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At Full Gear 2025, Samoa Joe won the AEW World Championship for the second time in his career after brutalizing Hangman Page in a steel cage match with the help of his stable of Opps.
With this win, the Samoan Submission Machine rightfully reclaimed his place at the top of the promotion, this time with the support of the Opps, the group that could help him secure All Elite Wrestling's top prize. That being said, Joe has yet to defend his title in his second reign and in the immediate future it looks like he will be facing Hangman Page in a rematch.
While many expect the Destroyer to retain the title against the Anxious Perennial Cowboy, at 46 years of age, Joe's time at the helm is likely limited, and he could be in his final world title run. That being said, the Jacksonville-based promotion has no shortage of quality challengers, and on this list, we'll look at the next three stars (in order) who are poised to become World Champion after Samoa Joe.
#3. Swerve Strickland to dethrone Samoa Joe
Swerve Strickland last competed in an AEW match at Forbidden Door 2025, where he unsuccessfully challenged Kazuchika Okada for the Unified Title. After the bout, the Mogul took a three-month break to recover from an earlier knee injury. However, the New Flavor finally returned to Full Gear last month to take on Samoa Joe and prevent him and the Opps from causing more damage to Hangman Page.
Although Strickland seems to support the Anxious Perennial Cowboy, who is primed for a world title rematch, it won't be long before the Realest star gets his shot at the Samoan submission machine. Notably, Strickland is a former AEW World Champion, having won the title by defeating Samoa Joe at Dynasty 2024. All in all, there's a good chance that history will repeat itself, and it's Swerve who dethrone Samoa Joe to win the world title for the second time.
#2. MJF to defeat Swerve Strickland for the AEW World Championship
Arguably one of the biggest heels in the wrestling industry right now, MJF is also one of the most bankable stars in Tony Khan's promotion. Friedman is currently on hiatus from All Elite Wrestling while filming Violent Night 2. However, Salt of the Earth is expected to return soonand once he does, he can easily position himself in the world title picture.
At All In: Texas, the Wolf of Wrestling claimed the Men's Casino Gauntlet contract, giving him a world title shot. MJF has yet to take advantage of his opportunity and will likely look to cash in once he returns. However, Maxwell's immediate focus may be on challenging TNT Champion Mark Briscoe, who defeated him in a Tables and Thumbtacks match at All Out 2025. This was the last time Friedman appeared on AEW programming.
Before leaving, MJF had delivered one scathing promotion where he claimed he would return as a more dangerous version of himself and even dropped several talents in the company. All things considered, The Salt Of The Earth could take a few detours before reclaiming his place as AEW World Champion.
#1. Will Ospreay finally becomes AEW World Champion
Will Ospreay is currently recovering from a long neck injury that reportedly sidelined him until the beginning of 2026. The last time we saw the Aerial Assassin in action was at Forbidden Door 2025, where he led his team to victory in a brutal Lights Out Steel Cage match. When he returns, Ospreay will be among the top stars lined up for a shot at the AEW World Championship.
Unlike Swerve Strickland and MJF, the English star has never won the promotion's top prize, and 2026 could be the year he finally fulfills his destiny. That said, like Friedman, Ospreay will face some obstacles before he can get into the world title picture, starting with getting revenge on the Death Riders who (kayfabe) sidelined him at Forbidden Door.
Edited by Karan Raj
