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Samoa Joe on Becoming AEW Champion: ‘Let’s Get Back To Entertaining People’

“I really want to make a focus of getting the fans’ attention back on the conflict in the ring, and a lot of the petty stuff needs to melt away. Let’s get back to entertaining people.”

Justin Barrasso

Samoa Joe on Becoming AEW Champion: ‘Let’s Get Back To Entertaining People’
Samoa Joe on Becoming AEW Champion: ‘Let’s Get Back To Entertaining People’ /

SI.com’s Week in Wrestling is published every week and provides beneath the surface coverage of the business of pro wrestling.

Samoa Joe: “As champion, you’re the standard-bearer”

Samoa Joe is ready to change the culture of All Elite Wrestling.

For the new AEW world champion, this opportunity was not just thrust upon him after winning the belt at Worlds End. Samoa Joe has been a leader since his AEW arrival in April of 2022, winning over the roster by his willingness to lead by example–perhaps no moment greater than he ensured the opening match of the famed All In pay-per-view this past summer at Wembley Stadium took place without issue.

“I understand the world of professional wrestling,” said Joe. “I’ve seen things work at a very high level, and I understand the type of people backstage that it takes for that to happen. I try to be that person.

“As champion, you’re the standard-bearer. I’m more than happy to take up that mantle. I really want to make a focus of getting the fans’ attention back on the conflict in the ring, and a lot of the petty stuff needs to melt away. Let’s get back to entertaining people.”

Contents

  1. The (Online) Week in Wrestling
  2. Tweet of the Week

Joe, 44, is a wrestling lifer. With a quarter-century in the business, his seasoning is readily evident in his work. He has made himself a valuable entity wherever he has been employed. Whether taking a headset in WWE (and making the most of a WrestleMania outdoors in the rain), becoming the face of NXT during its peak run, establishing Ring of Honor, or proving himself among stars in TNA, Joe has a history of enhancing the product wherever he works.

“Any company I join, my goal is to enrich that company,” said Joe. “I’ve been with several different companies throughout my career, and when I join up with an organization, I’m not signing up to add to my personal trophy case. I’m there to deliver and show them they made a fantastic investment. I want to ensure they’re getting everything they paid for and more. With that approach in life, you’re bound to find success. It’s not what they’re going to do for me or my legacy, but what I can do for them and theirs.”

Courtesy AEW
Courtesy AEW

Joe possesses an innate understanding of who he is and his worth in the ring. He has very few peers on the microphone–and his resume includes tearing the vaunted Roman Reigns apart on the stick.

Samoa Joe stands with any other champion in the industry, providing another reason to watch AEW any time he is scheduled to appear.

“My goal is to have really great matchups with extraordinary individuals, which we have in spades on this roster, and give fans a reason to tune in,” said Joe. “Something is about to go down, and it’s going to be violent. That’s the vision I have for my reign, and I’m looking forward to executing it.”

It is hard to believe that Joe was released on two separate occasions by WWE. Despite his extraordinary skill level–or perhaps because he was a personal favorite of Paul “Triple H” Levesque–Joe was deemed replaceable by the powers-that-be in WWE. But he resisted the urge to grow bitter. Even throughout the recovery process from his concussion, a confidence stirred inside that he would return and restore his place atop the pro wrestling hierarchy.

“It’s all about having a proper perspective,” said Joe. “I have the greatest job in the world. Everything that would be attributed as a pitfall in my career would be a dream for most people.

“I’m not going to feel sorry for myself because I had a few bumps in the road. That’s the nature of what we do in this industry. I defy you to find anyone who’s found any type of success in any industry that didn’t have to go through hurdles. When you want to chase your dreams, this is what you do. And this is where I am.”

Part of the allure of Joe as champ in AEW is the multitude of matchups that are both fresh and first-time.

“Kenny Omega, when he’s healthy, and Will Ospreay,” said Joe, beginning to name potential opponents. “Swerve Strickland and Hangman, they’re both waiting for me. The matchups we can do are infinite. The possibilities going into this year are wide and varied, and it’s going to be very fun.”

Another possibility? Soon-to-be free agent Kazuchika Okada.

“That’s another first-time, fresh matchup you won’t see anywhere else,” said Joe. “He can come get it, too. That’s for anyone. If someone feels like they want it, then show up–and we’ll see what you’ve got. But if you come up lame, I will laugh in your face.”

Away from the ring, Joe starred as Sweet Tooth in the phenomenal Twisted Metal show. Now that Peacock has been renewed for a second season, Joe will be donning Sweet Tooth’s demonic clown mask and tactical lethal harness as he creates more chaos on-screen.

Courtesy Peacock
Courtesy Peacock

And Sweet Tooth will laugh maniacally when he learns Samoa Joe is wearing AEW gold.

“He’s going to be overjoyed,” said Joe. “This will put him over the top.”

The (Online) Week in Wrestling

  • Last night, there was plenty of commotion on Twitter as Tony Khan, Jinder Mahal, Eric Bischoff, and a plethora of others all went back-and-forth in a wild exchange. It is not easy to pick a winner in these battles, but the end result is that there was more goodwill for Jinder.
  • The interaction on Raw between Drew McIntyre and CM Punk was outstanding, and it was embedded with just enough of a blend of storyline and reality. Gripping and tense, it showed a different layer from McIntyre, and ultimately added that much more intensity to the upcoming Royal Rumble.
  • Cody Rhodes defeated Shinsuke Nakamura in the main event of Raw, taking one step closer to the Royal Rumble match later this month.
  • New Japan Pro-Wrestling has announced debut matches for its new stars. David Finlay will defend the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship against Dolph Ziggler (Nic Nemeth), and Hiroshi Tanahashi will put his newly won World Television Championship on the line against Matt Riddle at The New Beginning in Sapporo on February 23. Prior to that, on February 11, Bryan Danielson will wrestle Zack Sabre Jr.
  • Adam Copeland’s open challenge to get back to the TNT title is a fantastic use of the wrestling icon. Let’s see if it succeeds in helping build a new star.
  • The soaring popularity of Rhea Ripley was again on display on Raw. How will that affect her opponent–if she wrestles against a babyface–at WrestleMania 40?
  • This is a significant weekend in wrestling. Kazuchika Okada and Will Ospreay headline New Japan’s Battle in the Valley card, while TNA holds its Hard To Kill pay-per-view.

Sasha Banks is the missing piece to WWE’s golden era

If you’re Paul “Triple H” Levesque, how can you not meet Mercedes Varnado’s price to ensure that Sasha Banks returns to WWE?

Courtesy WWE
Courtesy WWE

Varnado is the most prominent free agent in the industry. She is a versatile, impactful star, able to headline WrestleMania or open Raw. And with a severe injury removing Charlotte Flair for the foreseeable future, there is no one–absolutely no one–who can add to the roster like Varnado.

As Mercedes Moné, Varnado would bring star power to AEW. She would help redefine the top of the roster, and the weekly programming could be built around her. But how can Levesque afford for her to go elsewhere? Varnado should reprise the Banks character and win the Royal Rumble, then go on to WrestleMania 40 against either Iyo Sky (which would make sense considering the connection to Bayley) or my personal favorite–a one-on-one encounter against Rhea Ripley.

Where will Varnado land? As of now, there is no bigger question surrounding a free agent in wrestling.

Tweet of the Week

There is something poetic about Naito throwing a belt in the air.

Published
Justin Barrasso
JUSTIN BARRASSO

Justin Barrasso has been writing for Sports Illustrated since 2014. While his primary focus is pro wrestling and MMA, he has also covered MLB, NBA, and the NFL. He can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com and followed on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.

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