Three months removed from his WWE release in January, Samoa Joe has made his in-ring return at the recent Ring Of HonorSupercard of HonorPPV. Shortly after the event, ROH and All Elite Wrestling owner Tony Khan made the announcement on social media that Joe has officially signed withAEW.Joe’s release from WWEin January was the second time the “Samoan Submission Machine” had been let go from the company in a nine-month span, the first coming back in April 2021 as part of a wave of releases shortly after WrestleMania 37. It was announced by Khan atSupercard of Honorthat Joe would be making hisAEWdebut immediately on the next episode ofAEW Dynamite.RELATED:Former WWE UK Champion Toni Storm Signs With All Elite Wrestling, Makes Dynamite DebutJoe’s shocking return would come at the end ofSupercard of Honor, the first ROH PPV under Khan’s new management. A frustrated Jay Lethal and longtime ally Sonjay Dutt were in the midst of attacking the new undisputedROH World Champion Jonathan Greshamshortly after his victory over former ROH Champion Bandido. Joe would make his return to a rousing ovation from the ROH faithful as he fought off the duo and proceeded to lock Dutt in his vaunted Coquina Clutch submission in front of a reluctant Lethal. After coming to Gresham’s rescue, Joe would proceed to shake the hand of the new champion before Khan would come out to make the announcement concerning Joe’s signing with AEW and his impending debut onDynamiteon April 6.
While modern-day fans may recognize Joe from his time in WWE, WWE NXT and as a nigh-undefeatable monster in Impact Wrestling/TNA, Joe’s wrestling roots go back to ROH’s opening years in 2002. In ROH, he established his strong profile and put the company on the map with his critically-acclaimed matches against the likes of fellowROH veteran CM Punkand Japanese puroresu legend Kenta Kobashi. Joe also holds the record for the longest continuous reign as ROH World Champion at a breathtaking 21 months, from May 2003 to December 2004.
Joe’s signing with AEW is yet another boon for the company, even with its already-stacked roster. Much likethe recent signing of William Regal, Joe brings a wealth of experience both in and out of the ring. While he can be a very intimidating force between the ropes, Joe’s previous time working backstage at WWE NXT with Regal and Triple H has shown he has a deep care for the growth of professional wrestling and wants to see the next generation of wrestlers succeed in ways even a man of his legendary caliber hasn’t thought of.
While rumors and speculation will run rampant as to the true nature of Joe signing with AEW, Khan and company have shown they want to see that aforementioned growth continue as well, and Joe is the very sort of veteran powerhouse a relatively fledgling promotion like AEW needs to bring focus and drive to the newer generation of pro wrestlers on its roster.
