Jack Perry has set his sights on Samoa Joe.

During this week’s AEW Dynamite, Perry delivered a pointed promo centered on his recent losses and his stated ambition to test himself against former AEW World Champions. That search for a major opponent led Perry directly to Joe, who has not been seen in AEW since May’s Double Or Nothing.

Perry did not make the challenge subtle. Addressing Joe’s absence, he called for the former AEW World Champion to return and face him, telling Joe to “come back and make my day.” The segment closed on an especially deliberate visual: Perry’s version of the iconic “Joe Is Going To Kill You” chant painted for the camera.

The message was equal parts invitation and provocation. Perry is asking for the kind of match that could immediately alter his standing in AEW, while also openly needling one of the company’s most intimidating and accomplished competitors. For Joe, should he answer, it would offer an immediate conflict with a wrestler who has made clear that he wants to measure himself against the very highest level of opposition.

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Perry’s Search for a Defining Victory

Perry’s promo acknowledged a difficult recent stretch. Rather than attempting to sidestep those losses, he framed them as part of the motivation behind his pursuit of former world champions. The approach gives his Samoa Joe challenge a clear context: Perry is not merely looking for a prominent name. He wants an opportunity to reverse momentum through a victory over a proven main-event force.

That is a considerable target. Samoa Joe’s reputation in AEW has been established through championship success, physical dominance, and an ability to make every confrontation feel consequential. Calling out Joe is therefore not simply a bid for attention. It is an explicit demand for a test against an opponent whose presence carries immediate credibility.

Perry’s reference to former AEW World Champions also makes the challenge feel like part of a larger goal. He has placed himself on a path toward the company’s most established standard-bearers, and Joe is a natural figure within that pursuit. A match with Joe would give Perry a chance to prove he can withstand the pressure of facing a veteran with a long history of punishing challengers who underestimate him.

At the same time, Perry’s words on Dynamite did not suggest hesitation. He was not presenting Joe as an unattainable legend or simply asking for recognition. He was challenging him directly, with the confidence that comes from believing a major opportunity is necessary to change the direction of his run.

Using Joe’s Signature Chant as a Statement

The closing image of Perry’s painted “Joe Is Going To Kill You” chant was the sharpest element of the segment. The phrase has long been associated with Samoa Joe and the reaction his matches can inspire. It is a chant built around the expectation that Joe will overwhelm whoever stands across the ring from him.

By putting that phrase at the center of his own presentation, Perry turned it into a taunt. He acknowledged the threat Joe represents while daring him to live up to it. It was a way of saying that Perry understands exactly what he is requesting—and is asking for it anyway.

That is the type of psychological challenge that can create immediate tension before any match is announced. Perry has effectively used a symbol of Joe’s aura to call him out, placing the former champion’s absence under a spotlight and inviting a response. Should Joe return, Perry has already supplied the visual and verbal foundation for their confrontation.

It also leaves Perry with a risk. The chant is powerful because of what Joe has repeatedly represented to opponents. If the two men meet, Perry will have to back up his confidence against a wrestler whose identity has long been connected to toughness, intensity, and decisive violence inside the ring.

Samoa Joe Has Been Away Since Double Or Nothing

Joe’s most recent AEW appearance came at Double Or Nothing in May, where he faced Will Ospreay. Since then, Joe has spent much of the summer filming the third season of Twisted Metal.

That absence is central to Perry’s challenge. Perry specifically targeted Joe as a man who has been away from AEW television, making the callout more than a generic request for a high-profile match. He wants Joe back, and he wants to be the wrestler standing in front of him when he returns.

There is no indication yet that Joe has accepted Perry’s challenge or that a match has been formally announced. Still, Perry’s comments place a potentially significant matchup on the table. A return by Joe would instantly create a question of whether he intends to pick up where he left off, pursue a new direction, or answer the younger wrestler who has publicly demanded his attention.

Joe’s time away has not diminished the weight attached to his name. If anything, absence can make a return feel more important, particularly when the returning wrestler is immediately confronted by someone eager to establish himself. Perry’s challenge gives AEW a ready-made issue for Joe to address whenever he is next positioned to appear.

A Clash of Motivation and Reputation

The potential Perry-Joe match has a straightforward but compelling dynamic. Perry is openly seeking a breakthrough after recent setbacks. Joe is an established former AEW World Champion whose reputation makes him a difficult measuring stick for anyone trying to rise.

Perry would enter such a contest needing to prove that his recent losses do not define what he is capable of doing against top-level competition. Joe, meanwhile, would be faced with a challenger attempting to use his name, his absence, and even his signature crowd chant to create momentum.

For Perry, defeating Joe would be a statement that goes beyond one win. It would validate his decision to aim upward after a rough run, and it would establish that he can compete with wrestlers who have reached AEW’s highest championship level. Even standing across from Joe would provide a major spotlight, but Perry’s promo made clear that exposure alone is not the objective.

For Joe, the situation carries its own challenge. Perry has chosen a confrontational route, essentially demanding that Joe return to deal with him. If Joe answers, the former champion would have an opportunity to remind AEW why his name still commands such a strong reaction. Perry’s use of “Joe Is Going To Kill You” makes the confrontation personal in a wrestling sense: he has borrowed a piece of Joe’s identity and dared him to respond.

What Comes Next

Perry’s challenge now hangs over AEW programming as a clear invitation for Samoa Joe’s return. The promo did not provide a date for a match, nor did it confirm when Joe will next appear. What it did accomplish was giving Perry a defined target and giving fans a reason to watch for Joe’s answer.

There is also a larger significance to the way Perry framed his mission. His stated desire to face former AEW World Champions suggests that Samoa Joe may represent one major step in a broader effort to rebuild momentum through elite opponents. Perry has put the focus on his own results, but he has also made an unmistakable declaration of where he believes he belongs.

Whether Joe chooses to accept the challenge remains to be seen. Perry has nevertheless made his position unmistakable: he wants a former AEW World Champion, he wants the danger that comes with facing Samoa Joe, and he is willing to provoke Joe directly to get that opportunity.

For now, the last image remains Perry’s painted version of a chant synonymous with Joe. It was a challenge designed to be remembered, and it leaves one central question for AEW: when Samoa Joe returns, will Jack Perry be waiting for him?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.