As Wrestling Rumors reported, Samoa Joe is set to begin full-time with WWE and NXT this month, as he finishes his obligations with independent wrestling and Ring of Honor. Following ROH picking up its national television deal on Destination America, WWE was quick to snatch him up and keep him off other television programs, especially with how well his merchandise has sold.
Joe had one final obligation to ROH however, as he wrestled alongside longtime friend and foe AJ Styles against Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian at the company’s television tapings in New York City Saturday.
Following the match, Joe addressed the Ring of Honor fans, noting it would be his last match for the promotion for the time being. The video of his speech can be found below:
Beneath is a transcription of what he said:
“I’ll be honest, I could come out here and tell you about how this company changed the world. I could come out here, and I could pour my heart out about my brothers and about what we’ve been through up and down these roads. And you people, who loved us and appreciated us and gave us a forum to do what we love, and that is, professional wrestling. And I could go on and on and tell you people how you proved them all wrong, and they said, ‘this didn’t matter,’ and they said ‘this wouldn’t change things,’ but last time I checked, all the world’s world champions wrestled in this ring. The last time I checked, the best in the world wrestled in this ring. And though this may be the last time I will wrestle in this ring, you better believe I will take what I did in this ring, I will put it in my heart, I will put you people gave us in this ring in my heart, and by god, I will walk into every ring in the world and I will show it for them all to see. I am Samoa Joe, and I am pro wrestling, because I wrestled here in Ring of Honor. Thank you.”
Editor’s Note
He’s ready for the big time, and very thankful for what ROH did for him. Good for him and them.