Samoa Joe weighs in on the divide between The Elite and CM Punk.
CM Punk aired his grievances against The Elite (Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson) following AEW All Out 2022, leading to an altercation between the two sides. The altercation has caused a divide among many fans, who either side with Punk or the Elite on everything from who was right to which philosophy of wrestling is better.
Speaking to Dan Gartland of Sports Illustrated, Samoa Joe was asked about the divide between the two sides.
“This isn’t a divide, it’s an argument between men,” said Joe. “All those dudes don’t represent the entire genre of their generation. They have their own issues and their own problems. I don’t think it’s that deep. They’re grown-ass men. They have disagreements, they can figure it out or not. That’s between them.”
During his “controversial” interview with ESPN, Punk stated that he reached out to The Elite after All Out, but he has not spoken to them.
Asked about Punk’s history and him being a “lightning rod of controversy,” Joe replied, “I understand the nature of the beast. It’s not a beast that’s easily tamed, so color me unsurprised. I don’t lie to myself and think that everybody acts the same way. People have their own interpretations of things. So color me unphased. The guy’s my friend. He’s been my friend for years, and I have a lot of respect for him. But I understand the nature of the beast. I know what to expect.”
Joe and Punk, who had famous battles in Ring of Honor, will renew their rivalry on AEW Collision when they’re on opposite sides in a six-man tag team match. Punk will team with FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) against Joe and Bullet Club Gold (Jay White & Juice Robinson).
“We’ve always competed to have the best match of the night, and that’s what we’re still competing to do,” said Joe. “It was our ambition that brought us together. We were two young gentlemen who believed we were the best in the world and that we could take it to anybody. That was evident in the young versions of both of us, and it’s manifested to where we are today.”
Along with being an active competitor on AEW Collision, Joe is the reigning ROH Television Champion.
