Tony Khan to strip current AEW champion of the title following major incident at All In? Exploring the possibility

A top AEW champion was involved in a major incident at All In Texas and will now be taking some time off from the Jacksonville-based promotion. This gives rise to the possibility of Tony Khan stripping the star of his title.

Samoa Joe and his Opps stablemates, Powerhouse Hobbs and Katsuyori Shibata, defended their AEW World Trios Title at All In against Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, and Gabe Kidd. The Samoan Submission Machine and his team were able to retain their gold. However, Joe was taken out by his opponents in the aftermath and had to be stretchered out of the arena.

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This was reportedly carried out to write Joe off television, as he has promotional commitments outside of AEW. But there is no specific timeline in place regarding his return to the Tony Khan-led promotion. Considering this development, Tony could potentially strip Joe of the title and present it to absent Opps member HOOK.

The Cold-Hearted Handsome Devil, who has been out of action since April 2025 due to concussion issues, was last seen making a cameo appearance at the 2025 Double or Nothing, where he interfered to help The Opps during the Anarchy in the Arena match. Joe's hiatus could be the right time to bring HOOK back into the fray, with him assuming Joe's place as one-third of the World Trios Champions alongside Powerhouse Hobbs and Katsuyori Shibata.

That said, the angle is speculative at this point.

HOOK recently addressed his AEW absence

As mentioned above, HOOK has been absent from All Elite Wrestling for months now, with his last appearance coming at Double or Nothing. Amid his hiatus, The Cold-Hearted Handsome Devil opened up about the reason he's been away from television.

Speaking on Wrestling Observer Live, HOOK said he's recovering from a concussion.

“Yeah, yeah [I’ll be back in AEW soon]. I’m recovering from a concussion for those who don’t know, but yeah, I’ve been out for a while, and I should be back soon, for sure," he said. [H/T: TJR Wrestling]

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Now with Samoa Joe reportedly gone for weeks and HOOK confirming he'll be back soon, it will be interesting to see how Tony Khan books the 26-year-old upon his return to weekly programming.

About the author

Karan Raj is a senior writer in Sportskeeda's AEW division. He holds an engineering degree from Manipal University, but his passion for sports motivated him to pursue an MSc in Sports Business from the University of Liverpool. Karan has been in the sports marketing industry for the past seven years.

As a lifelong WWE fan and enthusiast of wrestling entertainment, he has always been drawn to the industry's unique blend of sports and storytelling. Karan was introduced to the business by his elder sister when he was 10 years old.

Before assuming his current role at Sportskeeda, Karan worked for several reputable organizations, such as Ting Works LLP and Sportz Interactive, wearing different hats. He also wrote the anthem of UP Rudras, a hockey team that played in the Hockey India League. Karan conducts thorough research while writing articles and only relies on credible sources for information.

Karan's favorite pro wrestler is Seth Rollins. He admires The Visionary's versatility as a performer and his ability to play both heel and babyface characters to perfection. Besides Rollins, Karan looks up to Roman Reigns for his storytelling skills and ability to captivate audiences.

In AEW, he enjoys watching Will Ospreay compete inside the ring. Karan loves The Aerial Assassin's technical in-ring ability and athleticism. If Karan could go back to the Attitude Era, he would combine forces with Jericho and promise to elevate his career to the same level as The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin.When not writing about pro wrestling, Karan loves to play and watch football. It is a huge part of his life.

He is also a massive fan of tennis and is learning to play the sport. Apart from sports, he also knows how to play the ukulele.

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Edited by Yash Mittal