Samoa Joe is one of the most intimidating members of the SmackDown roster, and he recently spoke to City Pages on a number of subjects. The interview included a ton of interesting information, and he talked about not using the Muscle Buster move since Tyson Kidd was injured, his dream matches, and NXT stars that fans should keep an eye out for.
Check out some highlights below!
On how wrestling has changed since he began:
The biggest change is in the experience of the fan. Fans now have a much more comprehensive fight IQ than they did in the past. Fans are very, very particular, and you can’t just have that blanket appeal anymore. That’s gone. Fans root for guys that click all their boxes.
It makes it more competitive. Now, the stars that resonate with people, there’s a lot of thought put into their character and what they present. It’s a more high-skilled, specialized sport. The guys who meet those challenges, those are the ones who are mobilizing the fanbase.
His dream matches:
From a purely fantastical standpoint, I would’ve loved to get in there with Bruiser Brody and Stan Hansen, those legendary tough guys. It’s hard to say you wouldn’t want to be in the ring with the Rock, either when he was at his height or even now. Big matchups like those, it’s a shame it didn’t happen, but I’m sitting here looking down a SmackDown roster at a plethora of great matchups with Rey Mysterio back, Randy Orton, Daniel Bryan, Shinsuke Nakamura. I could go on all day.
NXT stars to watch:
NXT is a murderer’s row. Lars Sullivan, here’s a guy that I feel a lot of fans haven’t really seen his full potential, and he’s getting to come into his own. He’ll be an interesting addition to whichever roster he lands on. Keith Lee is a big, incredible athlete. Then there’s Matt Riddle. He has a tremendous combat pedigree, and he’s made a triumphant transition to pro wrestling. He’s a force to be reckoned with.
If he’ll use the Muscle Buster again:
The Muscle Buster is something I use at my pleasure when I choose to. Trust me, when the opportunity arises and the conditions are right, you never know what I’ll pull out. Maybe I’m not ready to pull it out of my arsenal yet.
