AEW
Former WWE star Samoa Joe is now All Elite.
Three months after being released by WWE, the 43-year-old Joe reemerged at Ring of Honor’s Supercard of Honor event Friday night. Following his appearance, it was announced that Joe has signed a contract with AEW.
Joe will make his first appearance for AEW on this Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite.
Supercard of Honor was the first ROH show since the promotion was bought by AEW president and CEO Tony Khan. It was announced last month that Khan had purchased ROH from Sinclair Broadcast Group.
Joe made a surprise appearance at the conclusion of Supercard of Honor and saved Jonathan Gresham and Lee Moriarty from an attack by Jay Lethal and Sonjay Dutt. Gresham defeated Bandido in the main event of the show to become the undisputed ROH world champion.
During a media scrum after Supercard of Honor, Joe said his goal in AEW and ROH is to win both promotion’s world titles.
Joe was released by WWE this January, marking the second time that he had been let go by the company within a nine-month period. He was initially released by WWE in April 2021 but returned to the promotion shortly after as part of the NXT brand, working both as an on-screen performer and a talent scout.
Joe hasn’t wrestled since facing Karrion Kross at NXT TakeOver 36 last August. After winning the NXT championship in that match, Joe vacated the title three weeks later due to testing positive for COVID-19. Joe relinquishing the title also coincided with WWE rebranding NXT to focus on younger talent.
Joe was a three-time NXT champion and two-time U.S. champion in WWE. He’s also previously held world championships for ROH and Impact Wrestling.
Joe was inducted into the ROH Hall of Fame earlier this year. His ROH world championship reign from March 2003 to December 2004 is the longest in the company’s history.
