Tony Khan Confirms Former WWE Champion Samoa Joe Set for Backstage Role in AEW Post-Retirement
Tony Khan, CEO of All Elite Wrestling (AEW), has seemingly confirmed that former WWE Champion Samoa Joe will have a backstage position waiting for him in AEW after he retires from in-ring competition. The Samoan Submission Machine, who is currently the All Elite Wrestling World Trios Champion, is scheduled for a major title bout later this month.
During a recent interview, Samoa Joe opened up about nearing the end of his pro-wrestling career, putting him in the same category as legendary peers such as John Cena and AJ Styles. Joe indicated that he is likely to hang up his boots at the conclusion of his current contract with the Jacksonville-based promotion.
In an interview with Z100 New York, Tony Khan was asked about Joe’s retirement plans and the valuable role the veteran could play backstage afterward. Khan responded by emphasizing that Samoa Joe is already serving as a highly-revered mentor within AEW. He highlighted Joe’s mentoring relationship with his trios partner, Powerhouse Hobbs, as a prime example.
“Hugely valuable [in a backstage role],” Khan said. “Samoa Joe is already one of the top mentors in AEW, and anybody who steps in the ring with Samoa Joe learns a lot. Anybody who receives the tutelage of Samoa Joe in AEW gains invaluable knowledge. Powerhouse Hobbs is a great example of someone currently learning a lot from Samoa Joe that will benefit him for the rest of his career. I know he’s learning, to quote Samoa Joe, life lessons — life lessons that will be with him for the rest of his life.”
Khan further expressed his hope that Joe will continue working with AEW even after retiring from active competition. He drew a parallel to Bryan Danielson, who has remained deeply involved with AEW in non-wrestling roles since ending his full-time wrestling career following last year’s WrestleDream.
“I’m very optimistic that eventually, whenever Samoa Joe decides to retire from the ring, he will stay with us in AEW and be a mentor to the wrestlers,” Khan added. “Not unlike Bryan Danielson, who is still a huge part of AEW even though he’s not actively competing. He’s been away from wrestling for a year now since WrestleDream, but continues to play a significant role. My hope is that Samoa Joe will stay with us in AEW forever.”
Samoa Joe recently earned another shot at the AEW Men’s World Championship by winning a four-way contender’s match on the October 29 edition of AEW Dynamite titled Fright Night Dynamite. However, the night took a vicious turn as Joe and his trios partners, The Opps, were ambushed.
The attacker was none other than Adam Page, who managed to catch them off guard by disguising himself as commentator Tony Schiavone. The Cowboy delivered low blows to both Katsuyori Shibata and Powerhouse Hobbs before using a beer bottle to strike Joe, finishing him off with his signature Buckshot Lariat.
Adam Page is set to defend his AEW World Championship against Samoa Joe later this month at Full Gear 2025.
Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting matchup and the future roles of veteran stars like Samoa Joe in AEW.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/aew/news-tony-khan-subtly-confirms-5-time-wwe-champion-will-get-backstage-role-in-aew