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Samoa Joe

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Template:Short description Template:Redirect Template:Pp-vandalism Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox professional wrestler Nuufolau Joel Seanoa (born March 17, 1979), better known by the ring name Samoa Joe, is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Opps, and is one-third of the AEW World Trios Champions. He is also known for his work with Ring of Honor (ROH), Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), and WWE.

Debuting in 1999, Joe joined ROH soon after its formation in 2002, going on to hold the ROH World Championship for a record 21 months from March 2003 to December 2004 as well as holding the ROH Pure Championship. At Slammiversary in June 2005, he joined TNA, where he embarked on a 19-month-long undefeated streak that ended in a critically acclaimed feud with Kurt Angle. During his 10-year stint in TNA, he held the TNA World Heavyweight Championship once, the TNA X Division Championship five times, the TNA World Tag Team Championship twice, and the TNA Television Championship once.

After departing TNA in 2015, Joe began wrestling for WWE on its NXT brand. After winning the NXT Championship twice, he joined the main roster in January 2017, going on to win the WWE United States Championship on two occasions and headline several WWE pay-per-views and livestreaming supercards. In 2019, he began working as a color commentator due to accumulated injuries. He was released from his contract in April 2021, but was rehired that June, winning the NXT Championship a third time before being released once again in January 2022.

Joe was named part of the inaugural class of the ROH Hall of Fame in January 2022. Three months later he made his debut in AEW, and concurrently returned to ROH, which by then was AEW's sister promotion following its purchase by AEW co-owner/chief executive officer Tony Khan. In AEW/ROH, Joe held the AEW TNT Championship twice and the ROH World Television Championship once (at one time holding both titles simultaneously) and set a new record for the longest reign as ROH Television Champion. He then defeated MJF for the AEW World Championship in December 2023, making him the only wrestler to have held the AEW, ROH, and TNA World Championships.<ref name="Raimondi2024"/>

Outside of wrestling, Seanoa is an actor and voice actor; he is known for playing Sweet Tooth in the 2023 television series Twisted Metal, voicing King Shark in the 2024 video game Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, and lending both appearance and voice to antagonist Raymond Law in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii.

Early lifeEdit

Seanoa was born on March 17, 1979 to Pete and Portia Seanoa. He was raised in Orange County, California.<ref name="MilnerKamchen2005"/> As a child, Seanoa performed for "Tiare Productions", a Polynesian dance troupe founded by his parents in 1965. At the age of five, Seanoa performed in the opening ceremony of the 1984 Summer Olympics at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.<ref name="Sims2019"/><ref name="Schmidt-Jackson2011"/> He became a California State Junior Judo Champion and was an all league football player while attending Ocean View High School.<ref name=unstop/> Seanoa attended college, where he played football.<ref name="WWEInterview"/> Before becoming a wrestler, he worked as a mortgage broker.<ref name="Banks2007"/>

Professional wrestling careerEdit

Early career (1999–2001)Edit

Seanoa became involved in professional wrestling after attending a Jiu-Jitsu class and being encouraged by instructors to attend a professional wrestling school taking place afterwards, whereupon he "fell in love with it" and began training regularly.<ref name="WWEInterview"/> Seanoa attended the United Independent Wrestling Alliance (UIWA) West Coast Dojo, where he trained under Cincinnati Red, Johnny Hemp and, occasionally, John Delayo. He debuted in December 1999 in a match against "Uncle" Jess Hansen three months after beginning his training, adopting the ring name "Samoa Joe".<ref name="MilnerKamchen2005"/> In 2000, Joe began appearing with the California-based Ultimate Pro Wrestling (UPW) promotion, then a developmental affiliate of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), after being scouted by Brett Wagner.<ref name="WWEInterview"/> While in UPW, Joe feuded with John Cena<ref name="Markazi2015"/><ref name="Kreikenbohm2000"/> and held the UPW No Holds Barred Championship from March to April 2001.<ref name="UPWNoHoldsBarred"/> He was named Southern California's Rookie of the Year for 2000.<ref name="Bryant2001"/> In February 2001, he appeared on an episode of WWF Jakked, losing to Essa Rios; he was subsequently told by WWF personnel that he "didn't have a future in [the WWF]".<ref name="WWEInterview"/><ref name="Markazi2015"/><ref name="Kreikenbohm2001"/> In March 2001, Joe defeated Christopher Daniels to win the UPW Heavyweight Championship; he held the title for a record 258 days before losing to Mikey Henderson in November 2001.<ref name="Kreikenbohm2001"/><ref name="UPWtitle"/> In October 2001, Joe competed in All Pro Wrestling's "King of Indies" tournament that was won by American Dragon.<ref name="Bryant2001"/><ref name="KreikenbohmKing"/><ref name="Wonsover2018"/>

Pro Wrestling Zero-One (2001–2003)Edit

As part of a working arrangement between Ultimate Pro Wrestling and Shinya Hashimoto's Pro Wrestling Zero-One promotion, Joe made his first appearance in Japan in June 2001 during Pro Wrestling Zero-One's "Shingeki" pay-per-view.<ref name="Bryant2001"/><ref name="Shingeki"/><ref name="FireFestival"/> In his debut match he teamed with Keiji Sakoda to defeat Katsumi Usuda and Yuki Ishikawa to become the inaugural Intercontinental Tag Team Champions; the titles were awarded to Mike Rapada and Steve Corino the following month.<ref name="KreikenbohmZero1"/><ref name="ZERO"/><ref name="ZEROUN"/> Joe went on to take part in the 2001 Fire Festival, finishing second in his block with four points after defeating George Takano and Masato Tanaka but losing to Kohei Sato.<ref name="KreikenbohmZero1"/>

Joe returned to Pro Wrestling Zero-One in January 2002, where Masato Tanaka and Shinjiro Otani defeated him and Tom Howard to win the vacant Intercontinental Tag Team Championship.<ref name="KreikenbohmZero1"/><ref name="ZERO"/> He continued to work for the promotion throughout 2002, participating in a number of its biggest shows and tournaments as "Samoa Joe" and later "King Joe". He tagged with several other American wrestlers, including Samoan Savage. Joe took part in the 2002 Fire Festival, finishing last in his block with two points after defeating Kintaro Kanemura but losing to TAKA Michinoku, Masato Tanaka, and eventual overall winner Shinjiro Otani.<ref name="KreikenbohmZero1"/>

Joe made his final appearances with Pro Wrestling Zero-One in August 2003 as part of its "Summer Festival 2003" tour. Wrestling as "King Joe", he competed in a series of tag team matches and six-man tag team matches, including teaming with King Adamo to unsuccessfully challenge Kohei Sato and Hirotaka Yokoi for the All Asia Tag Team Championship.<ref name="KreikenbohmZero1"/>

Independent circuit (2001–2015)Edit

Joe wrestled for many independent promotions from 2001 to 2015, including IWA Mid-South, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, Jersey All Pro Wrestling, the United Wrestling Federation, Full Impact Pro, and Major League Wrestling.<ref name="KreikenbohmPromotions"/> In 2004, Joe won IWA Mid-South's Revolution Strong Style Tournament.<ref name="SaalbachIWA"/> In 2006, Joe won the Twin Wrestling Entertainment Championship and the Ballpark Brawl Natural Heavyweight Championship.<ref name="KreikenbohmTitles"/><ref name="KreikenbohmTWE"/> In the same year, he won the Extreme Wrestling Federation's Xtreme 8 Tournament.<ref name="KreikenbohmEWF"/>

Ring of Honor (2002–2007, 2008, 2015)Edit

In 2002, Samoa Joe joined the ranks of the nascent Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based promotion Ring of Honor (ROH), which had been impressed by his work in Japan and on the United States independent circuit.<ref name="WWEInterview"/> He debuted in October 2002 at "Glory By Honor" as Christopher Daniels's "hired assassin", brought in to defeat Daniels's chief enemy, Low Ki.<ref name=rohpast/> Originally booked for a single match against Low Ki, Joe impressed fans with his extremely stiff and hard-hitting style that resembled a mixed martial arts fighter more than a wrestler, resulting in ROH booking him full-time.<ref name="WWEInterview"/><ref name="JoeShootInterview"/>

File:Samoa Joe in March 2015 (cropped).jpg
Joe in March 2015 upon his return to Ring of Honor.

Joe quickly rose through the ranks and became ROH Champion by defeating Xavier at Night of Champions in March 2003.<ref name="ROHBio"/> After he defeated The Zebra Kid at "Frontiers of Honor" in London, England in May 2003, the title was renamed the ROH World Championship.<ref name="ROHworld"/><ref name="ROHworld2"/> Joe held the title for a record 645 days, defending the title 29 times in the United States and in Europe.<ref name="ROHBio"/> During this time, he had a critically acclaimed trilogy of title defenses against CM Punk (the second of which received a "five star" rating from veteran journalist Dave Meltzer, the first match in the United States in seven years to do so).<ref name="ROHBio"/><ref name=rohpast/> In June 2004, Joe successfully defended the ROH World Championship against Shinya Makabe in a bout promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling at the Inoki Dojo in Santa Monica, California.<ref name="Kreikenbohm2004"/> Joe's reign finally ended after 645 days when he lost to Austin Aries at Final Battle in December 2004.<ref name="ROHworld"/><ref name="ROHworld2"/>

Soon after losing the ROH World Championship to Aries, Joe became the ROH Pure Champion by defeating his on-screen protégé Jay Lethal in May 2005.<ref name="ROHBio"/><ref name="ROHpure"/><ref name="ROHpure2"/> He lost the title to Nigel McGuinness at "Dragon Gate Invasion" in August 2005.<ref name="ROHBio"/><ref name="ROHpure"/><ref name="ROHpure2"/> In October 2005, when Japanese wrestler Kenta Kobashi made a trip to the United States, he was signed to two Ring of Honor shows. ROH officials selected Joe to face him in a singles match on the first night and a tag match on the second.<ref name="ROHBio"/><ref name=rohpast/><ref name="Randazzo2005"/> They had a hihgly acclaimed match, which Dave Meltzer again gave a five-star rating and won the Wrestling Observer Newsletter award for "Match of the Year", with the Wrestling Observer Newsletter also naming Joe "Most Outstanding Wrestler" for 2005.<ref name="Meltzer2011"/> In 2015, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter described the match as being "widely considered one of the company's defining moments".<ref name="JoeTNA"/>

In 2006, Joe was one of the principal wrestlers representing Ring of Honor during an interpromotional feud with the Philadelphia promotion Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW). The feud culminated in a five-on-five "Cage of Death" match at "Death before Dishonor IV" in July 2006.<ref name="Vetter2006" /> At the September 16, 2006 ROH show, Joe got into an argument and pull-apart brawl with Pro Wrestling Noah star Takeshi Morishima. Subsequently, a match was signed for February 2007 pitting Joe against Morishima which Joe won.<ref name=rohpast/> Joe later teamed with Homicide to fight against the Briscoes, and, like Homicide, found himself back in the ROH World Championship hunt. Joe, however, came up short against champion Bryan Danielson in several matches, including a match that ended in a time limit drawn after 60 minutes and a cage match in December 2006.<ref name=rohpast/>

Joe ceased to be a full-time performer in ROH on March 4, 2007.<ref name="ROHJoe"/> His appearances leading up to that date were billed as the "Samoa Joe Farewell Tour". On March 4, he defeated long-time rival Homicide in the Liverpool Olympia in Liverpool, England in his final ROH match.<ref name="rohpast"/> On November 22, 2008, Joe made a one night return to ROH at Rising Above (its second every pay-per-view), defeating Tyler Black in a dark match.<ref name="Martin2008"/>

After departing Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in February 2015, Samoa Joe briefly returned to ROH the following month.<ref name="ROHBioOld"/><ref name="ROHreturn"/> After defeating Kyle O'Reilly, ACH, and Michael Elgin in successive matches, Joe unsuccessfully challenged ROH World Champion Jay Briscoe in the main event of Supercard of Honor IX on March 27.<ref name="Supercard2015"/><ref name="KreikenbohmROH"/> On June 20, Joe teamed with AJ Styles to defeat ROH World Tag Team Champions Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian in a non-title match. Joe subsequently left Ring of Honor once again.<ref name="Torch2015"/>

Inoki Dojo (2004)Edit

In 2004, Joe appeared with Inoki Dojo, an American offshoot of New Japan Pro-Wrestling based in Santa Monica, California.<ref name="Fain2020"/> He made his first appearance in April 2004, teaming with Bobby Quance in a loss to Aaron Aguilera and American Dragon, then later that month wrestled Aguilera to a time limit draw. Joe made a handful of appearances with Inoki Dojo in June and July 2004, including successfully defending the ROH World Championship against Shinya Makabe. Joe made his final appearance with Inoki Dojo in December 2004, teaming with Chad Malenko in a loss to Katsushi Takemura and Osamu Nishimura.<ref name="KreikenbohmInokiDojo"/>

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2005–2015)Edit

Undefeated streak; feud with Kurt Angle (2005–2007)Edit

After being courted by both Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), Joe signed a contract with TNA in June 2005.<ref name="JoeTNA"/> He debuted later that month at Slammiversary, defeating Sonjay Dutt.<ref name="Slammiversary2005"/> Joe subsequently entered the 2005 TNA Super X Cup Tournament, defeating Sonjay Dutt and Alex Shelley before defeating AJ Styles in the tournament finals at Sacrifice in August 2005 following interference from Christopher Daniels.<ref name="Wonsover2018"/><ref name="Sacrifice2005"/> As a result of Daniels' interference, TNA Director of Authority Larry Zbyszko booked a three-way match for Daniels' X Division Championship at Unbreakable in September 2005. The match was won by Styles, though Joe's undefeated streak remained intact as it was Daniels who was pinned.<ref name="Wonsover2018"/><ref name="Unbreakable"/> The match received an elusive "five star" rating from journalist Dave Meltzer.<ref name="Wonsover2018"/><ref name="TNAFiveStars"/> At Bound for Glory in October 2005, Joe defeated New Japan Pro-Wrestling's Jushin Liger.<ref name="Sims2019"/><ref name="Kreikenbohm2005"/>

Joe defeated Styles to win the X Division Championship at Turning Point in December 2005.<ref name="Kreikenbohm2005"/><ref name="Cygy2005B"/> At Final Resolution in January 2006, Joe defended the championship against Daniels, winning by technical knockout.<ref name="Hall2012"/> At Against All Odds in February 2006, Joe defeated Daniels and Styles in a rematch from Unbreakable to retain the title.<ref name="Cygy2006E"/> At Destination X in March 2006, Joe lost the title to Daniels in an Ultimate X match (a match in which there is no pinfall or submission, thus preserving Joe's undefeated streak).<ref name="Cygy2006F"/>

On the April 13, 2006 episode of Impact, Joe defeated Christopher Daniels to win the X Division Championship for a second time.<ref name=TNA/> In late-May 2006, Joe was absent for two weeks while rehabilitating a major tear to his posterior cruciate ligament.<ref name="Clark2006"/> At Slammiversary in June 2006, Joe defeated Scott Steiner.<ref name="Cygy2006I"/> On June 19, Joe defended the X Division Championship against Senshi and Sonjay Dutt in a triple threat match; after Steiner interfered in the match and gave Joe a chair shot, Senshi pinned Dutt to win the Championship, ending Joe's second reign.<ref name="TNA"/><ref name="Kreikenbohm2006"/>

At Victory Road in July 2006, Joe, Steiner, Sting, and Christian Cage took part in a four-way match to determine the number one contender to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship; the match ended when Sting pinned Steiner.<ref name="Cygy2006D"/> At No Surrender in September 2006, Joe defeated Jeff Jarrett in a non-title "fan's revenge lumberjack match". After the match, he took Jarrett's title belt. On the October 12 episode of Impact, Joe agreed to return the belt to the winner of the forthcoming bout between Jarrett and Sting at Bound for Glory on the condition that the winner give him a title shot. This offer was turned down by TNA Management Director Jim Cornette, who gave Joe the choice of returning the title or be fired. After Joe again refused to return the belt, he got into a brawl with the debuting Kurt Angle, allowing Jarrett to retrieve the belt. At Bound for Glory later that month, Joe defeated Abyss, Brother Runt, and Raven in a Monster's Ball match after guest referee Jake Roberts performed a DDT on Raven, allowing Joe to defeat Raven. Later that night, Joe was involved in a pull-apart brawl with Angle after Cornette announced that he would be fired if he interfered in the match between Jarrett and Sting that involved Angle as special enforcer.<ref name="Cygy2006"/> At Genesis in November 2006, Joe lost to Angle after submitting to Angle's ankle lock. This ended his 18-month undefeated streak.<ref name="Cygy2006B"/> At Turning Point in December 2006, Joe defeated Kurt Angle by submission.<ref name="Cygy2006C"/> At Final Resolution in January 2007, Joe lost to Angle in a 30-minute Iron Man match.<ref name="Cygy2007"/> The feud between Joe and Angle was named PWI Feud of the Year for 2007 by Pro Wrestling Illustrated,<ref name="PWIFeud"/> while Joe was named PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year for 2006 by Pro Wrestling Illustrated.<ref name="PWIPopular"/>

Dual champion; alliance with Kevin Nash (2007–2008)Edit

File:Samoa Joe in 2007 (cropped).jpg
Joe in May 2007.

In February 2007, Joe won a Gauntlet for the Gold match to become the number one contender for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship; the following month at Destination X he unsuccessfully challenged champion Christian Cage.<ref name="Martin2007B"/><ref name="Cygy2007B"/> On the July 12 episode of Impact, Joe defeated Jay Lethal and Chris Sabin to win the X Division Championship.<ref name=TNA/> His victory entitled him to take part in the "Match of Champions" at Victory Road later that month; during the Match of Champions, Joe pinned Brother Ray to win the TNA World Tag Team Championship, making him the first wrestler in TNA to simultaneously hold multiple TNA championships.<ref name=TNA/> He opted to hold the Championship by himself rather than choosing a tag team partner. At Hard Justice in August 2007, Joe put up the X Division Championship the TNA World Tag Team Championship against Kurt Angle's TNA World Heavyweight Championship and IWGP Heavyweight Championship, losing the match (and both his titles) thanks to interference by Karen Angle.<ref name="Kreikenbohm2007"/>

At No Surrender in September 2007, Joe lost to Christian Cage. The following month at Bound For Glory, Joe defeated Cage in a rematch. At Genesis in November 2007, Joe defeated Robert Roode.<ref name="Kreikenbohm2007"/> That same month, Joe won the inaugural TNA Turkey Bowl.<ref name="Martin2007"/>

At Turning Point in December 2007, Joe was scheduled to team with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall to face the Angle Alliance. However, Hall, no-showed the event. Before the match, Joe was asked to cut a promo introducing Eric Young as Hall's replacement. Joe went five minutes overtime and criticized Hall, Nash and several other wrestlers, legitimately angering Nash and TNA president Dixie Carter, The match saw Joe, Nash, and Young defeat the Angle Alliance when Joe pinned Tomko. After the match, Joe and Nash briefly argued and shoved one another backstage, with Joe apologizing at a talent meeting the following day.<ref name="Keller2007"/> The incident was parlayed into a storyline where Joe directed his frustrations towards TNA management, After complaining to TNA Management Director Jim Cornette that he did not have a match at Final Resolution in January 2008, Cornette scheduled a match pitting Joe and Nash against TNA World Tag Team Champions AJ Styles and Tomko. The match saw Nash refuse to tag himself in, leading to Styles and Tomko defeating Joe.<ref name="Kreikenbohm2007"/>

World Heavyweight Champion (2008)Edit

File:Samoa Joe in September 2008 (cropped).png
Joe as TNA World Heavyweight Champion in September 2008.

At Against All Odds in February 2008, Joe served as the special enforcer for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship match between champion Kurt Angle and challenger Christian Cage. During the match, AJ Styles interfered and fought Joe away from the ring, enabling Tomko to interfere to help Angle win the match. On the February 14 episode of Impact, Joe formed a stable with Cage and Kevin Nash to compete with Angle's Angle Alliance.

At Lockdown in April 2008, Joe defeated Angle in a title versus career match to win his first and only TNA World Championship.<ref name=TNA/> Writing in 2015, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter described the bout between Angle and Joe as "arguably the company's peak in terms of creative, match quality, business, and production coming together".<ref name="JoeTNA"/> The win also made Joe the third TNA Triple Crown Champion.<ref name=TNA/>

At Sacrifice in May 2008, Joe successfully defended the TNA World Championship against Kaz and Scott Steiner in a three way match.<ref name="Kreikenbohm2008"/> At Slammiversary the following month, Joe successfully defended the title against Booker T, Christian Cage, Rhino, and Robert Roode in a King of the Mountain match.<ref name="tnaslam2008"/> At Victory Road in July 2008, Joe defended his title against Booker T in a singles match, with the match ending in a no contest after Sting hit Joe with a baseball bat and Booker T pinned him while Booker T's valet Sharmell made the three count. At Hard Justice in August 2008, Joe defeated Booker T in a steel cage weapons match to retain his title. At No Surrender in September 2008, Joe defeated Christian Cage and Kurt Angle in a three way match to retain his title.<ref name="Kreikenbohm2008"/>

At Bound for Glory IV in October 2008, Joe lost to Sting, ending his reign as TNA World Heavyweight Champion at 182 days. During the match, Joe suffered an injury after landing back-first on a flight of cement stairs while executing a dropkick; the Wrestling Observer Newsletter stated that subsequently Joe "was never the same [...] His work noticeably slowed down, he gained weight".<ref name="JoeTNA"/> Writing for the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Kyle Johnson stated "Joe’s standing as a main event star in the company entered a downward spiral from 2009 on and never recovered. His TNA World Heavyweight Championship run was almost completely unmemorable, ending at Bound for Glory 2008 in a match where he attempted a dropkick from a press box onto concrete stairs to horrifying effect. Joe was truly never the same after that bump."<ref name="Johnson2015B"/>

Front Line; Main Event Mafia (2008–2009)Edit

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On the October 30, 2008 episode of Impact, Joe and AJ Styles formed a faction of younger wrestlers called the "Front Line", to oppose the Main Event Mafia of Kurt Angle, Sting, Kevin Nash, Booker T, and Scott Steiner. At Turning Point in November 2008, Nash defeated Joe by cheating. At Final Resolution in December 2008, the Front Line lost to the Main Event Mafia in an eight man tag team match.<ref name="Martin2009"/> On the December 18 episode of Impact, Joe and Styles defeated Sting and Nash in a Six Sides of Steel match. Following the match, Joe was attacked by the Main Event Mafia; the attack was billed as having left him with injuries that would sideline him for the rest of the year.<ref name="Boutwell2008"/>

On the January 29, 2009 episode of Impact, a video aired in which Joe – sporting a buzz cut, face paint, and a much heavier frame – stated he wanted to introduce the Main Event Mafia to his "Nation of Violence".<ref name="YouTubeJoeReturn"/> Joe subsequently began feuding with Main Event Mafia member Scott Steiner, including a controversial angle where he menaced Steiner with a large knife. At Destination X in March 2009, Joe quickly lost to Steiner by disqualification after throwing the referee out of the ring.<ref name="Reynolds"/> At Lockdown in April 2009, Joe teamed with Styles, Christopher Daniels, and Jeff Jarrett to defeat the Main Event Mafia in a Lethal Lockdown match.<ref name="Caldwell2009A"/> Joe went to feud with Main Event Mafia member Kevin Nash, defeating him at Sacrifice in May 2009.<ref name="Caldwell2009B"/>

At Slammiversary Seven in June 2009, Joe competed in a King of the Mountain match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship; at the climax of the match, instead of winning himself, Joe handed the title belt to Kurt Angle, enabling him to win.<ref name="Caldwell2009C"/><ref name="Reynolds"/> On the June 25 episode of Impact, Joe officially joined the Main Event Mafia.<ref name="Sokol2009"/> At Victory Road in July 2009, Joe defeated Sting by submission in a grudge match with the assistance of the debuting Taz, who was announced as Joe's new adviser.<ref name="Keller2009"/> The relationship between Joe and Taz ended the following month when Taz became a color commentator.<ref name="Keller2009B"/> At Hard Justice in August 2009, Joe defeated Homicide to win the X Division Championship for the fourth time.<ref name="Caldwell2009D"/> At No Surrender the following month, Joe successfully defended the X Division Championship against Christopher Daniels.<ref name="Caldwell2009E"/> On the October 8 episode of Impact, Joe lost the X Division Championship to Amazing Red after Bobby Lashley interfered in the match.<ref name="Wilkenfeld2009B"/> At Bound for Glory later that month, Lashley defeated Joe in a submission match via referee stoppage.<ref name="Caldwell2009F"/> On the following episode of Impact, the Main Event Mafia was disbanded by Kurt Angle.<ref name="Wilkenfeld2009"/>

World Heavyweight Championship pursuits (2009–2010)Edit

File:Samoa Joe in July 2010 (cropped).jpg
Joe in July 2010.

In November 2009 at Turning Point, Joe unsuccessfully challenged TNA World Heavyweight Champion AJ Styles in a three-way match that also involved Christopher Daniels.<ref name="Caldwell2009G"/> At Final Resolution in December 2009, Joe took part in the "Feast or Fired" match, winning the briefcase containing a title shot at the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.<ref name="Caldwell2009H"/> In January 2010, Joe took part in TNA's "Maximum Impact" tour of the UK.<ref name="Kreikenbohm2010"/> After being off TV for several weeks, Joe returned on the February 4 episode of Impact, attacking Styles.<ref name="Wilkenfeld2010C"/> At Against All Odds later that month, Joe unsuccessfully challenged Styles in a no disqualification match refereed by Eric Bischoff.<ref name="Caldwell2010F"/> On the following episode of Impact, Joe was attacked and abducted by "ninjas".<ref name="Reynolds"/><ref name="Wilkenfeld2010D"/>

Joe returned on the April 19, 2020 episode of Impact as the surprise partner of "Team Hogan" (Abyss, Jeff Jarrett, and Rob Terry) in an eight-man tag team match against "Team Flair" (Desmond Wolfe, James Storm, Robert Roode, and Sting); his abduction never was explained.<ref name="Johnson2015B"/><ref name="Reynolds"/><ref name="Wilkenfeld2010B"/> In the following weeks, Joe randomly attacked wrestlers including Brian Kendrick, Douglas Williams, and Matt Morgan.<ref name="Keller2010"/><ref name="Keller2010B"/> In May 2010, Joe was ranked number 10 in the inaugural TNA Championship Committee rankings to determine the number one contender for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.<ref name="Keller2010C"/> Joe subsequently climbed the rankings, ultimately wrestling number two ranked Jeff Hardy to a 10-minute time limit draw on the July 22 episode of Impact.<ref name="Boutwell2010"/><ref name="Boutwell2010B"/><ref name="Boutwell2010C"/> After the match with Hardy, Joe was upset with TNA's production crew for displaying a countdown to the time limit draw which Joe had specifically requested not be done to avoid spoiling the ending of the match; the "blow-up" resulted in Joe being suspended from TNA.<ref name="Martin2010"/><ref name="Martin2010B"/>

Various feuds; losing streak (2010–2011)Edit

File:Samoa Joe October 2010.jpg
Joe in October 2010.

Joe returned from his suspension in August 2010,<ref name="Caldwell2010"/> aligning himself with Hulk Hogan and Jeff Jarrett in their feud with Kevin Nash and Sting.<ref name="Wilkenfeld2010"/> At No Surrender in September 2010, Joe and Jarrett defeated Nash and Sting in a tag team match.<ref name="Caldwell2010B"/> At Bound for Glory in October 2010, Joe and Jarrett faced Nash, Sting, and D'Angelo Dinero in a handicap match after Hogan, who was scheduled to team with Joe and Jarrett, pulled out of the match due to injury. Joe lost the match after being abandoned by Jarrett; subsequently, it was revealed that Hogan's injury had been a ruse as he helped Jeff Hardy win the vacant TNA World Heavyweight Championship and formed a new villainous stable, Immortal.<ref name="Caldwell2010C"/> At Turning Point in November 2010, Jarrett defeated Joe after choking him out with a baton following interference from Immortal.<ref name="Caldwell2010D"/> The following month at Final Resolution, Joe lost to Jarrett in a submission match, again following interference from Immortal.<ref name="Caldwell2010E"/>

In December 2010, it was reported that Joe's contract with TNA had expired.<ref name="Gerweck2010"/> However, later that month TNA president Dixie Carter announced that Joe had signed a new contract.<ref name="Caldwell2010G"/> Joe returned on the January 6, 2011 episode of Impact, confronting D'Angelo Dinero in a storyline where Okato (in a gimmick inspired by Kato of The Green Hornet) was hired by Joe to follow Dinero and film his activities in an attempt to prove he was a "scumbag".<ref name="Wilkenfeld2011"/><ref name="Keller2011D"/><ref name="Vieira2023"/> At Against All Odds in February 2011, Joe defeated Dinero with the help of Okato.<ref name="Caldwell2010H"/> At Lockdown in March 2011, Joe defeated Dinero by submission in a steel cage match.<ref name="Caldwell2010I"/>

File:TNA Slammiversary Samoa Joe vs. Crimson.jpg
Joe wrestling Crimson at Slammiversary IX in June 2011.

In April 2011, Joe began feuding with the undefeated Crimson.<ref name="Baxendell2011"/> In June 2011 at Slammiversary IX, Joe lost to Crimson, and afterwards shook Crimson's hand.<ref name="Caldwell2011B"/> Subsequently, Joe went on a losing streak with losses to Rob Van Dam, Devon, Kazarian and Bobby Roode.<ref name="Keller2011"/><ref name="Baxendell2011B"/><ref name="Caldwell2011C"/><ref name="Keller2011B"/> After losing all nine of his matches in the 2011 Bound for Glory Series to determine the number one contender to the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, Joe initially ended his losing streak on the August 4 episode of Impact Wrestling by defeating D'Angelo Dinero via submission; however, the decision was reversed after Joe refused to release the Coquina Clutch after the bell rang. Joe then gave a promo in which he accused TNA management of being against him and stated "the blood would be on [their] hands".<ref name="Baxendell2011C"/> Joe went on to attempt to disrupt the Bound for Glory Series by attacking various participants, including Crimson, who was forced to withdraw from the Series after suffering a storyline ankle injury at the hands of Joe.<ref name="Boutwell2011B"/> In the final week of the Bound for Glory Series, Joe attempted to interfere in a match between Gunner and Rob Van Dam, but was stopped by guest color commentator Matt Morgan.<ref name="Boutwell2011C"/> This led to a grudge match at No Surrender in September 2011 where Joe lost to Morgan.<ref name="Caldwell2011D"/> On the following episode of Impact Wrestling, Joe definitively ended his losing streak by defeating Morgan in a submission match.<ref name="Boutwell2011D"/> Joe then resumed his feud with the returning Crimson, who defeated Joe in a singles match on the October 6 episode of Impact Wrestling, and then again in a three-way match, also involving Matt Morgan, at Bound for Glory later that month.<ref name="Keller2011C"/><ref name="Caldwell2011E"/>

World Tag Team Champion; Television Champion (2011–2012)Edit

File:Magnus and Samoa Joe in March 2012 (cropped).jpg
Joe (right) and Magnus in March 2012 during their reign as TNA World Tag Team Champions.

In November 2011, Joe won the Maximum Impact Tournament; he subsequently received a title shot against TNA World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Roode in the MEN Arena in Manchester, England, but was unsuccessful.<ref name="Caldwell2012O"/> In December 2011, Joe began teaming with Magnus, with Magnus stating in 2013 that booker Vince Russo put them together because "we were both always pissed off, so we could be pissed off together".<ref name="Powell2011"/> The duo won the four week-long Wild Card Tournament to become the number one contenders to the TNA World Tag Team Championship.<ref name="Caldwell2011"/><ref name="Boutwell2011"/><ref name="Impact010512"/> At Genesis in January 2012, Joe and Magnus unsuccessfully challenged Crimson and Matt Morgan for the TNA World Tag Team Championship.<ref name="Caldwell2012B"/> In a rematch the following month at Against All Odds, Joe and Magnus defeated Crimson and Morgan to win the TNA World Tag Team Championship.<ref name="Caldwell2012C"/> Joe and Magnus then defeated Crimson and Morgan in rematches on Impact Wrestling and at Victory Road to retain the Championship.<ref name="Turner2012"/><ref name="Caldwell2012D"/> After successfully defending the Championship against teams including Mexican America,<ref name="Turner2012B"/> the Motor City Machine Guns,<ref name="Caldwell2012E"/> and Jeff Hardy and Mr. Anderson,<ref name="Turner2012C"/> Joe and Magnus lost the TNA World Tag Team Championship to Christopher Daniels and Kazarian at Sacrifice in May 2012.<ref name="Caldwell2012F"/>

On the May 31, 2012 episode of Impact Wrestling, Joe had a confrontation with X Division Champion Austin Aries, leading to a match at Slammiversary 10 the following month where Joe unsuccessfully challenged Aries.<ref name="Caldwell2012G"/><ref name="Caldwell2012H"/> Joe subsequently entered the 2012 Bound for Glory Series, ultimately being eliminated after losing to Jeff Hardy at No Surrender in September 2012.<ref name="Caldwell2012I"/>

On the September 27, 2012 episode of Impact Wrestling, Joe defeated Mr. Anderson to win the vacant TNA Television Championship, making him the third TNA Grand Slam Champion.<ref name="Caldwell2012J"/> At Bound for Glory the following month, Joe successfully defended the title against Magnus.<ref name="Caldwell2012K"/> At Turning Point in November 2012, Joe again successfully defended the title against Magnus, this time in a no disqualification match.<ref name="Caldwell2012L"/> On the December 6, 2012 episode of Impact Wrestling, Joe lost the TNA Television Championship to Devon after DOC of Aces & Eights hit him with a ball-peen hammer.<ref name="Caldwell2012M"/>

Feuds with Aces & Eights and Team Dixie (2012–2014)Edit

Template:See also

File:Samoa Joe Rear Naked Choke.jpg
Joe (left) applying the Coquina Clutch on Kurt Angle in January 2013.

At Final Resolution in December 2012, Joe teamed with Garett Bischoff, Kurt Angle, and Wes Brisco to defeat Devon, DOC, and two masked members of Aces & Eights in an eight-man tag team match.<ref name="Caldwell2012N"/> At Genesis in January 2013, Joe lost to Aces & Eights member Mr. Anderson in a singles match following interference from Mike Knox.<ref name="Caldwell2013"/> At Lockdown in March 2013, "Team TNA" (Joe, Eric Young, James Storm, Magnus, and Sting) defeated Aces & Eights (Devon, DOC, Garett Bischoff, Mike Knox, and Mr. Anderson) in a Lethal Lockdown match.<ref name="Caldwell2013B"/> On the April 18 episode of Impact Wrestling, Joe challenged Devon for the Television Championship, but lost after interference from Aces & Eights.<ref name="Caldwell2013C"/> At Slammiversary XI in June 2013, Joe teamed with Jeff Hardy and Magnus to defeat Garett Bischoff, Mr. Anderson, and Wes Brisco of Aces & Eights in a six-man tag team match.<ref name="Caldwell2013D"/> Later that month, Joe was announced as a member of the reformed Main Event Mafia alongside Sting and Kurt Angle.<ref name="Caldwell2013E"/> In October 2013 at Bound For Glory, Joe competed in an Ultimate X match that was won by Chris Sabin.<ref name="Hall2013"/> On November 7, 2013, the Main Event Mafia was disbanded by Sting due to Aces & Eights having been defeated.<ref name="Nemer2013"/>

In November 2013, Joe was announced as an entrant in an eight-man tournament for the vacant TNA World Heavyweight Championship by TNA president Dixie Carter, who had stripped AJ Styles of the title. Joe subsequently angered Carter by announcing that, if he won the tournament, he would defend the title it against Styles, "whether it's here or anywhere else in the world".<ref name="Nemer2013B"/> At Turning Point later that month, Magnus defeated Joe in a falls count anywhere match, eliminating him from the tournament.<ref name="Matthews2013"/> Magnus went on to win the tournament, and the title, at Final Resolution the following month with the assistance from Rockstar Spud and Carter's storyline nephew, Ethan Carter III.<ref name="Veal2013"/> Joe went on to feud with "Team Dixie".<ref name="Barie2014"/> At Genesis in January 2014, Joe defeated Rockstar Spud by submission, then unsuccessfully attempted to help Sting defeat Magnus for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.<ref name="Pritchard2014"/> At One Night Only:#OldSchool (which was recorded in December 2013, but aired in February 2014) Joe unsuccessfully challenged Magnus for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship following interference from Ethan Carter III.<ref name="Kreikenbohm2013"/><ref name="Hall2014"/> At Lockdown in March 2014, Joe unsuccessfully challenged Magnus in a cage match following interference from Abyss.<ref name="Killam2014"/>

Final appearances (2014–2015)Edit

Template:See also

In June 2014, Joe defeated Low Ki and Sanada in the finals of a tournament to win the TNA X Division Championship for a fifth and final time.<ref name="Strode2014"/> At Hardcore Justice in August 2014, Joe successfully defended the X Division Championship against Low Ki. However, he vacated the title the following month due an injury.<ref name="Harris2014"/> At Bound for Glory in the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan in October 2014, Joe defended the title against Kaz Hayashi and Low Ki by in a three way dance despite not being the champion at the time, as the angle in which he vacated the title did not air until November 2014 due to a broadcast delay.

On the January 7, 2015 episode of Impact Wrestling, Joe, MVP, Kenny King, Low Ki, and Eric Young helped Bobby Lashley win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship from Bobby Roode. MVP subsequently named the group the Beat Down Clan and declared Lashley to be a founding member. However, Lashley refused to join the Beat Down Clan, prompting the Beat Down Clan to attack him. At Lockdown later that month, the Beat Down Clan lost to Lashley, Austin Aries, Gunner, and Kurt Angle in a Lethal Lockdown match. Writing for the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Kyle Johnson described Joe as "relegated to little more than a henchman in a cumbersome heel stable".<ref name="Johnson2015B"/> Joe wrestled his final match for TNA on January 31, 2015, losing to Austin Aries in Wembley Arena in London, England (due to broadcast delay the match did not air until March 2015).<ref name="Johnson2015B"/> In February 2015, Joe announced his departure from TNA, ending his run of nearly a decade with the company.<ref name="JoeTNA"/> According to Joe, he left TNA because of an incident during the European tour when the X Division Champion, Low Ki, suffered an injury and Joe was forced to book a match where he would lose the title; perceiving that TNA management did not care about the title change, he told TNA President Dixie Carter he would leave TNA.<ref name="Martínez2025"/>

Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (2006, 2011)Edit

Template:See also

In March 2006, Joe debuted in the Mexican Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide promotion as a member of the villainous La Legión Extranjera stable. At Rey de Reyes in Ciudad Madero, Joe teamed with Konnan and Ron Killings to take part in a four-way twelve-man tag team match pitting various factions against one another; the match was won by Lucha Libre AAA World Wide representatives Octagón, La Parka, and Vampiro. Joe returned to the promotion in September 2006 at Verano de Escándalo in Naucalpan, where he teamed with AJ Styles, Homicide, and Low Ki to defeat Abismo Negro, Charly Manson, Electroshock, and Histeria in an eight-man tag team match, then teamed with Styles and Low Ki to defeat the Mexican Powers (Crazy Boy, Joe Líder and Juventud Guerrera) in a six-man tag team match.<ref name="AAA1"/><ref name="AAA2"/><ref name="KreikenbohmAAA"/>

Joe returned to Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide in July 2011 as a member of the villainous faction La Sociedad. On 16 July in Orizaba, he teamed with L.A. Park and Scott Steiner to defeat Dr. Wagner Jr., Electroshock, and El Zorro. On July 31 in Guadalajara, he teamed with Silver King and Último Gladiador in a loss to Drago, Electroshock and Heavy Metal. The matches were broadcast on AAA Sin Limite on Televisa Deportes the following month.<ref name="KreikenbohmAAA"/>

Pro Wrestling Noah (2007, 2012)Edit

On October 25, 2007, Joe made his debut for the Japanese promotion Pro Wrestling Noah as part of its "Autumn Navigation" tour. Wrestling in Yokohama, he teamed with Yoshihiro Takayama to defeat Mitsuharu Misawa and Takeshi Morishima.<ref name="NOAH1"/><ref name="KreikenbohmNoah"/> Two days later, Joe challenged Misawa for the GHC Heavyweight Championship in a one-on-one match at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, losing by pinfall after Misawa struck the back of Joe's head with his elbow.<ref name="NOAH2"/>

On July 22, 2012, Joe returned to Pro Wrestling Noah as part of its "Great Voyage" tour. Teaming with Magnus, he defeated Special Assault Team (Akitoshi Saito and Jun Akiyama) to win the GHC Tag Team Championship in the Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo.<ref name=Noah072212/><ref name="Meltzer2012"/> Joe made his final appearance with Pro Wrestling Noah several months later on October 8, when he and Magnus lost the GHC Tag Team Championship to No Mercy (Kenta and Maybach Taniguchi) in Yokohama.<ref name="KreikenbohmNoah"/><ref name="NOAH3"/><ref name="Caldwell2012"/>

WWE (2015–2022)Edit

NXT Champion (2015–2017)Edit

File:Samoa Joe NXT Takeover Dallas 2016 P2.jpg
Joe at NXT TakeOver: Dallas in April 2016, before his title match against NXT Champion Finn Bálor.

In 2015, Samoa Joe was signed to a non-exclusive developmental contract by WWE.<ref name="Markazi2015"/><ref name="Wonsover2018"/> On May 20, 2015, during the main event of NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable, he stopped Kevin Owens from attacking Sami Zayn with a chair.<ref name="Johnson2015"/> Joe made his in-ring debut at the May 21 NXT tapings, defeating Scott Dawson in a match that aired on June 10.<ref name="James2015"/> While initially Joe's contact enabled him to continue working outside WWE, on June 1, WWE signed him to a full-time contract due to his impressive merchandise sales.<ref name="Markazi2015"/><ref name="Johnson2015B"/><ref name="Meltzer2015"/><ref name="Keller2015"/><ref name=Sidgwick2017/> On the same day, Joe wrestled Tyson Kidd in a WWE Superstars dark match; the match ended when Kidd suffered a legitimate career-ending spinal cord injury when Joe gave him a muscle buster;<ref name="Giri2015"/> in 2025, Joe called the injury the biggest regret of his career.<ref name="Delgado2025"/> Joe won the inaugural Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament with NXT Champion Finn Bálor as his partner, defeating Baron Corbin and Rhyno in the finals at NXT TakeOver: Respect in October 2015.<ref name="NXTRespect"/>

On the November 4, 2015 episode of NXT, Joe turned on Finn Bálor by attacking him after a match against Apollo Crews.<ref name="Meltzer2015B"/> In December 2015 at NXT TakeOver: London, Joe unsuccessfully challenged Bálor for the NXT Championship.<ref name="Caldwell2015"/> Writing for the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Kyle Johnson described Joe as "leaner, focused, motivated, and completely revitalized [...] as hungry as he had been in 2003-05 when he was still making his name in Ring of Honor and TNA."<ref name="Johnson2015B"/> After defeating Sami Zayn in a two out of three falls match to become the number one contender on the March 9 episode of NXT, Joe challenged Bálor once again at NXT TakeOver: Dallas in April 2016, losing after suffering a large laceration to his right cheek minutes into the match.<ref name="James2016"/><ref name="Caldwell2016"/> Later that month at a NXT live event in Lowell, Massachusetts, Joe finally defeated Bálor to win the NXT Championship.<ref name="JoeNXT"/><ref name="Caldwell2016B"/> In his first title defense, Joe defeated Bálor in a steel cage match in June 2016 at NXT TakeOver: The End, marking the end of their feud.<ref name="NXTTheEnd"/>

Joe then engaged in a feud with Shinsuke Nakamura, who defeated him in a title match on August 20 at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II, ending his reign at 121 days.<ref name="NXTBrooklyn"/> During the match, Joe suffered a legitimate dislocated jaw.<ref name="Jacobs2016"/> On November 19 at NXT TakeOver: Toronto, Joe defeated Nakamura in a rematch to win back the title.<ref name="NXTToronto"/> However, he lost the title back to Nakamura on December 3, 2016, in Osaka, Japan, ending his second reign at 14 days. Joe's feud with Nakamura ended on December 8, 2016, in Melbourne, Australia when Nakamura successfully defended the NXT Championship against him in a steel cage match.<ref name="Kreikenbohm2016"/>

World championship pursuits (2017–2019)Edit

File:Samoa Joe 2017.jpg
Joe in May 2017.

Joe debuted on WWE's main roster on the January 30, 2017 episode of Raw, attacking Seth Rollins and aligning himself with Triple H.<ref name="WWEdebut"/> Joe participated in the following PPVs Fastlane,<ref name="Wood2017"/> and Payback.<ref name="Campbell2017"/> After he won a Extreme Rules match at Extreme Rules, he to became the number one contender to the WWE Universal Championship,<ref name="ER2017"/> but lost against the champion Brock Lesnar at WWE Great Balls of Fire<ref name="GBOF2017"/> and SummerSlam. During a house show later that month, Joe suffered a knee injury.<ref name="Meltzer2017"/><ref name="Gartland2020"/>

Joe returned from injury on the October 30, 2017 episode of Raw. At Survivor Series in November 2017, Joe teamed with Finn Bálor, Braun Strowman, Triple H and Kurt Angle (as "Team Raw") to defeat Bobby Roode, John Cena, Randy Orton, Shane McMahon, and Shinsuke Nakamura (as "Team SmackDown") in a Survivor Series match. He went on to feud with The Shield, costing Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins a Raw Tag Team Championship match against Cesaro and Sheamus and unsuccessfully challenging Roman Reigns for the WWE Intercontinental Championship. In January 2018, Joe suffered a tear to the plantar fascia in his right foot during a match with Titus O'Neil.<ref name="Gartland2020"/>

Joe returned from injury in April 2018 following WrestleMania 34.<ref name="Raw04092018"/> At the Greatest Royal Rumble that month, he unsuccessfully challenged Seth Rollins for the Intercontinental Championship in a ladder match also involving Finn Bálor and The Miz.<ref name="Benigno2018"/> At Backlash in May 2018, Joe lost to Roman Reigns.<ref name="Benigno2018B"/> At Money in the Bank in June 2018, Joe competed in the titular Money in the Bank ladder match, which was won by Braun Strowman. Joe unsuccessfully challenged WWE Champion AJ Styles at SummerSlam in August 2018, at Hell in a Cell in September 2018, a third time at Super Show-Down in October 2018, and a fourth time at Crown Jewel in November 2018. At Survivor Series later that month, Joe teamed with Jeff Hardy, The Miz, Rey Mysterio, and Shane McMahon (as "Team SmackDown") in a loss to Bobby Lashley, Braun Strowman, Dolph Ziggler, Drew McIntyre, and Finn Bálor (as "Team Raw").<ref name="Kreikenbohm2018"/> In January 2019, Joe competed in the Royal Rumble but was eliminated by Mustafa Ali. At Elimination Chamber in February 2019, Joe unsuccessfully challenged Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship in an Elimination Chamber match that also included AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy, Kofi Kingston, and Randy Orton.<ref name="Kreikenbohm2019"/>

United States Champion; color commentator (2019–2021)Edit

On the March 5, 2019 episode of SmackDown Live, Joe defeated R-Truth, Rey Mysterio, and Andrade in a fatal four way match to win the WWE United States Championship.<ref name="Keller2019"/><ref name="Pappolla2019"/> At Fastlane later that month, Joe successfully defended the title in a rematch.<ref name="Powell2019"/> At WrestleMania 35 in April 2019, Joe successfully defended the title against Mysterio in a singles match lasting under one minute.<ref name="Gartland2020"/><ref name="Powell2019B"/> At Money in the Bank in May 2019, Joe lost the title to Mysterio.<ref name="Powell2019C"/> On the June 3 episode of Raw, Mysterio was forced to relinquish the WWE United States Championship due to a separated shoulder, and surrendered the title to Joe.<ref name="Keller2019B"/> At Stomping Grounds later that month, Joe lost the WWE United States Championship to Ricochet.<ref name="Powell2019D"/>

The night after losing the United States Championship, Joe attacked WWE Champion Kofi Kingston, leading to a title match at Extreme Rules in July 2019 that was won by Kingston.<ref name="Powell2019G"/><ref name="Powell2019H"/> At the Smackville event later that month, Joe unsuccessfully challenged Kingston for the title in a triple threat match also involving Dolph Ziggler.<ref name="MacDonald2019"/> In August to September 2019, Joe competed in the 2019 King of the Ring tournament, defeating Cesaro in the first round, wrestling Ricochet to a draw in the quarter-finals, and losing to Baron Corbin in the semi-finals in a triple threat match also involving Ricochet.<ref name="PowellI"/><ref name="PowellJ"/><ref name="PowellK"/> Following the match, Joe became inactive while rehabilitating a broken thumb.<ref name="Middleton2019"/> While injured, Joe began appearing as a color commentator on the November 18, 2019 episode of Raw (replacing Dio Maddin) as well as appearing on WWE Backstage.<ref name="Gagnon2019"/>

On the December 23, 2019 episode of Raw, Joe was attacked by the Authors of Pain.<ref name="Powell2019F"/> The following week on Raw, Joe saved Kevin Owens from an attack by the Authors of Pain and Seth Rollins.<ref name="Powell2019E"/> Joe returned to the ring in January 2020. Later that month he competed in the Royal Rumble, being eliminated by Rollins. On the February 10 episode of Raw, Joe teamed with Owens and the Viking Raiders in a loss to Rollins, the Authors of Pain, and Murphy; this was his penultimate match with WWE and his last match for 18 months.<ref name="KreikenbohmWWE"/> Later that month, it was reported that Joe had injured his head during a commercial shoot and was not medically cleared to compete.<ref name="Gartland2020"/> Four days later, Joe was suspended for 30 days for violating the WWE wellness policy.<ref name="WWEwellness"/>

Joe returned to television on the April 27, 2020 episode of Raw, replacing Jerry Lawler as the Raw color commentator. He was named "Commentator of the Year" for 2020 by CBS Sports.<ref name="CBS2020"/> He remained on the Raw commentary team until April 12, 2021, when he was replaced by Corey Graves. He was released by WWE on April 15, 2021.<ref name="WWE2021B"/>

Return to NXT (2021–2022)Edit

In June 2021, Joe was rehired by WWE, reportedly at the behest of NXT's head producer Triple H.<ref name="Johnson2021"/> Joe made his return on the June 15 episode of NXT, being presented as the "enforcer" of NXT's general manager William Regal.<ref name="Currier2021"/> Over the next few weeks, Joe feuded with NXT Champion Karrion Kross, leading to a title match at NXT TakeOver 36 in Orlando, Florida on August 22 where Joe defeated Kross to win the NXT Championship for an unprecedented third time.<ref name="Moore2021"/> This was Joe's sole match during his 2021 to 2022 run with WWE.<ref name="KreikenbohmWWE"/> On September 12, 2021, Joe relinquished the NXT Championship before making any title defenses; he stated in 2022 that he vacated the title due to a combination of him testing positive for COVID-19 and WWE chairman Vince McMahon wanting to change the overall creative direction of NXT.<ref name="WWE2021"/><ref name="Lambert2021"/> After recovering from COVID-19, Joe was assigned to work as a trainer backstage. He was released by WWE once again on January 6, 2022, having not reappeared on television since his third reign as NXT Champion.<ref name="Sapp2022"/>

All Elite Wrestling / Return to ROH (2022–present)Edit

Championship reigns (2022–2024)Edit

Samoa Joe returned to Ring of Honor, now owned by All Elite Wrestling (AEW) co-founder and president Tony Khan, on April 1, 2022, at Supercard of Honor XV, coming to the aid of Jonathan Gresham and Lee Moriarty after they were attacked by Jay Lethal and Sonjay Dutt.<ref name="ROHBio"/> Following this, Tony Khan announced that Joe had signed with AEW.<ref name="Sanchez2022"/> On the April 6 episode of AEW Dynamite, Joe made his in-ring AEW debut, defeating Max Caster to qualify for the 2022 Owen Hart Foundation Tournament.<ref name="Quarrinton2022"/> On the following episode of AEW Dynamite, Joe defeated Minoru Suzuki to win the ROH World Television Championship, becoming an ROH Triple Crown winner in the process.<ref name="ROHBio"/><ref name="Rose2022"/> Joe defeated Johnny Elite in the quarter-finals and Kyle O'Reilly in the semi-finals of the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament before losing to Adam Cole in the final at Double or Nothing due to interference by Bobby Fish.

File:Samoa Joe and CM Punk, STF.jpg
Joe (top) performing an STF on CM Punk at All In in August 2023.

At Death Before Dishonor in July 2022, Joe successfully defended the ROH World Television Championship against Jay Lethal.<ref name="Beaston2022"/> Due to their common problems with Lethal, Sonjay Dutt, and Satnam Singh, Joe began teaming with AEW TNT Champion Wardlow as "WarJoe". The duo defeated Josh Woods and Tony Nese at Grand Slam in September 2023. The team broke up due to Joe attacking Wardlow after Powerhouse Hobbs began eyeing Wardlow's TNT Championship, causing Wardlow to unintentionally undermine Joe and his ROH World Television Championship turning heel.<ref name="ITR2022"/> This set up a three-way match for the TNT Championship between Joe, Wardlow, and Hobbs at Full Gear in November 2022, where Joe defeated Wardlow and Hobbs to win the TNT Championship, making him a double champion.<ref name="FG2022"/> After winning both television championships, Joe began referring to himself as the "King of Television".<ref name="Breisch2022"/> On the November 30, 2022 episode of Dynamite, Joe made his first successful TNT Championship defense against AR Fox.<ref name="Konuwa2022"/> The following week on Dynamite, Joe defeated former TNT Champion Darby Allin in another defense. After Joe attacked Allin post-match, Wardlow ran to the ring, causing Joe to flee.<ref name="G2022"/> At the ROH pay-per-view Final Battle in December 2022, Joe successfully defended the ROH World Television Championship against Juice Robinson.<ref name="Haulotte2022"/> Later that month at Dynamite: New Year's Smash, Joe successfully defended the TNT Championship against Wardlow, then cut off a portion of Wardlow's hair after the match.<ref name="Coulson2022"/>

On the January 4, 2023 episode of Dynamite, Joe lost the TNT Championship to Allin, ending his reign at 46 days.<ref name="Powell2023"/> On the February 1 episode of Dynamite, Joe regained the title after defeating Allin in a no holds barred match. After the match, he was attacked by a returning Wardlow.<ref name="Coulson2022"/> Wardlow subsequently defeated Joe to win the TNT Championship at Revolution in March 2023.<ref name="Revolution23"/>

Throughout mid-2023, Joe successfully defended the ROH World Television Championship against challengers such as Mark Briscoe, Colt Cabana, Blake Christian, Matt Sydal, and Dalton Castle. In June 2023, he entered the 2023 Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, but was eliminated by CM Punk in the semi-finals the following month.<ref name="Kreikenbohm2023"/>

At All In in August 2023, Joe unsuccessfully challenged CM Punk for the "Real World Championship".<ref name="AllInLondon2023"/> The following month at All Out, Joe successfully defended the ROH World Television Championship against Shane Taylor; on his way to the ring, Joe jostled AEW World Champion MJF, leading to a brawl.<ref name="AllOut2023"/> Subsequently, Joe entered the Grand Slam World Championship Eliminator Tournament, defeating Jeff Hardy in the quarter-finals; Penta El Zero Miedo in the semi-finals; and Roderick Strong in the final;<ref name="Collins2023"/><ref name="Williams2023"/><ref name="Howard2023"/> at Grand Slam on September 20, he unsuccessfully challenged MJF for the AEW World Championship.<ref name="Howard2023B"/> On November 2, Joe became the longest-reigning ROH World Television Champion in history at 574 days.<ref name="Howard2023C"/> On November 10, 2023, Joe vacated the ROH World Television Championship in order to focus on challenging for the AEW World Championship.<ref name="Howard2023C"/> At Full Gear later that month, Joe (substituting for the injured Adam Cole) teamed with MJF to successfully defend the ROH World Tag Team Championship against the Gunns.<ref name="Applegate2023"/> In return for teaming with MJF, Joe was granted a second shot at the AEW World Championship at Worlds End in the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York in December 2023.<ref name="Rose2023"/><ref name="Lambert2023"/> The match saw Joe cleanly defeat MJF by technical submission using the Coquina Clutch to win the AEW World Championship.<ref name="WorldsEnd2023"/><ref name="Howard2023D"/> He defeated Hook in his first title defense in January 2024.<ref name="Kreikenbohm2024"/><ref name="KreikenbohmAEWworldreign"/> At Revolution in March 2024, Joe successfully defended his title against "Hangman" Adam Page and Swerve Strickland in a three-way match, submitting Page using the Coquina Clutch.<ref name="Howard2024"/> Joe went on to successfully defend his title against Wardlow at AEW Big Business.<ref name="Kreikenbohm2024"/> At AEW Dynasty in April 2024, Joe lost the title to Strickland, ending his reign at 113 days.<ref name="Nason2024"/>

The Opps (2024–present)Edit

Following his loss to Strickland, Joe formed a tag team with Hook.<ref name="Mukherjee2024"/> After a short feud with the Premier Athletes, Joe, Hook, and Katsuyori Shibata defeated Chris Jericho's Learning Tree stable and Jeff Cobb in a trios match at Forbidden Door in June 2024.<ref name="Flanagan2024"/><ref name="Powell2024"/> In July 2024, Joe was removed from the Scotiabank Saddledome in an ambulance after losing a "Stampede Street Fight" to Jericho when Jericho drove him through a wall using a forklift; the angle was used to explain Joe going on hiatus to film season two of Twisted Metal.<ref name="Currier2024"/>

He returned in January 2025 at AEW Maximum Carnage, saving Hook from an attack by The Patriarchy.<ref name="Berge" /> In February 2025, the trio of Joe, Hook, and Shibata were named "The Opps."<ref name="Powell2025" /> In April 2025, at Dynamite: Spring BreakThru, Joe, Shibata, and Powerhouse Hobbs (substituting for an injured Hook) defeated the Death Riders for the AEW World Trios Championship.<ref name="Trios" /> The next night at Collision: Spring BreakThru, Joe inducted Hobbs as a member of The Opps.<ref name="Opps1" /> On May 14 at Dynamite: Beach Break, Joe unsuccessfully challenged Death Riders leader Jon Moxley for the AEW World Championship in a steel cage match.<ref name="BeachBreak" /> On May 25 at Double or Nothing, The Opps teamed with Kenny Omega, Swerve Strickland, and Willow Nightingale to defeat the Death Riders and The Young Bucks in an Anarchy in the Arena match.<ref name="Opps2"/>

Professional wrestling style and personaEdit

File:Samoa Joe With Angle Up (cropped).jpg
Joe (bottom) performing a muscle buster on Kurt Angle in September 2008.

Samoa Joe wrestles in a "technician" and "powerhouse" style,<ref name="Kreikenbohm"/> with "blistering, MMA-inspired offense".<ref name=WWE/> Ring of Honor described him as "one of the hardest-hitting and most intense competitors in the sport".<ref name="ROHBioOld"/> His signature moves include the "Coquina Clutch" (a rear naked choke),<ref name="Kreikenbohm"/><ref name="WWE2018"/><ref name="Melok2016"/><ref name="Overtimer2022"/> the "Coquina Plex" (a sleeper suplex),<ref name="Saalbach"/> the facewash,<ref name="Saalbach"/> the "Island Driver" (a sitout side powerslam),<ref name="Kreikenbohm"/><ref name="Overtimer2022"/> the muscle buster,<ref name="Kreikenbohm"/><ref name="Melok2016"/><ref name="Overtimer2022"/><ref name="Cygy2005"/> the "Olé Kick" (a Yakuza kick),<ref name="Overtimer2022"/> the STF,<ref name="Kreikenbohm"/><ref name="Overtimer2022"/> the "STJoe" (an STO),<ref name="Kreikenbohm"/><ref name="Overtimer2022"/> and the uranage.<ref name=WWE/> Joe is also known for a maneuver colloquially dubbed the "nope spot", which sees him casually walk out of the way of an opponent executing an aerial maneuver.<ref name="Barrasso2024"/>

Joe's ring attire typically comprises shorts colored black and gold, green, or red, along with black knee pads, athletic tape on his left fist, and a towel draped around his neck.<ref name="Barnett2017"/>

Joe's use of submission holds saw him nicknamed the "Samoan Submission Machine".<ref name="ImpactWrestlingBio"/><ref name="Cygy2005"/> In 2022, after winning the AEW TNT Championship and ROH World Television Championship, Joe began referring to himself as the "King of Television".<ref name="Breisch2022"/>

Other mediaEdit

In 2006, Joe made brief appearances on the American version of the television show Distraction, participating in a round where wrestlers performed moves on contestants while they answered questions.<ref name="DeMarco2008"/> In June 2022, Joe was announced as doing the physical performance of the character Sweet Tooth for Peacock's adaptation of Twisted Metal (the character was voiced by Will Arnett).<ref name="Cordero2022"/> Joe has voiced characters in the animated web series Transformers: Power of the Primes<ref name="McMillan2018"/> and video games including Dota 2, Dota Underlords, Game of Thrones, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii.<ref name="Cantor2017"/><ref name="Lowson2023"/><ref name="Dasappan2024"/><ref name="Parreno2024"/>

In April 2014, Joe launched a video game streaming channel on Twitch.<ref name="Lee2014"/> He has appeared on Rob Van Dam's web-based reality show RVD TV numerous times.<ref name="J2008"/> In 2023, Joe appeared on the Doughboys podcast, reviewing Taco Bell.<ref name="Doughboys"/>

FilmographyEdit

TelevisionEdit

Year Title Role Notes
2018 Transformers: Power of the Primes Predaking Voice; 4 episodes<ref name="McMillan2018"/>
2023–present Twisted Metal Marcus "Needles" Kane / Sweet Tooth Physical performance only, dubbed by Will Arnett<ref name="Cordero2022"/>

Video gamesEdit

Year Title Role Notes
2013 Dota 2 Juggernaut
2014 Game of Thrones Beast <ref name="Cantor2017"/>
2020 Dota Underlords Juggernaut
2024 Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Nanaue / King Shark <ref name="Dasappan2024"/>
2025 Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Raymond Law <ref name="btva"/><ref name="Parreno2024"/><ref name="Lambert2024"/>
TBA Deadlock Abrams <ref name="Stubbs2024"/>

Personal lifeEdit

Seanoa married his wife, Jessica, in 2007.<ref name="Cantor2017"/> He is close friends with fellow wrestlers CM Punk, Homicide, Christopher Daniels, AJ Styles, and Rob Van Dam.<ref name="Wonsover2018"/><ref name="JoeShootInterview"/><ref name="DeMarco2008"/>

Seanoa is of Samoan descent; unlike many Samoan wrestlers, he is not part of the Anoaʻi family.<ref name="Palmer2025"/>

Seanoa avidly trains in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, judo, and Muay Thai. He was often noted as a sparring partner for Team Punishment member Justin McCully, and was often in attendance in the locker room for Team Punishment fighters such as Tito Ortiz and Kendall Grove.<ref name="DeMarco2008"/><ref name="James2010"/>

Championships and accomplishmentsEdit

File:Samoa Joe with AEW World title DYNAMITE 2024 01 10 035 (cropped).jpg
Samoa Joe has held the AEW World Championship...
File:Samoa Joe Bloomington IL 062008.jpg
...as well as the TNA World Heavyweight Championship...
File:Samoa Joe with ROH World Television Championship, August 2023.jpg
...he is also a former ROH World Television Champion, being the longest reigning champion at 574 days.

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ReferencesEdit

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External linksEdit

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