Samoa Joe is back in AEW.
Joe returned Saturday night after the Tailgate Brawl in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, attacking Jack Perry moments after Perry defeated Katsuyori Shibata. The one-hour show aired on TNT and HBO Max from NOW Arena ahead of All Out.
Perry had spent the past several weeks calling Joe out. On the September 16 episode of Dynamite, Perry cut a taped promo urging the former AEW World Champion to come back, ending it with “Make my day.” The segment closed on the words “Joe is gonna kill you” painted on a wall, a reference to the chant that follows Joe.
Members of Joe’s group, The Opps, answered on Collision by telling Perry he would have to beat Shibata before he got to Joe. That set up Saturday’s match.
Perry won, but Joe made his way out after the bell and laid him out.
It was Joe’s first AEW appearance since late May. He last wrestled at Double or Nothing, losing to Will Ospreay in the quarterfinals of the Owen Hart Foundation tournament. On the May 27 episode of Dynamite, Joe told The Opps he was stepping away to film the next season of Peacock’s Twisted Metal.
“But once again, opportunity calls and Hollywood’s ringing,” Joe said at the time. “Gentlemen, I’ll be stepping away for a few months, but you all know how this works. I expect you to hold it down.”
Saturday’s win came during a difficult stretch for Perry. F4W noted on September 16 that Perry had gone 0-6 since beating Nick Wayne after signing a new AEW contract in July.
Insisting on a handshake? @SamoaJoe had something else in mind!
Watch #AEWTailgateBrawl LIVE on TNT & HBO Max pic.twitter.com/jNT2qUWwEv
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) September 26, 2026
