Samoa Joe opens up about his immediate plans in AEW
Samoa Joe has discussed his immediate plans in AEW and shared some insight on his reign as AEW World Champion.
The Samoan Submission Machine has held World Championships in ROH, TNA, and All Elite Wrestling, where he has been signed since 2022. Joe defeated Maxwell Jacob Friedman at Worlds End 2023 to become the AEW World Champion.
He defended the title against the likes of HOOK and Wardlow in singles competition and against Hangman Page and Swerve Strickland in a three-way bout at Revolution 2024 before eventually losing it to Strickland at Dynasty 2024 in April.
Speaking on Busted Open, Samoa Joe reflected on the privilege of being a world champion and being handed the responsibility such a role entails. The Destroyer referred to his work as a champion to attract audiences to the company's product before suggesting that he was eager to return to the title picture soon.
“I mean, obviously it’s always a tremendous honor whenever you’re carrying the Heavyweight Championship or the World Championship, and I took it as such [Joe said about being AEW World Champion]. Any time that I’ve been given the opportunity to step into that role, I try to go out there and give it our best shot and get people to tune in and see what we’re doing so, yeah, that’s about as much as I can say about it. It was a good time and I look forward to getting back there sooner than later.” [H/T: Post Wrestling]
Joe is in a program with HOOK, seemingly forming an alliance with The Cold-Hearted Handsome Devil in the latter's war against FTW Champion Chris Jericho and his faction on Dynamite last week.
Konnan believes Samoa Joe took care of himself in AEW
Since his debut in AEW, Samoa Joe has been booked as a dominant star with an excellent track record.
In two years, The Samoan Submission Specialist has enjoyed multiple reigns as the TNT Champion and one reign as All Elite Wrestling World Champion, which Swerve Strickland recently ended.
According to former wrestler Konnan, Samoa Joe is one of the only major names in All Elite Wrestling whose credibility had not been diminished in the company. Speaking on Keepin' It 100 OFFICIAL, Konnan suggested that the 45-year-old star had not been devalued because he supposedly took care of himself in the Tony Khan-led promotion.
It remains to be seen what the future holds for Samoa Joe in All Elite Wrestling.