Backstage News On Samoa Joe Winning The AEW World Title

Samoa Joe established himself firmly as one of All Elite Wrestling's top stars at the Worlds End pay-per-view on December 30 as he defeated MJF to win the AEW World Championship. Joe dominated much of the match and picked up the win by referee stoppage after applying the Coquina Clutch, which came about after Adam Cole took too long to find the Dynamite diamond ring. Cole was revealed to be The Devil following the match. 

MJF has been dealing with a torn labrum since November's Full Gear pay-per-view and the expectation is he will be off AEW TV "for a while" following his loss to Samoa Joe at Worlds End. Regardless of the injury, though, the plan was always for Samoa Joe to win the AEW World Title on December 30, according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio. 

"Even before Max got hurt, Joe was always going to win the title on the show. In that sense, the title did not change hands because he's hurt. It was always the plan," Meltzer stated.

Following his title win, Samoa Joe will be binning MJF's BBB version of the AEW World Championship belt. Joe noted in the post-AEW Worlds End media scrum that he will defend the world championship against anyone, namedropping Swerve Strickland and Hangman Page as two potential challengers. 

H/T F4WOnline