Samoa Joe has discussed his feud with Brock Lesnar that saw the two men meet for the WWE Universal Title at Great Balls Of Fire in 2017 and says it is a career highlight.
Joe has done almost everything there is to do in the wrestling business. Winning titles in Ring Of Honor and TNA before he set foot in the WWE’s universe in 2015 as part of NXT. As part of the black and gold brand, Samoa Joe became the first man to become a multiple-time NXT Champion.
Joining the WWE main roster in January 2017, it would be only six short months before Joe found himself face to face with WWE’s ‘Beast Incarnate’ Brock Lesnar. The two men put on a brawling clinic at Great Balls Of Fire with Lesnar doing what Lesnar does on most occasions he enters the ring and winning the night.
Speaking to Ryan Satin on the Out Of Character podcast, Samoa Joe has discussed sharing the ring with Lesnar and says it’s what everyone in the wrestling business should aspire to.
Joe explained:
“I think, if you’re in this industry, Brock is the type of match you should be seeking out. When you get into this industry, you should be gunning to work with the top, top guys. Brock was the top, top guy. When I was given the opportunity I did the very best to make the most of it every time I was in the ring with him. It’s important. You’ve got to have a goalpost, a bar of excellence that you maintain, and it’s easy like Brock, like Kurt Angle, like Roman. You push yourself because they push and, for me, it’s a good symbiotic relationship because they’re going to give as hard as they get, and vice versa.”
“Any time I get an opportunity to be in the ring with those types of performers – and Randy Orton – these are guys who are at the top of their game and do their best to push their opponents. There’s a weird symbiosis where you start to produce some really, really great stuff.”
Samoa Joe continued, saying that the whole experience of working with Lesnar and his advocate, Paul Heyman, is among the very best of his illustrious career.
Joe stated:
“You’ve gotta keep that energy with Brock. You’ve got to match that intensity. You can’t walk into this half-assed. Brock has no qualms about getting out there with everybody. I think the whole experience in general, the work I got to do with Paul – Heyman is a brilliant performer and any time I get into the ring with him and do what I do, it’s always a pleasure. It was all of that. I rank the whole experience, not just the match, pretty high on my personal favourites of my career.”
Samoa Joe recently turned up on NXT as William Regal’s enforcer just weeks after he was reported to have been released by WWE. Joe has since clarified his return saying he spoke to Triple H about coming back to the company just hours after John Laurinaitis had released him.