Samoa Joe Discusses His Admiration for Antonio Inoki, His Mission Statement as AEW World Champion

During a recent interview with Shakiel Mahjouri for SHAK Wrestling, AEW star and World Trios Champion Samoa Joe discussed his huge title bout against Hangman Page at AEW WrestleDream 2025, along with his admiration for Antonio Inoki. The upcoming event was started by AEW in 2023 as a tribute by Tony Khan to the late wrestling legend Antonio Inoki.

Inoki, who is also a WWE Hall of Famer, is the founder of New Japan Pro-Wrestling and one of the all-time greats in wrestling history. Joe, due to his past connections with Inoki and NJPW, having trained at the NJPW LA Dojo, has a lot of respect and admiration for Inoki, and he spoke about the late Hall of Famer. Below are some highlights:

Samoa Joe on his respect for Antonio Inoki and what he learned from him

“Inoki, if anything that I really respected about him, especially during my time with him, was, you know, he was an unlimited visionary. He was a guy
that just, you know, ambition was something that he ate every morning and tried to spit out in droves every day. He was very much a promoter of
being very ambitious and audacious and taking on bigger, greater challenges. So, I mean, that’s the thing that kind of sticks out the most to me
when you talk about Antonio Noki was. He was a guy that was 100% willing to be audacious, willing to blow up the whole situation, make it as chaotic as possible just to try to build it into something greater and better. And you know, that’s definitely what I take away from him whenever I remember him and what I admired about him the most. I think there’s a lot of meaning to being a world champion, particularly in a relatively new promotion in AEW.”

On his mission statement as AEW World Champion not looking any different if he wins it a second time

It doesn’t look much different. I think it’s it’s pretty simple that we want the AEW Championship to be the standard bearer of the industry. You know, to be the very best that this world has to offer. And you know, I think it’s uh commiserate on myself and men like Hangman Page and champions, whoever carries the AEW championship to continue that tradition and to bear the championship in that type of light. And you know, that’s essentially what you’re trying to do, especially with a newer promotion like AEW. You know, it’s about establishing those champions, establishing that higher standard that people are to aspire to. And you know, I continue, I hope to continue to add to that legacy very shortly.”

Samoa Joe gets his opportunity to regain the AEW World Title later this weekend at AEW WrestleDream 2025, an event that pays tribute to the late Antonio Inoki, when he faces reigning champion Hangman Page for the title. The event takes place at the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Missouri on Saturday, October 18. It will be broadcast live on pay-per-view.

Before WrestleDream, Joe will also be in action for tonight’s special three-hour AEW Dynamite and Collision show. Along with The Opps (Powerhouse Hobbs and Katsuyori Shibata), Joe will defend the AEW World Trios Titles against the team of RUSH, Dralistico, and The Beast Mortos.

Tonight’s Dynamite is being held at the Cable Dahmer Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. It will be broadcast live on TBS starting at 8:00 pm EST. It will also be simulcast on HBO Max.

If using any of the above quotes, please credit SHAK Wrestling, with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.