H Jenkins on July 28, 2025
WWE has released many Superstars over the years, and some of them have seen the experience differently in retrospect. Samoa Joe was able to land on his feet, so he looks at things in his own way.
Samoa Joe was released by WWE twice. His first release came in April 2021, and the second came in January 2022, which stands as his final WWE release to date. While that could have been the end of the road for many, Joe’s story wasn’t over yet. He ended up in AEW, where Tony Khan was able to take advantage of his talents.
While speaking on Marking Out, Samoa Joe opened up about the moment he got the news and how quickly his situation changed. In the end, he sees it as a bad day that turned itself around.
“I don’t know how to explain it, man. I don’t have any point of reference for that. It was a great day. It was a bad day gone right.”
Samoa Joe continued by sharing exactly how it all played out in real time. He went through a lot, but there was nothing he could do about WWE’s choice to cut him.
“It was wild, man. You get released, and I kind of had a greater understanding of the circumstances behind it—and that’s a whole other conversation. So it wasn’t super crazy to me. It was just like, ‘Oh, y’all really made that move. Okay, cool.’”
“But then, transitioning from that—having only a couple hours—having this conversation, and all of a sudden, you’re on a television show? It was wild.”
“It’s like, you walk into the room and tell her, ‘Hey, listen, I just got released,’ and your wife’s like, ‘Oh damn, that’s crazy. Don’t worry, we’ll figure it out.’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’m not worried. We’ll get it all figured out.’ And then walking back in the room two hours later and going, ‘Hey babe, so uh… I guess I’m starring in a television show now.’”
Samoa Joe was referring to his casting as Sweet Tooth in Twisted Metal, a role that came to him within hours of his WWE release. Carter Swan is a longtime friend and lead producer at Sony, and he reached out to Joe without any notice. The two hadn’t spoken in eight years, but Swan wanted to know if Joe was available. Joe, fresh off losing his job, replied honestly: “Not a damn thing.”
That one call turned a potentially crushing moment into a life-changing opportunity. Samoa Joe is now enjoying this time in his career, and it looks like he will remain a face on the Twisted Metal franchise as well as wrestle for All Elite Wrestling and ROH.
What's your take on Samoa Joe's time in pro wrestling after his WWE release? Do you think that his career is better off now? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
July 28, 2025 5:09 pm
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