Samoa Joe: WWE releases were due to ‘war’ between upper management
Samoa Joe believes that his releases from WWE were due to what he understands to have been a “war” between upper management in the company that affected himself and others.
Speaking to Renee Paquette on The Sessions, the current AEW roster member was asked about being cut by WWE in April 2021 only to reappear in WWE NXT two months later after being rehired by Paul “Triple H” Levesque.
He said while the information was unconfirmed but came on good authority from those directly involved, “there was issues between the two upper echelons of management and they were playing out their war with the careers and the contracts of the people underneath them.”
The former NXT Champion said after being released for a second time in January 2022, he said, “I just kind of chuckled as I realized it was very much the same situation. At the same time, I wasn’t bitter or mad.”
He admitted he was “expensive” and believes the company saved money by letting him go which he wasn’t bothered by. Rather, it was “more the silliness of the situation, what they were doing, and the reasoning why they were doing it.”
Joe said after the second release, other opportunities came available which included Twisted Metal, a Peacock show based on the video game that is set to be released this year in which he plays Sweet Tooth.
The ROH TV Champion also talked about his injury history and the key to recovering from his concussions, nearly retiring, being the most fined person in TNA history, and more.
Since 2011, Josh has been a contributing editor to Wrestling Observer/F4WOnline.com and also hosts the Punch-Out podcast. He has also written for Fight Magazine, Bloody Elbow, Bleacher Report, and other websites. He's a 2000 graduate of the University of Maine, worked in pro sports, and once was an indie ring announcer.