everybody else. I like disappearing into the sunset. I’ve always been somebody who’s been firmly planted with my head toward the future and never tried to dwell too much in the past. And it’s kind of been my theory with the industry, too. I would hope we always look towards the future and not, obviously, appreciate the past, but not miss it too much.”
Joe is on the current ballot for the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame, with voting underway for 2025. In 2024, Joe received 23.2 percent of the vote (60 percent is needed to get in). Dave Meltzer addressed Joe’s chances for getting into the Hall of Fame in Friday’s edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, writing:
“Samoa Joe is interesting. He fares well in awards. Has strong longevity. As weâ€ll get to, he has a strong on paper case. In the context of you have to get to WWE (or now AEW) and be at the very top to be a modern top guy, he falls short of Hall of Fame. Even in TNA Iâ€d say that. Heâ€s very good, for a long time, and his ROH title run was exceptional both in how he was booked and how he performed. He should have been pushed harder in WWE. Heâ€s shined when he was pushed in AEW. Is he a bigger star for this era than a Randy Orton or Edge? No.”
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AEW/Lee South
Retirements have been the talk of the town when it comes to professional wrestling over the last few years, especially in companies like WWE and AEW where the likes of Sting and Bryan Danielson have already hung up their boots, and both John Cena and AJ Styles aren’t too far behind them. Another man who believes he is in the twilight of his career is Samoa Joe, who is still competing at the highest level as he will challenge Hangman Page for the AEW Men’s World Championship at AEW WrestleDream on October 18. Joe has already admitted publicly that once his current contract with AEW expires, he will likely call time on his career, and during a recent interview with “SHAK Wrestling,” Joe was asked if that was still the plan.
“I’d say most likely, and honestly I think it’s for a lot of reasons and I think most of them are responsible,” Joe said. “Obviously, you know you never want to outstay your welcome in this industry and I’ve been fortunate that I’ve been able to be involved with it for over 25 years now….The other thing too is you know, I think many of us want to preserve what we can of our health for our latter years. So it is something that is probably the most likely scenario, but hey, it is an unusual world and unusual opportunities come up, so we’ll see.”
When asked if he was willing to share a specific date on when that retirement might be, Joe stated that he would rather do things in a more casual way. “It might be a surprise. It might just be one day I’m gone and leave it at that. I’m not as ceremonial as everybody else you know? I like disappearing into the sunset.” Joe went on to explain that he has always had his sights set solely on the future of the business, and wouldn’t want to stand in the way of a younger talent who wants to grow and improve just so he can have one last dance in the spotlight.
Will Samoa Joe Stick Around In Wrestling?
AEW/Lee South
When wrestlers retire, they don’t stray too far away from the business as there are a number of opportunities for performers to stay with major companies in both backstage and on-screen roles where they don’t have to get physical. Joe has already tried his hand at commentary during his time recovering from injury while working for WWE, and when he was asked about potentially donning a headset once again, the former AEW World Champion admitted that he is open to any and all opportunities.
“Honestly, whatever role will have me. Like once again, I’m not worried about what it is I’ll do, that’s not an issue for me. I mean you plug me in wherever, I’ll do whatever it takes to help us as much as we need to be helped in that area. But yeah I mean I think I definitely would live to have some involvement with the industry. I’d love to work with younger athletes and help them develop and become better, obviously if they choose to want to work with me, but yeah I mean that’s really it.”
Joe rounded off by saying that he wants to help younger talent become stronger and stronger so that the fans can benefit in the long run, and that the legacy he wants to leave behind is that if he manages to help around ten wrestlers become better because they worked with him, then he will be very happy with himself.
Please credit “SHAK Wrestling” when using quotes from this article, and give a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
AEW/Triller TV
Samoa Joe and The Opps retained the AEW World Trios Championship in the main event of Wednesday’s “AEW Dynamite” portion of the three-hour broadcast, with Samoa Joe submitting Dralistico in front of his WrestleDream opponent for the World Championship.Â
The Opps, Joe, Katsuyori Shibata, and Powerhouse Hobbs, were defending their titles for the fourth time in their 183-day reign against LFI’s Rush, Dralistico, and The Beast Mortos, while World Champion “Hangman” Adam Page sat on commentary for the bout; Page will defend his title against Joe during this weekend’s WrestleDream event, with things getting heated between them after they had teamed up to oust the Death Riders.Â
The match itself saw back-and-forth action prior to the closing stretch, with all three of the Opps getting their digs in before Joe finally tagged in, dropping Dralistico with a powerslam before locking in the Coquina Clutch to secure the win.Â
After the bell, LFI attacked the champions before they had a chance to celebrate. Page then got involved, fighting Mortos off and looking for the Buckshot Lariat to Rush, but Sammy Guevara pulled him from the ring before Page could deliver the move. Joe then picked up the World Championship belt, handing it off to Page with force before walking off with his teammates to close the segment.Â
In a recent interview with STL Sports Central, former AEW World Champion Samoa Joe gave a candid assessment of his time with the company’s top title. When asked if he felt his reign “left a lot to be desired.”
Joe stated that any time a wrestler is not holding the world title, it should be viewed as a personal failure and a source of motivation. “Oh, you’d be absolutely correct,” he said. “Anytime that you are not the possessor of the AEW World Championship, you should be taking it personally.â€
While acknowledging that his championship run did not reach the heights he had hoped for, Joe made it clear that he views the situation as unfinished business that he fully intends to resolve in the future. “So yes, 100% correct, it was not what we would hope it would be, but like all things in the future, this too can be amended,” he stated.
Samoa Joe won the AEW World Championship from MJF at the Worlds End pay-per-view in December 2023. He held the title for 113 days before losing it to Swerve Strickland in a three-way match that also included “Hangman” Adam Page at the Dynasty event in April 2024.
Since losing the championship, Joe has remained a dominant presence in AEW. He will challenge Page for the World Title at WrestleDream this Saturday.
SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…
SHOW SUMMARY:PWTorch editor Wade Keller presents the Tuesday Flagship edition of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast with guest co-host PWTorch columnist and PWTorch podcast host Greg Parks. They discuss these topics:
- Did Samoa Joe or A.J. Styles build a more impressive body of work in their careers?
- Thoughts on “Hangman” Page vs Samoa Joe, the build so far and the match
- Thoughts on John Cena vs. A.J. Styles, the build and what to expect in the match
- A preview of TNA Bound for Glory
- Analysis of the Don Callis Family
- Reaction to the NXT vs. TNA Showdown special on Tuesday
- What is WWE getting out of this TNA alliance? Is there a master plan or end game?
- And more
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Throughout the past few years, many current and retired stars are often asked for their Mount Rushmore of professional wrestlers during interviews or on podcasts, but ranking the best talkers in the business is another topic that has been popular as of late. During his career, AEW star Samoa Joe has always been good at making his skills on the mic shine as bright as his talent in the ring, and in a recent appearance on the “The F Y’all Podcast,” he listed his top three most gifted talkers in professional wrestling history.
“I think Dusty [Rhodes] paints probably the most vivid, wild picture you can do for promos. I think Dusty’s on there. I think Steve Austin isn’t talked about enough. When you talk about realism and why he was magnetic, it was because Steve was talking about whipping your ass like how people would whip your ass would talk … it resonated and I think that was good too. It’s hard to go down to three, but like I said, you brought up Jake [Roberts] and I think Jake when it comes to the mastery of tone and grabbing attention, it’s really difficult to beat Jake.”
In addition to Rhodes, Austin and Roberts, wrestlers such as Ric Flair, The Rock and John Cena are often referred to when speaking about the greatest promo workers of all time. Today, stars like Maxwell Jacob Friedman, Drew McIntyre, CM Punk and Toni Storm are regarded as some of the most talented talkers in the industry.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “The F Y’all Podcast” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.