AEW Dynamite: Samoa Joe beats returning WWE legend after almost 11 years

Samoa Joe has defeated a legendary former WWE Superstar in their first in-ring meeting in nearly 11 years. The talent in question is Rob Van Dam. The latter made his AEW debut in 2023.

On the February 21, 2024, episode of AEW Dynamite, the Samoan Submission Machine teamed up with Swerve Strickland and Brian Cage of the Moghul Embassy to face Hangman Adam Page, FTW Champion HOOK, and Rob Van Dam in trios action.

The tag match on Dynamite ended with the reigning AEW World Champion picking up the win for his team against RVD. Joe made the former WWE Champion submit with the Coquina Clutch. Joe and Van Dam faced each other for the first time in TNA, and the two men have not squared off since their last clash in 2013.

That year, Joe and Christopher Daniels defeated RVD and Chavo Guerrero. The former WWE Superstars' last singles match came in 2012.

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Joe is set to defend his world title against Page and Strickland in a three-way match at Revolution 2024. His previous defense of the championship took place against HOOK on the January 17, 2024, episode of AEW Dynamite. The Cold Hearted Handsome Devil lost the match via submission.

Will Samoe Joe walk out of Revolution 2024 as AEW World Champion? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!

About the author

Anurag is an AEW writer for Sportskeeda Wrestling. He holds a BA and MA degree in English along with a TEFL certification to teach English. Before Sportskeeda, he worked as a Content and Correspondence writer at Nayabad Titas, a theater group. He has also worked as a English language tutor.

To ensure complete accuracy, he uses internet resources, social media platforms, and especially pieces composed by his peers to find solid, verified information that he presents as objectively as possible. Thanks to his academic background, he can research different subjects thoroughly.

Anurag's interest in wrestling began as a child. He watched RAW and Smackdown frequently from age 10 or 11 and was officially hooked by the YES Movement story in WWE heading into WrestleMania 30.

As a lifelong wrestling fan and lover of stories, Anurag would read news, articles, and other content about the talent and events he enjoyed watching. His understanding of the business continued to grow with time, and his interest in the art and sport of wrestling led him to pursue a career as a writer.

Apart from writing, he loves to read books, watch movies and television programs, play and listen to music, and write poetry and fiction.

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Edited by Angana Roy