5 AEW opponents for Samoa Joe: Former WWE champion, Dynamite diamond ring winner and ex-ROH champion
Recent AEW signing Samoe Joe has made quite the impact since joining up with Tony Khan's promotion. The Samoan Submission Machine returned at the conclusion of ROH's Supercard of Honor and subsequently appeared on AEW Dynamite, defeating Minoru Suzuki to win the ROH TV title.
The former NXT Champion brings with him plenty of hype and a number of highly-anticipated dream matches. While Joe is at the tail end of his storied career, there are a number of intriguing matchups he can have in AEW, from former rivals to young stars.
With that in mind, here are five opponents Samoa Joe can face in All Elite Wrestling.
#5. AEW's newest wrestler Satnam Singh
Man, that AEW crowd was so hot for Samoa Joe wimming the ROH Title and then went so cold Satnam Singh crashing the party.
This honestly felt like something WWE would do, not in a good way. https://t.co/Y2UA9rf0TL
Samoa Joe's victory in his Dynamite debut was overshadowed by another surprise appearance. Former NBA basketball player Satnam Singh has aligned with Jay Lethal and Sonjay Dutt, and the three attacked the new ROH Pure Champion to close last Wednesday's show.
While Singh's debut received a mixed reception, it appears his presence on television is part of a wider strategy to create inroads into the Indian market.
It seems like Mark Henry is a big fan of the giant. In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda Wrestling's Riju Dasgupta, the WWE Hall of Famer stated that Singh has the potential to be a very successful big man for the future:
"Satnam Singh will be a major player in pro wrestling over the next 10 years." Henry continued, "He is gonna not just make a lot of money, but people will know his name."
The best way to create a great impression for Singh is to put him in the ring with a veteran wrestler like Samoa Joe. As a storied technician and ring general, Joe can guide the rookie to a decent match.
It might not be a marquee bout, but it allows Samoe Joe to ease his way into the AEW locker room and highlight a younger talent before moving on to bigger opponents.
#4. Former ROH champion Jay Lethal
Max Caster really referenced the X Division and AEW immediately gave us Jay Lethal, Sonjay Dutt and Samoa Joe in the same segment right after I approve. #AEWDynamite https://t.co/6fNVMLFeLt
Beyond Satnam Singh, it seems the starting feud for Samoa Joe is against former student and TNA alumni Jay Lethal. As a newly-turned heel, Lethal is poised to have a more significant run in AEW, especially with Sonjay Dutt and Satnam Singh backing him up.
The burgeoning rivalry between Joe and Lethal is a great callback for both TNA and ROH fans, given their history in both promotions. It's also a great way to highlight Ring of Honor under the new Tony Khan era while establishing that promotion's talents among the AEW roster.
#3. AEW's top villain MJF
Anyone else catch @The_MJF's nod to his #WWENXT appearance with @SamoaJoe on last night's #AEWDynamite? https://t.co/tWiW3GQAb4
The meme featuring Samoa Joe and MJF is legendary at this point. At NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II, MJF was used as an extra during Samoa Joe's entrance for his NXT Championship bout against Shinsuke Nakamura. The future AEW star tried to cut in front of Joe but was violently shoved into the wall.
It could be the genesis of a highly entertaining feud between Joe and Friedman. The classic trope of veteran wrestler versus rising star is as old as the wrestling business itself. But knowing MJF's heel character, he would love to exact revenge on the former NXT champion for embarrassing him.
The promo segments would be absolutely magical and the matches would definitely deliver. It's also a great way to give MJF another statement victory over an established name.
#2. Former WWE champion and ROH legend Bryan Danielson
Samoa Joe joins a number of AEW talents who got their start in Ring of Honor. One of the biggest names on the roster is Bryan Danielson, who became a ROH legend long before he set foot in WWE.
The Samoan Submission Machine and American Dragon have crossed paths in ROH before. Joe was in the middle of a nearly two-year run as ROH World Champion when he faced Danielson in a 40 minute classic. They also squared off in WWE and once again showed off their incredible chemistry.
With the two wrestlers in the same company once again, Joe and Danielson can pick up where they left off and put on hard-hitting matches as grizzled veterans.
#1. Former WWE champion and ex-ROH rival CM Punk
(AEW)
When you realize Samoa Joe and CM Punk are once again wrestling for the same company 🔥👀 (AEW) https://t.co/uIMkl1RlAJ
Arguably the greatest feud in ROH history occurred between Samoa Joe and CM Punk. It was a trilogy of matches for the ROH World Championship that captured the imagination of fans and ignited the independent wrestling scene. The first bout in the series was a classic where both men wrestled to a 60-minute draw.
The second match occurred a few months later at a show simply named "Punk vs Joe II". Taking place in Punk's hometown of Chicago, it again went to a 60-minute draw and was awarded five stars by wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer.
The final match came at All-Star Extravaganza II, where Punk tried one last time to conquer Joe in a match with no time limits, but to no avail. This time Joe would conclusively defeat Punk with the Coquina Clutch.
Tony Khan absolutely has to run this legendary matchup back on AEW television, even if for one night only. Since returning to pro wrestling, CM Punk has proven to still be deserving of the Best In The World moniker. Joe is also looking to shake off his patchy injury record and dominate the competition once more.
Hardcore wrestling fans would absolutely be frothing at the thought of the two stars revisiting this feud.