Samoa Joe is quite intrigued for his upcoming title fight against HOOK. The AEW World Champion will put his newly acquired hardware on the line against the FTW Champion in what will be Joe’s first defense of the belt.
Speaking with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, Joe talked about how he thinks HOOK is an excellent match-up for him, but the heel also said it in a fashion that could certainly be taken as back-handed.
“This typifies what I want to see during my reign–I want these first-time matchups with something at stake. Hook is quite the dynamic little athlete, and he’s been doing his best to make his case. His record speaks for itself, and we’re going to find out if he’s the truth or not.
“It takes about 29 other athletes to equal something approximating me, so this will be a good little test,” said Joe. “We’ll find out where we’re at.”
The fight got a good deal of stir on social media as AEW President was heavy in defending the match-up against his critics and notoriously factored Jinder Mahal into the equation.
This match-up isn’t just intriguing to Samoa Joe, however. Rob Van Dam recently mentioned on his “1 Of A Kind” podcast that he’s thinks it’s going to be beneficial for both Joe and HOOK. He also stated that he believe HOOK has what it takes to be a top star in pro wrestling. RVD mentioned that the bout could end in the two exchanging handshakes and that could be a possibility, as Joe envisions his father Taz in some well-regard.
“That no-nonsense attitude, destroy-at-all-costs, that’s who he was. That’s who I am. Now it’s exemplified in an athlete like Hook, so let’s get in the ring and go.”