Samoa Joe

He established himself in ROH from the promotion’s beginning in 2002, holding the ROH World Championship for a record 21 months from March 2003 to December 2004. Upon joining TNA in June 2005, he embarked on a 19-month-long undefeated streak, and went on to hold the TNA World Heavyweight Championship once, the TNA X Division Championship five times, the TNA World Tag Team Championship twice, and the TNA Television Championship once; completing the TNA Triple Crown and the TNA Grand Slam.

He also wrestled internationally and on the independent circuit for various promotions, winning several titles, including the GHC Tag Team Championship with Magnus in Pro Wrestling Noah, and he was an inaugural NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Champion with Keiji Sakoda in Pro Wrestling Zero1. He left TNA in February 2015, briefly competing again in ROH and the independent circuit.

Joe officially debuted in WWE’s developmental territory NXT in May 2015, and signed a full-time contract with the company in June; he went on to become the first-ever two-time NXT Champion, and the co-winner of the inaugural Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic (with Finn Bálor). After joining the main roster in January 2017 and being assigned to the Raw brand, he headlined several WWE pay-per-view events and contended for the Universal Championship, and later the WWE Championship during his time on the SmackDown brand.

In March 2019, Joe won his only title on the main roster, the United States Championship. Following several injuries, he became a color commentator on Raw. He was released from his contract in April 2021, but was re-signed just two months later to be an on-screen authority figure on NXT and shortly after would return to in-ring competition to win the NXT Championship for the third time in his career before he was released once again in January 2022.

He would later join All Elite Wrestling, be inducted in to the ROH Hall Of Fame, and become the ROH World Television Champion. In May, Samoa Joe faced Adam Cole in the final of the first Owen Hart Foundation Cup tournament. At Full Gear in November 2022, he defeated Wardlow and Powerhouse Hobbs to become AEW TNT Champion, while still holding the ROH TV title.

Notable Matches

vs. AJ Styles at Turning Point 2005

vs. AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels at Unbreakable 2005

vs. Kurt Angle at Genesis 2006

vs. CM Punk at ROH Joe vs Punk II 2004

vs. Kurt Angle at Lockdown 2008

vs. Xavier at ROH Night of Champions 2003

vs. Kenta Kobashi at ROH Joe vs. Kobashi 2005

Notable Feuds

vs. Kurt Angle

vs. CM Punk

vs. AJ Styles

vs. Christopher Daniels

vs. Magnus

Other Notable Achievements

ROH Pure Championship

TNA Television Championship

TNA X Division Championship (5 times)

TNA World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – by himself (1), with Magnus (1)

King of the Mountain (2008)

Maximum Impact Tournament (2011)

Super X Cup (2005)

Feast or Fired (2009 – World Heavyweight Championship contract)

TNA Turkey Bowl (2007)

Wild Card Tournament (2011) – with Magnus

Natural Heavyweight Championship

Xtreme 8 Tournament (2006)

Mid-South Revolution Strong Style Tournament (2004)

GHC Tag Team Championship – with Magnus

NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Championship – with Keiji Sakoda

PWA Pure Wrestling Championship

TWE Heavyweight Championship

UPW Heavyweight Championship

UPW No Holds Barred Championship

UIWA Tag Team Championship (2 times)