MJF is currently on a tear as the reigning AEW World Heavyweight Champion, with challengers coming from the left and right. Though Jay White will officially battle the double champion at Full Gear, and Wardlow is right behind in the pecking order, neither man should be the one to beat MJF for the AEW World Title.

Jay White is still fresh into his run in AEW. It was a bit rocky in the beginning because he seemed directionless. However, ever since the formation of Bullet Club Gold, Him, Juice Robinson, and The Gunn Club have been consistently entertaining acts in AEW. White is nicely gaining steam in the company, but he hasn't reached the peak of being ready to win the AEW World title.

Wardlow’s return was a pleasant surprise, and though his motivation for going after MJF makes perfect sense, the former TNT Champion is still reeling from his lackluster run following his huge win over MJF at Double or Nothing 2022. The fault lies strictly on Tony Khan, who booked Wardlow terribly during his time as the TNT Champion.

There was NOT one feud that helped elevate the big man. In fact, his title reigns were so forgettable that it doesn’t feel like he’s ready to even challenge for the world title yet. That leaves Samoa Joe. The man who SHOULD be the next AEW World Heavyweight Champion.

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Samoa Joe Has Been Killing It Since Making His Debut In AEW

This feels odd to say, but Samoa Joe is one of the more underrated talents in professional wrestling. Surprisingly, he was only TNA World Heavyweight Champion once despite being one of the prime reasons that elevated the X-Division.

His run in WWE should’ve been more. His debut on the main roster made audiences pay attention, but his brief feud with Brock Lesnar confirmed that he belonged in the main event. Joe legitimately feels like a badass. He carries himself as a top-level fighter and his mic skills are on another level. His words always felt authentic, and even when he was given less-than-ideal stories, such as his terrorizing Wendy during his feud with AJ Styles, he made everything believable.

His numerous injuries later in his career held him back from truly reaching the main event status. That’s not the case here. It was baffling that WWE let Joe go in 2022. The guy was an amazing commentator as well. He was the jack of all trades, and he immediately proved that upon his arrival at AEW.

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Samoa Joe Continues To Feel Like A Star Even When He Loses

Despite his sheer dominance as the ROH World Television Champion, Joe has been on the receiving end of big losses in AEW. But those losses don’t hinder Joe’s mysticism because his charisma still makes you feel like he’s a big-level threat. His wild feud with Darby Allin was not only entertaining, but it highlighted just how brutal and violent he came to be. And none of it ever feels phony. Even when he’s fighting talents that are bigger than him, Joe never feels out of place in whatever spot he’s given.

It doesn’t matter if he’s facing Darby Allin, Wardlow, or CM Punk, Samoa Joe has never left a match looking bad. Heel or face, the guy understands how to interact with the crowd and his words are always captivating. Since All In, Tony Khan has been wise to up Joe’s appearances on Dynamite. His feud with MJF was so simple, yet it was one of the better stories told in receive memory. Joe lost, but that’s a match and rivalry they can easily come back to at a later date.

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The Dream Matches

Joe’s run in the company is just getting started. Can you imagine the promo battles with Jon Moxley? The match will certainly be explosive and great. Or even Kenny Omega? Samoa Joe holds a victory over the former AEW World Heavyweight Champion back in PCW in 2007. That would be a fun piece of history to revisit. Daniel Bryan and Samoa Joe haven’t had a one-on-one match against each other since 2006; how these two have eluded each other for nearly two decades is astounding.

Despite being a veteran, there are still names on the top of the card that create exciting possibilities against the “Samoan Submission Machine”. His style is dynamic, so Joe doesn’t simply wrestle one type of match. MJF has had a historical title reign, so naturally speaking, Tony Khan may want to elevate some by beating MJF. Admittedly, Samoa Joe doesn’t need the credibility boost. But the guy isn’t getting any younger and he’s on fire again. Joe should be the top dog, and hopefully, the current trajectory of his story sees him go in that direction.

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