Samoa Joe isn’t interested in vanity matches for himself, instead he wants to give the fans something they’re interested in.
Speaking on a panel at Terrificon 2024 (via Fandom Spotlite), Samoa Joe was asked who he would like to work a program with if it were up to him, and he made it clear that he’s interested in putting on matches that the fans want.
“That’s a tough answer. I’m only interested in doing the matches that the fans want to see,” said Samoa Joe. “I have no interest in doing vanity matches against my dream opponents because I’m not doing it for myself. I’m not doing it to add to my resume or to my portfolio. I do it for the fans that come out to watch. So naturally, at this point in my career and in my life, that question is in your hands: What matches do you want to see?”
“Because that’s what I want to do. I have no interest in fighting somebody just because they’re good or because I think it would be a great fight. No, at this point in time, with the time I have left in my career, I want to dedicate it to doing what the fans want, not what I want.”
Samoa Joe is interested in facing Will Ospreay
That being said, Samoa Joe named Will Ospreay and Kenny Omega as two debut opponents he’d be interested in facing, noting that there are plenty of fresh matchups available.
“There are a few. Kenny Omega is coming back, we’ve got Will Ospreay,” he said. “The list really goes on and on. There are a lot of fresh matchups that we haven’t had yet, but those two definitely jump to the top of the list.”
You can watch the video here:
Joe has been absent since AEW Dynamite on July 10. He was filming for Twisted Metal. It’s unclear when he’ll return.
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