Tony Khan Hopes Samoa Joe Will Take on Backstage Role After Retirement – AEW President Tony Khan has expressed his desire for Samoa Joe to remain part of All Elite Wrestling even after his in-ring career comes to an end.
During an interview with Z100 New York, Khan discussed Joe’s recent comments about nearing retirement, revealing that he hopes to see the veteran transition into a backstage role as a coach or mentor. “Hugely valuable [in a backstage role]. Samoa Joe is already one of the top mentors in AEW, and anybody who steps in the ring with Samoa Joe learns a lot, and anybody who gets the tutelage of Samoa Joe in AEW learns a lot,” Khan said.
Khan praised Joe’s influence on younger talent, specifically highlighting Powerhouse Hobbs as one of the wrestlers benefiting most from Joe’s experience and leadership. “I think Powerhouse Hobbs is a great example of somebody who is currently learning a lot from Samoa Joe that will benefit him throughout 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.”
The AEW President added that he hopes Joe will follow a similar path to Bryan Danielson, who has remained active behind the scenes despite stepping away from competition. “I’m very optimistic that eventually, whenever Samoa Joe does decide to retire from the ring, I’m very hopeful and optimistic that Samoa Joe will stay with us in AEW and be a mentor to the wrestlers. Not unlike Bryan Danielson, who is still a huge part of AEW, even though he’s not actively competing in the ring. He’s been now for one year away from wrestling since Wrestle Dream last year, but he’s still a huge part of AEW and continues to be. And my hope is that Samoa Joe will stay with us in AEW forever.”
While his long-term future may involve mentoring, Joe remains focused on championship gold for now. After aligning with The Opps and turning heel at AEW WrestleDream following his loss to Hangman Page, Joe has earned another opportunity to challenge for the AEW World Championship. He became the new number one contender after winning a qualifying match on AEW Dynamite and will face Page once again at AEW Full Gear.
With momentum on his side and a darker edge to his persona, Samoa Joe may finally be closing in on reclaiming the top prize before potentially moving into a mentorship role.
Tony Khan Hopes Samoa Joe Will Take on Backstage Role After Retirement
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