HOOK Returns On AEW Dynamite, Evens The Odds Against Chris Jericho's Learning Tree

HOOK made his triumphant return to "AEW Dynamite" on Wednesday to come to the aid of Katsuyori Shibata who was suffering a beatdown at the hands of The Learning Tree following a victory over "Bad Apple" Bryan Keith. HOOK, Shibata, and Samoa Joe have been feuding with The Learning Tree for weeks, following Chris Jericho's victory over the "Cold Hearted Handsome Devil" to capture his FTW Championship after the pair initially were a team. On the July 3 Beach Break episode of "Dynamite" following Cage of Agony being dealt a triple threat loss to the good guys, Jericho injured HOOK by launching a fireball at the young up-and-comer backstage after Keith blindsided HOOK.

Shibata's match with Keith was set up following the Beach Break backstage brawl, and after Shibata helped Minoru Suzuki fight off The Learning Tree after Suzuki lost to Jericho on the July 24 edition of the show. After Shibata won by tapping out Keith with a cross arm breaker, Big Bill and Jericho blindsided him in the ring. Jericho looked to hit Shibata with his championship while Bill and Keith held him in place in the middle of the ring, but HOOK's music hit and he ran down the ramp to help his friend. 

HOOK sent Keith and Bill flying out of the ring, and then delivered a beatdown to Jericho before throwing him out as well. The Learning Tree regrouped on the ramp and looked to head back into the ring, but thought better of it and stared down Shibata and the newly-returned HOOK from the outside.