WrestleDream offered a double shot of Samoa Joe goodness as he made his challenge for “Hangman” Adam Page’s AEW World Championship, and though he ultimately came up short in that goal, it hardly seems as though things are over between them. 

Joe and Page had exactly the sort of match that one could expect from them, with Joe the ever-present threat even when he was effectively down and out. Twice he did his signature walk away, and then a third time he didn’t even have to do it as Page overshot a moonsault, but that was the only real gaffe in an otherwise really compelling contest between them. It certainly didn’t feel from the build that Joe posed any form of threat to Page’s reign, but underestimate the “Samoan Submission Machine” at your own peril, and he exemplified that ideal with several moments where it appeared as though he had just managed to squeeze the life out of the champion in the ring. 

Ultimately, and at each turn, that proved not to be the case and Page would retain his title; Joe tanked two Buckshot Lariats before the third put him down for the count. So that was the good match wrapped up, and another significant scalp to add to Page’s second reign with the title. But there was more to come, The Opps’ Katsuyori Shibata and Powerhouse Hobbs came down to the ring to help their teammate back to his feet, feigning respect for the champion as they celebrated with him one last time. Then, Joe turned, striking Page down with a stiff lariat as Shibata and Hobbs joined in, cementing their turn as a trio, a return to form for Joe and Hobbs but a relatively new experience for Shibata. 

Standing tall at the end of the segment were the Opps, having spent the past few months fending the Death Riders off from their Trios titles, as well as the world title around Page’s waist, and thus ensuring that their path was clear for the foreseeable. Also coming out of WrestleDream the Hurt Syndicate are the number one contenders to the Opps’ titles, thus presenting the possibility of the new heels against the babyface anti-heroes of Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, and MVP. In any case, it provides three new top tier heels to chase the babyface world champion and whomever he now surrounds himself with, and that remedies a problem coming out of the Death Riders-dominated period of AEW that has now come to an end.

Written by Max Everett