Samoa Joe Retains AEW Championship Over Swerve Strickland and Hangman Adam Page

The package for our co-main event airs to get us ready for the AEW World Championship triple-threat match pitting reigning and defending title-holder Samoa Joe against top ranked contenders Hangman Page and Swerve Strickland. After it wraps up, Jim Ross replaces Taz on commentary, joining Excalibur and Tony Schiavone on the call for our final two matches of the evening.

Now the theme for Swerve Strickland hits and out comes The Mogul Embassy leader and emerging new top star in AEW, accompanied by Prince Nana, who does his always-entertaining, goofy-ass dance. They settle in the ring for a "Who's House?" / "Swerve's House!" call-and-response with the Greensboro crowd.

Hangman Page's theme hits next and out comes the purveyor of "Cowboy sh*t" as fireworks and pyro erupts. He makes his way to the ring and settles inside. His music dies down and the theme for the reigning, defending AEW World Champion hits. Out comes Samoa Joe to chants of "Joe! Joe! Joe!"

The bell sounds and it's time for our AEW World Championship co-main event. Page and Strickland get face-to-face, and then Joe slams their heads together. Joe sends them to the corners, and then drops Page with a clothesline and an enzuigiri. Strickland delivers a shot to Joe and goes for a diving uppercut, but Joe walks out of the way.

From there, the champ connects with shots to Page in the ring, and then dives onto Swerve on the floor at ringside. Joe kicks Page in the head on the apron, and then chops him in the corner a few times. Page comes back and shoves Joe toward the ropes, and Strickland low-bridges him to the outside. Strickland and Page exchange shots, and then Page delivers a fall-away slap.

Swerve gets right back and delivers a kick to the face and stomps Page down in the corner. Strickland takes Page down and delivers a back uppercut in the corner. Strickland follows with the diving uppercut and follows with one to Joe on the outside as well. Joe gets laid out on the floor and remains out there for a while as Swerve and Hangman duke it out in the ring.

Page hits an impressive fall-away slam and does an even more impressive kip up, but without realizing it, Swerve no-sells the landing and kips up behind him as well. Hangman turns around into a big boot from Swerve. Joe is starting to come back to life on the floor. Back in the ring, the champ starts to take over on offense as he blasts Hangman with chops in the corner that echo throughout the building.

Strickland goes for a piledriver on Page, but Page gets free and delivers a back elbow. Page delivers a Tombstone Piledriver and goes for the cover, but Joe breaks it up. Joe goes to slam Page, but Page counters and kicks him in the face. Page goes for Deadeye on Strickland, but Strickland counters with body shots and a power bomb.

Swerve slams Page again and follows with a vertical suplex. Strickland goes for the cover, but Joe breaks it up again. Joe delivers jabs to Page and Strickland, and then follows with elbow strikes and chops. Joe delivers the Muscle Buster to Page, but Strickland drops Joe with the Swerve Stomp. Strickland delivers the House Call to Joe, and then delivers one to Page.

Now Swerve goes for the cover on Page, but he kicks out at two. Joe comes back with shots to Strickland, but Strickland delivers an up kick. Joe comes back with a back elbow, but Strickland kicks him in the face again. Strickland drops Joe with a DDT in the corner and connects with a 450 splash to Joe’s back.

We see Swerve connect with the Swerve Stomp and goes for the cover, but Page grabs the referee to stop the count. Page delivers a shot to Strickland and brings the title belt into the ring. Page hits Strickland in the head with the belt, and then does it again to knock Strickland to the floor. Page delivers the Buckshot Lariat to Joe, and then follows with a second, but there is no referee to make the count.

Another referee finally gets into the ring, but Joe kicks out at two. Page goes to the apron and takes off his elbow pad. Page goes for a third Buckshot, but Joe ducks and locks Page in a Coquina Clutch. Strickland comes back with a Skytwister Press to break up the submission hold.

Prince Nana ends up getting involved, handing the crown to Swerve, who throws it back at him. Joe slaps a rear naked choke on Swerve, but Swerve counters with a roll-up. Hangman breaks it up. Hangman takes out the second referee and throws him out of the ring. Swerve works over Hangman and throws him over the ropes. Hangman lands on the apron and takes Swerve down.

Joe hits a Muscle Buster on Swerve. Page hits a Buckshot Lariat on Joe, but then Swerve takes Hangman out with a Buckshot Lariat of his own. Swerve hits a JML Driver on Page, but then Samoa connects with a half-and-half suplex. Joe follows that up with a Coquina Clutch. The original referee gets back in the ring as Hangman taps out. Samoa Joe retains the AEW World Championship with the win.