Samoa Joe wants to get AEW back on track.
Despite having many high-quality matches throughout 2023, more often than not fans remember the shows more for what happened in the wider world as opposed to in-ring action. With Samoa Joe now reigning as the top champion in the promotion, he is going to do all he can to make that change.
Speaking with Sports Illustrated, Joe stated that now he is the World Champion he has a responsibility to set an example and wants to make AEW known for the in-ring action and not other drama:
“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.”
Unfortunately for Joe, some of the “petty stuff” made its way onto social media the day before the interview was made public as Tony Khan launched an attack on WWE in regards to their booking of Jinder Mahal, blasting the “double standard” among wrestling fans.
Continuing the interview, Joe stated that he is very goal orientated and his main focus in any company is to prove to them that they made the right choice by signing The Samoan Submission Machine to their roster:
“Any company I join, my goal is to enrich that company. 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.”
The World Champion has already been called out by a surprising member of the roster as HOOK issued a warning to Samoa Joe on a recent episode of Collision.
Samoa Joe Shows No Signs Of Stopping
Having competed inside the ring for more than 20 years, Joe has been a part of every major promotion in the United States and has been a dominant force throughout. When discussing a possible date to think about winding down, Samoa Joe admitted that he has no plans to retire in the near future.