Summary

Samoa Joe is set to return to the ring on the April 22 episode of AEW Dynamite after being medically cleared.

Tony Khan announced the news ahead of the show. Joe had been sidelined since AEW revealed on the January 28 episode of Dynamite that he was dealing with a non-contact injury and was not cleared to compete.

Joe's last match came on the January 21 edition of Dynamite, where he defeated Mike Bailey. During his absence, HOOK has been leading The Opps while Anthony Bowens has also tried to make his case to join the group.

AEW has used Dynamite returns to quickly shift the direction of the show before, including when Chris Jericho's AEW return was reportedly kept secret until minutes before Dynamite.

What Samoa Joe's return means for The Opps on Dynamite

Samoa Joe being back immediately changes the balance around The Opps, because HOOK has been carrying the group on television while Bowens has been pushing for a place beside them.

That gives Dynamite a ready-made follow-up beyond Joe's first match back. Whether the focus stays on The Opps as Joe's unit again or turns toward the tension around who belongs in the group, AEW now has one of its most established heavy hitters back in the middle of that story.

The announcement also adds a proven name back onto a card that already includes Lio Rush vs. Brody King and Darby Allin defending the AEW World Title against Tommaso Ciampa.

Sources

As reported by Fightful