Samoa Joe calls adage ‘make money or make friends’ in wrestling an ‘asinine statement’
Samoa Joe says the old adage in the wrestling business that you can either make money or make friends leads to behavior that potentially puts companies at risk.
Joe will challenge Hangman Page for the AEW World Championship tonight at WrestleDream. Ahead of Saturday’s show in St. Louis, Joe spoke with CBS Sports and said he’s managed to make both friends and money in the wrestling industry.
Joe said:
“I always laugh when I hear, ‘You can make money or you can make friends, but you can’t do both in wrestling.’ That is an asinine statement. I’ve made tons of friends and I’ve made tons of money.”
Joe went on to say that those who adopt such a mindset often have harmful effects on the companies they work for.
“More often than not, a lot of that selfishness may make you money, but generally, it leads to a lot of destruction and strife throughout the company,” Joe continued. “It can hurt a lot of things. It can close companies down. Let’s talk about the other side effects of this behavior. I’m more conscious because I came from a world where the industry was completely destroyed, and there wasn’t an opportunity for a man like me to make any money.”
“I had to collaborate with others to create systems and viability to make money in the industry and create new companies. Those new companies weren’t created in this backstabbing, everyone-for-themselves environment. They were created by a sum of great people, much like AJ Styles and me, coming together to create something better for the fans. This theory is based on what I’ve had to do my entire life and career… I’m going to continue with that despite what the drama merchants may want.”
Joe’s comments about selfishness in wrestling echo recent remarks from Darby Allin, who faces Jon Moxley at WrestleDream in an I Quit match. During a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Allin said the AEW locker room “cut the cancer out” when the company parted ways with wrestlers who were refusing to lose matches.
“The cancer got cut out,” Allin said about the AEW locker room. “Just egotistical wrestlers that don’t want to lose.”
Joe will be going for his second AEW World Championship tonight in St. Louis. He’s also a former ROH World, TNA World, and NXT Champion. His interview with CBS Sports is available here.
