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What’s the story?
In an interview with Yahoo Sports, Samoa Joe opened up on a myriad of topics.
Joe spoke about performing as a main-event talent in the WWE, despite having suffered multiple injuries in his WWE stint thus far.
Besides, Joe expounded upon being cheered over Roman Reigns, while also revealing who he wants to face on SmackDown.
In case you didn’t know…
Having competed in several indie wrestling organizations, Samoa Joe rose to prominence during his time in TNA (now-Impact Wrestling)—a promotion where he performed for about a decade.
Joe then transitioned to the WWE in 2015, and went on to become a 2-time NXT Champion—following which, he made his main-roster debut early last year.
The heart of the matter
One ought to note that Joe suffered multiple injuries during his main-roster run in WWE which have caused him to miss out on a considerable amount of time on the promotion’s major shows.
The Samoan Submission Machine was probed as to whether he feels validated that WWE accords him the opportunity to be a part of the main-event scene right after he returns from an injury-hiatus.
In response to which Joe asserted that he’s always believed in his abilities, and he intends on continuing to perform as a main-event star with the platform accorded to him by WWE.
Furthermore, Joe revealed that there are several intriguing matchups for him on SmackDown Live; noting that he’d love to fight both the Bludgeon Brothers (Harper and Rowan) at the same time.
Joe added that notable matchups such as AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, Randy Orton and Rusev could also be on the cards.
Addressing the fact that fans choose to cheer for him over Roman Reigns, despite Joe being a heel and Reigns a face; Joe stated—
"I don't think it's anything I didn't expect—I'm not out there lying to anybody—I'm out there telling the truth. You may not like the way I deliver the truth, you may take umbrage with the way I handle most of my conflicts, but that's the way I do business.”
“If we're in a fight, we're in a fight all of the time—It doesn't stop just because the cameras are off—I'm going to come at you however I can. Roman knows how I play this game and its nothing he or the fans shouldn't expect. It shocks me that people are still shocked that I behave this way."
What’s next?
Joe faces Reigns at WWE’s Backlash PPV which takes place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on Sunday, May 6th.
The vast majority of professional wrestling experts believe that Reigns is likely to defeat Joe in the matchup—following which, Joe is set to enter a rivalry with Styles over the WWE Championship.
Author’s take
Joe is perhaps one of the most intense individuals to have ever graced the squared circle.
He has always been one to speak his mind, and never shies away from being assertive about his abilities.
His rivalry with Reigns has also been interesting, given how the duo seems to up the ante every time they face each other inside the ring.
