When the time comes for Samoa Joe to hang up his boots, don’t expect a long, drawn-out farewell tour. In a new interview with SHAK Wrestling, the former AEW World Champion made it clear that he has no interest in a ceremonial retirement, preferring instead to quietly “disappear into the sunset.” He explained that his focus has always been on the future of the wrestling industry, and he wouldn’t want to “hold up a young, burgeoning industry on behalf of myself.”
“I’d say most likely. And honestly, I think it’s for a lot of reasons, and I think most of them are responsible. You never want to overstay your welcome in this industry. I’ve been fortunate that I’ve been able to be involved with it for over 25 years now,” Joe said when asked if his current AEW run would be his last. “And the other thing too is, I think many of us want to preserve what we can of our health for our latter years. So, it is something that is probably the most likely scenario. But hey, it is an unusual world, and unusual opportunities come up, so we’ll see.”
When asked about the possibility of a public sendoff, similar to what legends like John Cena and Ric Flair have had, Joe was definitive in his response. “No, not at all. It might be a surprise. It might just be one day I’m gone and leave it at that. I’m not as ceremonial as everybody else. I like disappearing into the sunset,” he said. “I’ve always been somebody that’s been firmly planted with my head toward the future and never tried to dwell too much in the past. And it’s kind of been my theory with the industry too. I would hope we always look towards the future and not, obviously, appreciate the past, but not miss it too much.”
Samoa Joe’s career has spanned multiple decades and promotions, from his runs in ROH and TNA to his main event programs in WWE, where he was a two-time NXT Champion and a United States Champion. Since joining AEW, he has continued to add to his legacy, holding the TNT Championship, the ROH Television Championship, and the AEW World Championship.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit SHAK Wrestling with an h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
