Samoa Joe has secured a place in the AEW WrestleDream Clockwork Carnage match for the AEW World Championship.
Joe defeated “Jungle” Jack Perry on AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam Paris, becoming the first wrestler to qualify for the bout outside of the reigning AEW World Champion. The win was especially significant for Joe, who had not competed since May before returning at All Out to answer a call-out from Perry.
The Grand Slam Paris meeting gave Joe an immediate opportunity to turn that return into championship momentum. Perry brought speed, urgency and a sustained effort to neutralize the larger former AEW World Champion, but Joe’s power and ability to weather a rally ultimately proved decisive. Joe ended the match with the Muscle Buster to punch his ticket to WrestleDream.
Joe’s return produces an immediate title-match reward
Joe’s reappearance at All Out established that he had unfinished business with Perry, and their bout in Paris was the first time that issue was settled in the ring. With a Clockwork Carnage qualification on the line, the match carried implications far beyond one individual rivalry. Joe did not simply return to score a victory; he returned and immediately positioned himself among the challengers for AEW’s top prize.
For more background on this topic, read Jeff Jarrett Reflects on Steven Borden’s Scary AEW All Out Injury.
That is an important development for the WrestleDream field. Joe is a former AEW World Champion and has long been one of the company’s most difficult opponents to overcome when championship stakes are involved. His entry adds a veteran presence with a proven record of handling high-pressure matches, even as the full group of qualifiers continues to take shape.
The match also marked Joe’s first in-ring appearance since May. Time away can create uncertainty about timing and conditioning, particularly against an opponent as active and aggressive as Perry. Instead, Joe looked capable of taking control whenever he found an opening, relying on punishing strikes, physical superiority and veteran awareness to steadily wear down his opponent.
Perry attacks early but cannot overcome Joe’s power
Perry started the match with an immediate charge, attempting to dictate the pace before Joe could establish his preferred physical style. Joe cut that momentum short by catching Perry, lifting him and throwing him across the ring. It was an early statement that Perry would need more than quickness and aggression to move the bigger man.
Throughout the contest, Perry repeatedly searched for ways to gain leverage. He continued pressing the attack and showed the persistence that has made him a dangerous opponent, but Joe consistently forced the match back into exchanges that favored his own size and strength.
One of the more punishing moments came outside the ring, where Joe chopped Perry over the barricade and into the front row. The sequence underlined the physical gap between the two competitors and allowed Joe to take away some of the pace Perry needed. Joe was willing to use the environment to inflict damage, making clear that Perry’s path to the Clockwork Carnage match would require enduring Joe’s full offensive arsenal.
After the match returned from a break, Joe delivered another familiar reminder of his confidence. Perry attempted a move from the top rope, only for Joe to evade it with his well-known walk-away spot. It was a small but telling moment: Perry was trying to produce a major momentum swing, while Joe was composed enough to avoid the danger altogether.
Joe followed by driving hard chops into Perry. Those strikes did not end the fight, however. Perry repeatedly got back to his feet and continued looking for a way to reverse the match’s direction. That resilience kept the result in doubt and gave the bout a competitive edge despite Joe’s dominant stretches.
Late counters create a genuine opening for Perry
Perry eventually found a route back into the contest with a thrust kick that put Joe down. For a wrestler who had struggled to move Joe earlier in the bout, dropping the former champion was a crucial breakthrough. Perry then attempted to capitalize by getting Joe into position for a piledriver, but Joe countered the effort into a back body drop.
The counter restored Joe’s advantage, yet Perry did not let the match slip away easily. He tried a rollup and forced Joe to kick out, then briefly locked in the Snare Trap. The submission attempt was one of Perry’s strongest opportunities, as it forced Joe to deal with a different kind of threat after absorbing the challenger’s striking and pinning combinations.
Perry was also nearly counted out after Joe laid him out on the floor. He survived by breaking the count at nine, keeping his WrestleDream hopes alive by the narrowest possible margin. That escape showed Perry’s refusal to be overwhelmed even after taking heavy punishment around ringside.
Later, Perry nearly had Joe beaten with a counter stemming from Joe’s rear-naked choke attempt. The sequence demonstrated that Perry remained capable of turning Joe’s offense back against him, and it briefly appeared as though his persistence might lead to the upset. But Joe recovered before Perry could complete the victory.
In the final stretch, Joe landed the Muscle Buster and secured the three-count. The finish gave Joe a clear win in his first match back and left no question about which wrestler would advance to the Clockwork Carnage match.
What Joe’s qualification means for WrestleDream
The Clockwork Carnage match is centered on the AEW World Championship, with the champion already holding a place in the field. Joe is now the first additional entrant to qualify, placing him at the front of the line as AEW continues to determine who else will compete at WrestleDream.
For Joe, the result is a direct route back into the world-title picture. He has held the championship before, so his pursuit is not built on potential or a first-time opportunity. He knows what it takes to reach the top of AEW and what it takes to defend that position once he gets there. The victory over Perry gives him a significant early advantage in the build toward WrestleDream, at least in terms of qualification momentum.
For Perry, the loss prevents him from becoming the first challenger to join the champion in the match. He had moments where his speed and counters nearly changed the outcome, particularly with the Snare Trap and the late counter out of the rear-naked choke. Still, the result reinforces the risk involved in challenging a wrestler with Joe’s power, experience and ability to finish a match suddenly.
Joe’s return has therefore produced an immediate consequence: he is officially headed to WrestleDream and remains in contention for the AEW World Championship. His win at Grand Slam Paris was not a tentative return or a warm-up appearance. It was a decisive statement that Samoa Joe is back in the title hunt.
With the Clockwork Carnage field still developing, Joe’s qualification ensures that every future entrant will have to prepare for one of AEW’s most imposing former champions. Perry pushed him hard and came close on several occasions, but Joe’s first match since May ended the way many of his biggest matches have ended: with the Muscle Buster, a three-count, and a major championship opportunity waiting ahead.
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Darryl Polo
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.