Tony Khan credits Samoa Joe for saving the day at AEW All In 2023
After things almost went off the rails at AEW All In 2023, Samoa Joe helped get the show back on track and give fans the product they paid to see.
The 2023 event was a big night for AEW with the promotion running Wembley Stadium in London for the first time. But Tony Khan told Q101 Radio that it was also AEW’s most stressful pay-per-view “by far” due to the backstage incident that took place between CM Punk and Jack Perry. Khan credited Joe — who faced Punk at the PPV — for de-escalating the situation and making sure that their scheduled match could still happen.
“The most stressful pay-per-view was the first Wembley — by far. Samoa Joe saved the day there,” Khan said.
“I think it was very good that Samoa Joe de-escalated the situation. And also that Samoa Joe made sure that the fans got the match that they thought they had paid to see. And he went out there and everything was great, and he was such a professional. That exemplifies Samoa Joe in the ring and out of the ring. The most professional man. He was so great that day and so many other times. He’s one of the most incredible people I’ve ever met. What a leader Samoa Joe is — in the ring and out of the ring. A captain, a true captain of a team. I’m very blessed that he’s in AEW.”
Punk defeated Joe at the PPV, but it ended up being the last match that Punk ever had in AEW. He was terminated from his contract over the incident and returned to WWE soon after, where he is the current World Heavyweight Champion.
Joe is a multi-time World Champion for AEW, recently dropping the belt to MJF in a four-way match at Worlds End.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.