AEW’s Samoa Joe is one of the few wrestlers in the world that can say he’s found success wherever he has gone, winning World Championships in Ring of Honor, TNA, WWE, and AEW, the latter just a few years ago at Worlds End. But since losing the championship to Swerve Strickland at AEW Dynasty a few months later, Joe has been unable to win the belt back, and twice this year has come up short in attempting to regain the title, first against Jon Moxley and most recently against “Hangman” Adam Page.
In an interview with “STL Sports Central” just a few days before he failed to beat Page for the title at AEW WrestleDream, Joe was asked if he felt, similar to the host, that his first AEW Wolrd Title reign could’ve gone a bit better. A thoughtful Joe gave an answer that also informed his mindset regarding the championship when a wrestler doesn’t have it.
“Oh, you’d be absolutely correct,” Joe said. “Anytime you are not the possessor of the AEW World Championship, you should be taking it personally. So yes, 100% correct. It was not what we hoped it would be. But like all things in the future, this too can be amended.”
Fortunately for Joe, he will have a chance to amend that mistake really soon. No sooner did he lose to Page at WrestleDream did Joe and Opps teammates Powerhouse Hobbs and Katsuyori Shibata turn on Page, laying him out with a brutal beatdown and signaling Joe would be coming for the title again. That was confirmed one week ago, when Joe defeated Hook, Bobby Lashley, and Ricochet in a four-way match to become number one contender for the championship.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “STL Sports Central” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription
