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Samoa Joe is known as one of the best wrestlers in the world today. Here’s a look at some of his best matches before he arrived in WWE.
Samoa Joe has made quite the impact since debuting in WWE in 2015. Upon his arrival, Joe won the first ever Dusty Rhodes Classic with his partner, Finn Balor. After this, he engaged in feuds with Balor, Baron Corbin, and Sami Zayn, before finally winning the NXT Championship at an NXT house show on April 21, 2016. After losing the title to Shinsuke Nakamura at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II on August 20, 2016, Samoa Joe regained the title at NXT TakeOver: Toronto on November 19, becoming the first ever 2-time NXT Champion. His title win over Nakamura was a match I was fortunate enough to watch live in Toronto, and it was fantastic.
Joe then debuted on the main roster in WWE on January 30, 2017, attacking Seth Rollins. While he has yet to win championship gold on the WWE Raw roster, it seems inevitable that Joe will be a champion sooner rather than later. Joe has already made himself known for his impressive promos, excellent matches, carrying himself like a legitimate champion. WWE fans are now discovering what Samoa Joe fans have been saying for years: He’s one of the best wrestlers in the world.
Having been a fan of Joe since 2003, I have compiled a list of 5 of his best matches (with a few bonuses thrown in) outside of WWE that you absolutely must see.
1) Samoa Joe vs Low Ki – ROH Glory by Honor October 5, 2002
After the deaths of WCW and ECW in 2001, there was a large gap left in the wrestling world that was waiting to be filled. Many independent wrestlers were left without a major company to seek work with, and thus many young stars toiled in smaller companies.
Enter Ring of Honor. In February 2002, Ring of Honor held the first show, showcasing some of the best independent talent in wrestling, giving them a home to learn their craft and make a name. Some of the best names in wrestling have come from there, including many WWE champions, like Bryan Danielson (Daniel Bryan), Tyler Black (Seth Rollins), CM Punk, and Kevin Steen (Kevin Owens). One, however stands above the rest.
Samoa Joe entered Ring of Honor in 2002 and made an immediate impact as he faced one of the top stars in the company, Low Ki. In a hard-hitting match, the two men displayed a style of wrestling that was almost never seen at that time in North America. Joe and Ki left the audience stunned with the stiff, strike based wrestling match that helped define ROH as the company to watch for great wrestling. Joe’s stock was instantly elevated, as he became a main event star in one match. Not long after, he would win the Ring of Honor title, and dub it the World Title after defending it worldwide.
2) Bryan Danielson vs Samoa Joe – ROH World Title – Midnight Express Reunion October 2, 2004
As mentioned before, Ring of Honor has had a impressive list of wrestlers that have held their world title. The two that stand above all of them are Bryan Danielson and Samoa Joe.
This match occurred while Joe was having a nearly 2-year run as Ring of Honor World Champion. This title run is considered one of the greatest world title runs in North American wrestling in the last 20 years, as Joe dominated some of the best wrestlers in the world, and had a series of outstanding matches.
Along with Joe, Bryan Danielson was making quite a name for himself on the indie scene, and was beginning to stand out as one of the best wrestlers in the world. When looking at the roster of Ring of Honor in 2003-2004, it is astounding the amount of talent they had. Danielson, Joe, CM Punk, Austin Aries, and many more were all tearing it up. Joe stood above the rest delivering outstanding matches.
This match with Danielson was one of them. In this 40 minute classic, Joe and Danielson both show why they are two of the best in the world. Ultimately, all good things come to an end, but did Joe’s legendary championship run end here? Watch the match and find out.
3) Samoa Joe vs Kurt Angle – TNA World Heavyweight Championship – TNA Lockdown 2008
Kurt Angle arrived in TNA in 2006 with great fanfare, having just left WWE under some bad circumstances. It wasn’t long before he was in the world title picture, a scene he dominated for many years coming in the company. During this time, Joe and Angle would meet many times in the ring. While TNA missed the boat on putting the title on Joe early on, as he was one of the hottest acts in the company, they eventually gave him a major main event push, leading to this match where Angle and Joe faced off one more time.
In 2008, Joe and Angle met in a steal cage match and produced one of the best matches in TNA history, as they worked a very realistic, MMA inspired style. This PPV was one of the most successful shows in TNA history, and proved that Samoa Joe is a legitimate draw in pro wrestling. Unfortunately, TNA didn’t really capitalize on the new star they made, and it wasn’t long before Joe was back in the TNA midcard, where he remained for most of his run in TNA. While making the occasional move to the main event, sadly Joe was essentially misused and under pushed in TNA for years.
Credit: WWE.com
4) Samoa Joe vs CM Punk Trilogy
While Samoa Joe was in the middle of his legendary run as ROH World Champion, one star was rising up the ranks in Ring of Honor as his equal – CM Punk. Punk, after feuding with Raven for most of 2003, had become one of the biggest stars in the company. Known for his incredible promos, and entertaining matches, it wasn’t long before ROH fans were asking “When is Punk facing Joe?”
The first match in their series was at ROH World Title Classic where both men wrestled to a 60-minute draw. The second match occurred a few months later at a show simply named: Punk vs Joe II.
Punk, returning to his hometown of Chicago, was aiming to defeat Joe and take his title from him. This match also went to a 60-minute draw, and was the first North American five-star match given by Dave Meltzer since Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker in the first Hell in a Cell match at WWE In Your House: Badd Blood.
The final match came at All Star Extravaganza II, where Punk tried one last time to conquer Joe in a match with no time limits. If you can find these three shows, go and watch them, as they were incredible.
5a) Samoa Joe vs Kenta Kobashi – ROH Joe vs. Kobashi October 5, 2005
Despite Joe’s reign as ROH champion ending in 2004, Joe continued to have legendary matches in Ring of Honor. This match, which I was only able to find highlights off, is one of the best matches in Ring of Honor history. Joe took on one of the greatest wrestlers of all time in Kenta Kobashi, a 5-star match machine, and delivered an instant classic here. Joe and Kobashi wrestled a true strong style pro wrestling match. It was this hard-hitting affair that convinced me that Joe’s future grandchildren will be feeling the chops he took in this one.
5b) Samoa Joe vs AJ Styles vs Christopher Daniels – TNA X-Division Championship – TNA Unbreakable 2005
Finally, we come to the greatest match in TNA history, featuring three of the best wrestlers in the world, even until today. I had a very hard time choosing between this and his match with Kobashi as my final one in this list, so I cheated and just listed both, tied in the fifth position. I won’t say anything more than this, because I don’t want to spoil it for you if you have never seen it. This match is outstanding from start to finish, and is absolutely must watch for any wrestling fan. If you have never seen it before, I highly suggest you add it to your list of matches to watch soon.
Next: Ranking Every WWE Royal Rumble Winner
Honourable Mentions
While it’s nearly impossible to list all of Joe’s great matches, I’ve included a bonus list of honourable mentions here. Enjoy, as you become acquainted with one of the best wrestlers of the last 20 years in Samoa Joe.
Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle – TNA Genesis 2006
Samoa Joe vs. Christian Cage – NWA World Heavyweight Championship – TNA Destination X 2007
Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles – TNA X-Division Championship – TNA Turning Point 2005
Samoa Joe vs. Takeshi Morishima – ROH 5th Anniversary Show
Samoa Joe vs. Austin Aries – ROH World Title – Final Battle 2004