Samoa Joe made his AEW return during the Tailgate Brawl pre-show ahead of AEW All Out on September 26, 2026, at Now Arena in Chicago, Illinois, answering a challenge Jack Perry had issued on the September 16, 2026 episode of AEW Dynamite.
The moment came after Perry defeated Katsuyori Shibata in a singles match on the pre-show. Following the win, Perry remained in the ring and called out Samoa Joe. HOOK, Anthony Bowens, and Action Andretti came to the ramp first and stood there before Joe’s music hit and he made his entrance, according to Fightful. Perry offered a handshake, but Joe responded by headbutting him instead, as reported by Ringside News.
The Tailgate Brawl pre-show also featured a tag match pitting David Finlay, Clark Connors, Wheeler Yuta, and Daniel Garcia against the Bang Bang Gang, which the Bang Bang Gang won, according to Wrestling Inc. Tony Schiavone was among the commentary team announced for the broadcast alongside Excalibur and Taz, per PW Torch’s report on the show.
Joe’s arrival sets up a likely program with Perry heading out of All Out weekend, though AEW has not yet detailed the nature or timing of any future match between the two. The presence of HOOK, Bowens, and Andretti on the ramp during the segment was noted by multiple outlets, though their specific role in the storyline beyond appearing for the confrontation was not elaborated upon in the available reports.
