'They all wanna wrestle me': Samoa Joe relishes the chance to become AEW's ‘standard-bearer' yet again

Yahoo

13-05-2025

Samoa Joe carries a certain aura about himself. The look, the towel, the nonchalant coolness is something that feels like it's always been there. He's a guy who makes everything he does in the ring look easy. The foundational elements of his music that have carried across different companies and Joe's connection to the audience make him a unique talent in the professional wrestling landscape.
More than 25 years into his career, Joe's just happy people still find joy in what he brings to table.
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'I'm just stoked that we're still vibing together and it's still a fun experience for everyone,' Joe tells Uncrowned.
The presentation of Joe, 46, and his established persona makes him a character that's easy to get invested in no matter where he is on the card. On Wednesday night at "AEW Dynamite," he'll have a chance to reach the top of the mountain yet again in an AEW World Championship match against Jon Moxley.
'It's a wonderful thing, man. Any opportunity to be the standard-bearer for the company is one that any professional in my current capacity would relish,' Joe says.
'I've had a lot of opportunities to fill a lot of different roles throughout the company. To find myself in the main event title mix is no surprise. It never is anywhere I go. But it's always reaffirming to see that we're still vying for gold no matter where we are.'
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Joe's opportunity to become the face of AEW comes at a time when Moxley's title reign is one of the more hotly debated stories in professional wrestling. It's been more than seven months since Moxley ended Bryan Danielson's full-time in-ring career, and his run with the Death Riders has created a polarizing presence around the promotion's featured title.
Joe says this is the type of environment he thrives in. He wants people to have a 'visceral hate or dislike,' rather than all fans thinking 'everybody's great, and I love both guys.'
'I think a lot of people these days shy away from that,' Joe continues.
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'We as performers maybe get a little bit too in our heads about other people's opinions and thinking that everything that's spoken against you is somehow some great attack. In reality, we are purveyors of what we do. And if people don't like what you make, you just have to deal with that. Not everybody likes apple pie.'
Whether good or bad, strong reactions like what the Death Riders saga continues to elicit often make it easier to tell a story when fans are already so invested. It just depends on the athlete.
'For some people, it's crippling. For other people, it's a joy and you look at it like a fat, juicy steak. You got the grill fired up and ready to go. That's my approach to it. And it's been my approach all along to stuff like that,' Joe says.
'Controversy creates cash and I'd rather have you feel some kind of way than no way at all.'
Samoa Joe has seen and done it all throughout his decades-long run. (Rob Tringali/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
(Rob Tringali via Getty Images)
Another chance at holding the world title is meaningful, and Joe prefers to live in the moment. He's intentional in not thinking too much about his legacy or discussing the impact his matches have had on the next generation.
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'I think it's a death for a lot of artists in general, a lot of wrestlers, a lot of whatever professional acumen you may have. I think when you start sniffing your own farts, you're going to have a tendency to start producing s***. And that's never been my intent,' Joe says.
'Maybe a lot of people do, and I don't fault them for that. I feel that you should feel pride and accomplishment and enjoy things that you do, and I would never fault anybody for feeling that or for speaking on their legacy.'
If anyone could speak on their legacy, it's Joe. He's one of the few stars who has experienced the various stages and media models that came with his time in Ring of Honor, TNA, WWE and now AEW.
He has matches that stand among the greatest ever — specifically his 2005 TNA triple-threat tilt with AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels is an all-timer. He has created moments in the ring that are mimicked by others and shamelessly sends reaction gifs of himself in family group chats.
Joe's focus isn't on any of that, though. It's on the impact he's made on each fan, each show and each opportunity.
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'The satisfaction comes with knowing that the audience that we've been gracious enough to have come and paid their ticket has had a good time and the audience at home has felt that their time was well spent, and that really for me is where it lies,' Joe says.
'That's why I got into this. This is what the job description was. This is what I do and I love what I do."
Joe has faced his fair share of setbacks along the way. At the top of his game, he missed more than a year after suffering back-to-back concussions in 2020 that nearly ended his in-ring career. Following a year behind the commentary desk, his decision to keep going and come back to the ring for more was an easy one.
'It's not hard to stay motivated when you enjoy what you do,' Joe says.
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Joe's return to the ring was rewarded with a 113-day reign atop AEW in 2023, one that he casually refers to as a 'fun championship run.'
With no slowing down and his eyes set on being the face of AEW ahead of him, Joe is ready for any and all challengers.
'The reality is it's every single one of 'em, they all wanna wrestle me — from Brody King to [Will] Ospreay. You ask anybody in that locker room, they wanna have that match,' Joe says.
'At this point, too, I wanna see how my style matches with them. Traditionally throughout my career, I've had the fortunate circumstance to work with people from a lot of different disciplines, a lot of different styles of wrestling, and there's many more newer talents that do things maybe a little bit differently that I'd love to see how we gel.'