Why Samoa Joe Joined AEW Following WWE Release

Samoa Joe isn’t looking back—and now he’s finally breaking down exactly why he chose AEW over another return to WWE.

The former ROH World TV Champion and current AEW star sat down with Chris Van Vliet and opened up about what led him to sign with AEW following his second release from WWE in January 2022. According to Joe, WWE did reach out again with interest—but by that time, it was already too late.

“I think the biggest thing was at first when I left WWE, I just signed my deal with Twisted Metal,” Joe explained. “There was initially a little bit of interest again from WWE and maybe redoing it, but at that point, I had started talking with AEW.”

Once the conversations with Tony Khan started, things clicked into place. “So speaking with Tony and understanding kind of what he was looking to do at the time, and really being able to work out with my filming schedule, it just was a really nice fit.”

Joe joined AEW in April 2022 and hasn’t looked back. Since then, he’s gone on to hold the ROH World TV Championship for a record-setting reign and even captured the AEW World Championship along the way. All while managing a growing acting career, including his starring role in Peacock’s Twisted Metal series.

As AEW continues to evolve, Samoa Joe remains one of its most reliable and hard-hitting cornerstones. Whether he continues tearing it up in the ring or shifts more into Hollywood, one thing’s clear—Joe’s move to AEW was no accident. It was strategy.

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