Real Reason Behind Samoa Joe’s AEW World Title Win

Samoa Joe’s win over Hangman Adam Page at AEW Full Gear 2025 shocked some fans, but now we know it wasn’t just a heat-of-the-moment call. According to Self Made Pro, this title change was mapped out a full month before the pay-per-view—and the reason is a serious reality check for AEW’s creative direction.

Speaking during a Self Made Session, the report revealed that Tony Khan had already made up his mind well ahead of Full Gear:

“Tony made this call about a month ago. About a month ago, he said, ‘I’m gonna take the belt off Hangman.’ Yes, they hit a dead end with Hangman, but it was self-inflicted.”

AEW had apparently booked itself into a corner. With no clear challengers and no fresh storylines for Hangman Page, Khan felt the only move was to pivot. Fast.

“It was literally a self-inflicted problem and a self-imposed problem. At the same time, he found himself a month out from the pay-per-view thinking, ‘I don’t really have anywhere else to go given the current lay of the land in my promotion.’”

So the belt came off Page, and Samoa Joe became champion. Not for shock value—but because Khan needed options.

“He made the call a month before the pay-per-view. He said, ‘I’m going to take the belt off of him because this is the lane I’m going to go to generate more interest and directions for storytelling purposes.’ That’s the choice he made, and that’s basically why he took the belt off Hangman Page.”

Whether or not fans agree with the decision, AEW clearly believes Joe holding the title opens more doors creatively than keeping it on Page. The question now is whether this gamble pays off in future storylines—or if it’s just another Band-Aid for deeper booking issues.

Do you think Tony Khan made the right call putting the AEW World Title on Samoa Joe? Or should Hangman Page have been given more time? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let us know what direction you’d take the title next.

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