Samoa Joe Wins World Title, Devil Revealed at AEW’s ‘Worlds End’
Adam Cole is The Devil.
And he cost MJF the world title.
As Cole fumbled to find MJF’s dynamite diamond ring, Samoa Joe locked in the Coquina Clutch. MJF could not break the hold and passed out in its grip, allowing Joe to leave the Nassau Coliseum as the new AEW world champion.
This storyline would have benefited from a quicker resolution, preferably at last month’s Full Gear pay-per-view. But its reveal was executed at Worlds End without a flaw.
Surrounded by the masked men–Wardlow, Roderick Strong, Matt Taven, and Mike Bennett–Cole exposed that he has been the man behind the devil mask all along.
There is plenty of backstory here, especially with Cole’s inability to win the title from MJF over the summer at All In. Plus, this gives purpose to Wardlow, Strong, Taven, and Bennett, as well as a top heel spot to Cole, whose work on the microphone will carry him for as long as he is injured.
Though Worlds End struggled to find its footing, the last three matches carried this pay-per-view. In addition to an excellent world title match, Adam Copeland and Christian Cage wrestled a 25-minute classic. The lack of resolution in the ending–Copeland won the match, only to lose it right back to Cage in the immediate aftermath in a finish that will make you think of Money in the Bank–will no doubt leave people unsatisfied, but it should not detract from the fact that their match was outstanding. Another must-see moment was Eddie Kingston overcoming Jon Moxley to win the Continental Classic, becoming AEW’s first-ever Continental champion.
Here are the results from AEW’s final pay-per-view of the year:
- Willow Nightingale defeated Kris Statlander on the pre-show
- Killswitch won a 20-man battle royal on the pre-show for a future TNT title shot
- FTW champion Hook defeated Wheeler Yuta on the pre-show
- Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli, Mark Briscoe, and Daniel Garcia defeated “Switchblade” Jay White, Brody King, Rush, and Jay Lethal
- Miro defeated Andrade El Idolo
- AEW women’s champion Toni Storm defeated Riho
- Swerve Strickland defeated Dustin Rhodes
Sting, Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, and Darby Allin defeated Konosuke Takeshita, Powerhouse Hobbs, Ricky Starks, and Big Bill in an eight-man tag
TBS champion Julia Hart defeated Abadon in a House Rules match
- Adam Copeland defeated Christian Cage to become the new TNT champion, then Cage cashed in Killswitch’s contract to defeat Copeland and regain the title
- Eddie Kingston defeated Jon Moxley in the finals of the Continental Classic
- Samoa Joe defeated MJF to become the new AEW champion
The show opened with an entertaining eight-man tag. Everyone shined, especially the team of Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli, Mark Briscoe, and Daniel Garcia, who combined to defeat “Switchblade” Jay White, Brody King, Jay Lethal, and Rush. The finish came when Garcia rolled up Lethal, building his momentum after finally winning one match in the Continental Classic. This was a solid use of the majority of the field from the Continental Classic, and it helped protect Danielson before he travels to Japan for a must-see bout against Kazuchika Okada at Wrestle Kingdom 18.
In the second match of the night, Miro defeated Andrade. Widely expected to leave AEW and return to WWE, there was no doubt that Andrade was taking the loss. The question was whether it would lead to a reunion of Miro and CJ Perry, who was managing Andrade. This led to a compelling finishing sequence, as Perry turned on Andrade to help Miro win the match. Despite racking up wins, Miro has been running in neutral for the majority of his time in AEW. Reuniting with Perry is exactly what he needs, as their best work has always taken place when paired together.
The first title match of the night saw Toni Storm defending her women’s championship against Riho. While the outcome was expected–Storm was victorious–Riho makes a very strong opponent for her. Riho possesses a rare ability to make title matches extra special through her near-falls. That added a lot of excitement to a match where the finish was never truly in doubt, as Storm needs time to make a lasting mark as champion.
A change to the show came when Dustin Rhodes filled in for an injured Keith Lee in a match against Swerve Strickland. Before the match officially started, Swerve attacked Rhodes’ left knee, leaving Rhodes in a position where it was going to be impossible to overcome the odds. It was a smart instant story that added some meaning to this match, building sympathy for the longtime babyface in Rhodes while further intensifying Swerve’s aggressiveness as he makes his ascent toward the world title.
Even at 54, Rhodes remains a valuable asset. As the rise of Cody Rhodes continues in WWE, it feels like Dustin would be better off beside his brother–they could main-event a pay-per-view as a tag team against The Bloodline or even against one another in a world title match. Dustin Rhodes can sell work at an elite level, which he did against Swerve. Ultimately, this was all about further establishing Swerve as unstoppable, and the match hit its mark.
The second eight-man tag of the night pitted Sting, Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, and Darby Allin against Konosuke Takeshita, Powerhouse Hobbs, Ricky Starks, and Big Bill. This was originally intended to be Jericho and Kenny Omega wrestling for the tag titles against Starks and Big Bill, but a bout with diverticulitis has put Omega out indefinitely. In retrospect, two eight-man tags were superfluous–this could have been saved for Dynamite. It did allow the crowd in Long Island to see Sting wrestle one more time before his retirement in March, but the backstory–yet-to-be confirmed rumors of misconduct on the Internet swirling around Jericho–entirely overshadowed what took place in the ring. It didn’t seem to affect the finish–Guevara hit a shooting star press on Starks for the win, advancing the Jericho and Guevara as the top challengers for tag team champs Starks and Big Bill.
Julia Hart defeated Abadon in a House Rules match. The added stipulation here was that biting–yes, biting–was allowed. Abadon wasn’t the opponent Hart needed here as a new champion looking to establish herself. If the match prior to this belonged on Dynamite, this was better suited for Rampage. Part of the problem is that there is such an abundance of matches on these pay-per-view cards. Abadon was distracted by Skye Blue, which led to the victory for Hart. Even in a difficult spot, it was incredible to watch Hart, who is only 22, make the most of her moment.
The card needed a spark, and the intensity picked up as soon as Adam Copeland and Christian Cage started to brawl. Tables, ladders, and chairs were involved, and it was a physically snug match between the two legends. There were near-falls, a flaming table, and the match succeeded in re-energizing the crowd. This was a spectacular match, and it ended perfectly: with Copeland winning the TNT title.
Except it didn’t end there. Luchasaurus, who Christian renamed Killswitch, won the battle royal on the pre-show for a future shot at the TNT title. In a Money in the Bank-esque manner, he attacked Copeland after the match, and was ready to cash in until Cage intervened. Cage took the contract, cashed it in himself, and regained the TNT title. Personally, I liked the finish, as it extends Cage’s run as champion. But I do think Copeland and Cage need a break from one another, especially to prevent their work together–which has been outstanding–from growing stale.
The pay-per-view needed a boost from its final three matches, and that is what continued in the Eddie Kingston-Jon Moxley bout. The entire Continental Classic tournament exceeded all expectations, and largely because of the work of Kingston and the Blackpool Combat Club. Kingston already defeated Claudio Castagnoli and Bryan Danielson, and he pulled off the final feat by getting the best of Moxley at Worlds End. This had a real fight feel to it, and that is why the sudden ending with the backstrike from Kingston was so effective.
The victory also gives an extra boost to the ROH and New Japan STRONG belts, as now Kingston adds the Continental Championship to become a Triple Crown winner.
The main event was extremely entertaining. Though it ended as expected–with Samoa Joe as the new champion and Adam Cole as the devil–it was executed perfectly. It will be fascinating to see Joe as the centerpiece of AEW. When he returns, MJF will have Wardlow as his next focus–and really, he should have to work his way through all of Cole’s men before he gets back to the title.
Envisioning a fresh title scene with Joe as champ is refreshing for AEW, especially with MJF needing time to heal from nagging injuries. Incredibly, at 44, Samoa Joe is still able to perform at an elite level.
The title of the show proved fitting. It was the world’s end for MJF, at least temporarily, at Worlds End.
Let the reign of Samoa Joe begin.
