AEW Worlds End: Samoa Joe Wins AEW World Championship in a Shocking Way

AEW held its final pay-per-view event of the year, the inaugural AEW Worlds End. In the main event of the show, MJF defended the AEW World Championship against former ROH World TV Champion, Samoa Joe. While Friedman had the home field advantage as he's from Long Island, he came into the match no short of battered. He's been taking a beating for weeks at the hands of various AEW stars looking to get ahold of the championship, but he has retained the championship every time. Except for this time.

On AEW Dynamite, Friedman defended the ROH Tag Team Championships against the Devil's masked men who cheated by putting their feet on the ropes to stop Friedman from kicking out, winning the championships. Joe has made it clear that he would get Friedman to Nassau Coliseum in one piece so they can have their singles match where he will beat Friedman for the championship. 

As the match gets underway, Joe takes an early advantage but MJF regains some momentum, attempting a kangaroo kick. Joe catches him and launches him over the ropes. MJF catches himself, goes to skin the cat but he can't quite do it with his arm. Joe kicks him off the apron onto the floor. Joe launches himself through the ropes and takes him down again as Cole gives him a pep talk ringside. Joe drags him back into the ring, tosses him over his shoulders and hits a Death Valley Driver. MJF kicks out and Cole rallies the crowd for the champion. MJF fights back with a few chops, but Joe steps out of his comfort zone, utilizing German and dragon suplexes right into a straight jacket German. MJF once again kicks out, using the rope to do so. Joe picks him up for a muscle buster, causing MJF to hit his shoulder on the apron. 

Joe continues to toy with MJF, propping him on the top rope but MJF uses whatever will he has left to fight out. MJF uses a rolling elbow strike to Joe and pummels his head into the top turnbuckle. MJF strikes the top of Joe's head, biting him. He lifts Joe off the top rope but he buckles. Instead, he goes for the heat seeker and lands it, but Joe kicks out. He tries to do it again but Joe catches him and steps through the ropes. MJF rolls him up for a pin but Joe kicks out. He gets him into a submission hold but Joe reverses it, wrenching up on MJF's injured arm. MJF pulls himself to the ropes to break the pin. After the referee is knocked out, MJF puts Joe on his shoulder for an F5. MJF grabs the Dynamite Diamond Ring from Cole but Joe pulls him back and into a choke. It knocks MJF out and he picks up the win becoming the new AEW World Champion. Friedman took over the title as the longest-reigning AEW World Champion back at AEW Full Gear when he retained against Bullet Club Gold's Jay White. He held the title for 406 days.