Former AEW World Champion Samoa Joe recently made his return to the independent scene, competing at IZW’s Long Live The King. This was Joe’s first independent match in nearly a decade, with his previous one taking place in August 2015 at a PWE event in Scotland. For the special appearance, Joe returned to his roots, using “Mama Said Knock You Out” by LL Cool J as his entrance theme, which he famously used during his original time on the independents.
A Warrior’s Retirement
Joe’s opponent for the event was The Navajo Warrior. The match concluded after Joe locked in the Coquina Clutch, forcing the referee to stop the match. This bout also served as The Navajo Warrior’s official retirement match.
Joe was a force to be reckoned with on the independent scene for years before signing with WWE NXT in 2015. He moved to the main roster two years later. Following his WWE run, Joe signed with AEW, where he remains a top star.
Focus Returns To Full Gear
This special independent match comes at a critical time in Joe’s AEW career. He is currently scheduled to challenge “Hangman” Adam Page for the AEW Men’s World Championship at the Full Gear event. It remains to be seen if Joe can win the world title for the second time.
On Saturday, Samoa Joe served as The Navajo Warrior’s final opponent, returning to the indies after a decade away.
Fittingly, he entered in familiar fashion…. pic.twitter.com/ny3CRrtG3R
— Joe Hulbert (@JoeHulbert) November 13, 2025
Great to get to see Samoa Joe in person again!
I didn't realize the legacy Navajo Warrior has, gonna have to do a deep dive now pic.twitter.com/heTL6SDCaY— StiffBump (@StiffBump) November 9, 2025
