Samoa Joe plans to challenge wrestling's informal hierarchy ahead of his potential final world title match at AEW WrestleDream on Saturday against champion Will Ospreay in a Clockwork Carnage match.
Joe, 47, told CBS Sports that his current AEW contract will "most likely" end in his retirement. Before leaving the ring, the veteran wrestler said he wants to reshape how locker room leadership functions in professional wrestling.
Joe rejected the traditional model in which younger wrestlers defer to veterans through fear or career intimidation. "No great man is led by fear; usually they're led by people that they respect, find knowledgeable and give a shit about their opinion," Joe said. He argued that respect and rapport must precede influence, and that the notion of a "physically domineering presence who will bury your career if you don't adhere to the unwritten book of laws is a ridiculous ideology."
Joe cited The Undertaker as an example of a veteran whose influence came from personal respect rather than intimidation.
The former AEW world champion spent nearly three decades reshaping wrestling alongside contemporaries including AJ Styles, Bryan Danielson and CM Punk. He won championships in TNA, WWE and AEW. He has also pursued acting, voicing characters in "Twisted Metal" and other film and video game projects.
Joe acknowledged that the current generation of wrestlers possesses higher technical proficiency and natural athleticism than previous cohorts, but identified a gap in crowd connection. "Finding more ways to connect what they do with the crowd. That comes with time," Joe said. He argued that younger wrestlers gain confidence and the ability to read audiences through experience rather than training facility instruction.
Joe framed his mentorship role as part of enriching the industry that has sustained his career. "Really, it was this grand adventure that I got to meet a ton of cool people and go to a ton of cool places," Joe said. "I like to sprinkle a little bit back before I'm done and hopefully leave the pro wrestling industry a much better place than I found it."