Samoa Joe has spent nearly three decades helping reshape professional wrestling. Now as the 47-year-old veteran, he wonders what more he can leave behind ahead of yet another world title match at AEW WrestleDream. Joe helped change what professional wrestling looked like in the 2000s alongside contemporaries like AJ Styles, Bryan Danielson and CM Punk.
They helped revolutionize an independent wrestling movement, blending different elements into a hard-hitting style and proving you didn't need a bodybuilder physique to become a star. The former AEW world champion previously told CBS Sports that his current contract will "most likely" end in his retirement. He's already established an acting career, portraying Sweet Tooth in the television adaptation of "Twisted Metal" and lending his voice to various projects across film and video games.
But before he walks away from wrestling, Joe wants to give back to the industry that has given him so much. "I'm doing my best to enrich the places that have enriched me over my career," Joe told CBS Sports. "It sounds super noble, but, in reality, I've had this amazing journey that is really not fraught with a lot of heartache and despair." Professional wrestling isn't particularly forgiving.
The hours are brutal, the money isn't always good and backstage politics can be more exhausting than the matches. Joe doesn't have many horror stories to share. He's worked for practically every major wrestling promotion of the last 20 years, winning championships in TNA, WWE and AEW.
He's chasing major accomplishments right up until the finish line. On Saturday, he and multiple wrestlers from different generations challenge AEW world champion Will Ospreay in a Clockwork Carnage match at WrestleDream. At this stage, Joe's contributions extend well beyond what he does between the ropes.
His experience and reputation carry considerable weight backstage, though he challenges what a locker room leader should be. Pro wrestling has historically operated under an informal hierarchy in which young wrestlers are expected to fall in line and follow informal rules set by veteran performers. Joe believes the best locker room leaders earn influence through relationships and respect, rather than intimidation or threats.
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