Samoa Joe Reflects on His Career, Explains the Best Locker Room Leadership

During a recent interview with CBS Sports Shakiel Mahjouri ahead of WrestleDream, Samoa Joe talked about his career winding down, locker room leadership, wanting to give back to the business, and more. Below are some highlights:

Samoa Joe on Wanting To Give Back to the Industry Before He Retires

“I’m doing my best to enrich the places that have enriched me over my career. It sounds super noble, but, in reality, I’ve had this amazing journey that is really not fraught with a lot of heartache and despair.”

His Thoughts on Being a Locker Room Leader

“No great man is led by fear; usually they’re led by people that they respect, find knowledgeable and give a shit about their opinion. You must first establish a basic respect and rapport with people. If they choose to respect and like you, and you find yourself in that position, then so be it.

“But I think the idea of this physically domineering presence who will bury your career if you don’t adhere to the unwritten book of laws is a ridiculous ideology. I’ve never come across it, and I’ve never felt pressured by that. I think it’s a weird fallacy. I think a lot of people respect The Undertaker because they respect The Undertaker as a person, not out of career fear.”

His Thoughts on the Current Generation

“I think the adaptability and coordination are way better than they probably have been in years. You get a lot of people who have more of a natural aptitude, but maybe less physical potential. I think that’s kind of the best way to put it… I think the technicality probably is a lot higher than it’s been.”

On Enjoying the Ride of His Career

“Really, it was this grand adventure that I got to meet a ton of cool people and go to a ton of cool places and learn to love the world, which is a rare opportunity. If anybody ever gets to literally travel the world and understand that, it’s a beautiful place. There are a lot of places that have a lot of love for you, as long as you have the best intentions.

During last night’s AEW WrestleDream event, Samoa Joe competed in the Clockwork Carnage match for the AEW World Title. Will Ospreay was victorious, retaining his title in the main event. Joe managed to accumulate two points during the scoring period.