A new report from Fightful Select has confirmed that Samoa Joe will be taking a temporary hiatus from AEW television following the post-match assault that saw him stretchered out at AEW All In: Texas.
During the Trios Championship match at the event, The Opps retained their titles against the Death Riders. After the match, Joe—who competes alongside Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli in the Death Riders faction—was attacked in a segment that served as a storyline write-off.
According to Fightful, the angle was designed to allow the former AEW World Champion to take time off for outside obligations, specifically tied to the second season of “Twisted Metal,” the Peacock TV series based on the legendary PlayStation video game.
Joe portrays the physical embodiment of Sweet Tooth, the chaotic, ice cream truck-driving clown, while actor Will Arnett provides the character’s voice. The new season is scheduled to premiere on July 31, with Joe expected to be off AEW programming for at least a couple of weeks to fulfill promotional duties.
While Joe’s absence will temporarily leave the Death Riders short-handed, his return later this summer could provide major momentum, especially with AEW’s fall event calendar heating up.
