411 Roundtable Retrospective: Samoa Joe in Ring of Honor

Brad Garoon, reviewer of ROH, FIP, SHIMMER and whatever else he feels like

Theo Fraser, of Nintendophiles

Stuart Carapola, who contributes The Ominous Thoughts News Report, That Was Then & Friendly Competition (and probably like four or five other things)

Jacob Ziegler, who is Brad’s partner in crime for ROH Reviews as well as a solo artist for a myriad of Movie & DVD Reviews

Ari Berenstein, whose Column of Honor is as good as they come

And me, Samuel Berman, of The Independent Mid-Card & The Box in the Attic

Without further ado, we’re off…

What is your favorite “Classic” Samoa Joe Match in Ring of Honor?

Brad Garoon: I’ve never really been able to get behind the word classic because it means different things to different people. But I will say that my all time favorite Samoa Joe match falls in neatly with “ROH approved” history, as it is Joe vs. CM Punk from Chicago. I was live for the first two Joe vs. Punk draws and was much more emotionally invested in the first. The second one kept my attention but my seats weren’t as good and also I was rooting for Joe while most of the rest of the crowd was behind Punk. However, on DVD it become undeniable that this was the best match ROH had ever produced, and remains so to this day. It got ROH completely over the RF scandal hump and refocused the companies attention to in-ring quality. Joe has never topped this match, and neither has anyone else in the company.

Theo Fraser: Joe vs Punk II. Even today, the match is still revered in the IWC. This was the match that solidified both Samoa Joe and CM Punk as the elite guys on the Indy scene. When you talk about Samoa Joe matches in ROH, the first match you’ll bring up will either be this or Joe vs Kobashi. Whilst Joe vs Kobashi had an incredible atmosphere, this was the better match from a technical standpoint and will always be considered a bonafide classic.

Stuart Carapola: Without any shadow of a doubt, it was Joe vs CM Punk from World Title Classic in June of 2004. This is the match that made me an ROH fan. I had seen other ROH stuff before that, but I saw this match at a very critical time in my wrestling fandom. I was totally down on both WWE and TNA at the time and was debating whether to even bother continuing to keep up with the business in the here and now. Once I saw this match, though, I knew I had another option and went out of my way to dig up anything and everything ROH by any means I could. In fact, if it wasn’t for this match, I wouldn’t be writing this now because ROH wouldn’t have factored into the equation and restored my faith in the business.

Jacob Ziegler: I think it is clear that his trilogy matches with CM Punk represent the very best of not only both men, but ROH as a whole company. Of the three, it is the second match in Chicago Ridge on 10.16.04 that stands head and shoulders above the rest. It’s the only match in ROH history that I’ve ever given ***** to.

Ari Berenstein: Samoa Joe vs. Jay Briscoe (ROH Title Cage Match) from At Our Best (March 2004). Thought I was going to say some other match didn’t you? Well, of course Joe vs. Kobashi may be at the top of my list of favorites, but I’ve said so much about that match in my column that I wanted to devote a little bit of time to this one. This was the co main event at the very first Ring of Honor show that I attended. I was treated to this hellofamatch, a masterpiece of beautiful violence. What was great about this was that Jay Briscoe, who at that time was not the most obvious of title contenders, was given a number of chances where it seemed like he could win the title. Yet Joe was there to prevent the win, cut off any clever attempts by Mark Briscoe to help his brother and then deliver further punishment. Joe, even then, was monstrously over with the crowd. When he delivered the Ole kicks to Jay that exposed the cage mesh, there were loud and audible gasps from the crowd. Jay bleeding a gusher is always going be a very memorable visual from the match, but it was the finish of a Super Island Driver from the top rope that put the exclamation point on the whole shebang. This win marked Joe’s one-year anniversary as champion and after watching this match you can tell why he held the belt for so long.

Samuel Berman: The first one had the unpredictability, the second one was more technically sound, but the story told the third time Samoa Joe defended his ROH World Title against CM Punk still puts that match in very rarified air for me. Don’t misunderstand this as ‘Joe-Punk III is better than Joe-Punk II’, because I agree with the consensus that the second match is the best of the trilogy. However, the question is which one is my ‘favorite’ and for that, my answer has to be the duo’s match from All Star Extravaganza 2. If for no other reason, watching Joe compete after the fans had clearly turned on him was an inspiring and fantastic sight, and a moment where Joe showed his real abilities as a professional, adapting the match’s story and shifting his mood and mannerisms as needed. Another match that deserves note here is the ROH Title Four Way with Joe, Punk, James Gibson and Christopher Daniels from Redemption, which also tells an excellent story and has one of those intangibles that you can’t completely explain: big match feel.

Do you have a favorite “forgotten” or “underrated” Samoa Joe match in ROH?

Brad Garoon: I have a few but one that immediately comes to mind is Joe’s match against Colt Cabana from Death Before Dishonor 2 Night 2. Again he took on a Chicago native in Chicago, and I feel this match brought out the best in Cabana. I’ve heard that Cabana said of this match that he felt like he was in a legit fight for his life, which would explain the mannerisms that came out of him in this match that we hadn’t seen before and haven’t seen since. Also from that weekend Joe’s match against Homicide, easily the best in the series to that point, goes unnoticed by many. Joe was really at the top of his game that summer, as he was able to bring out the best in his opponents.

Theo Fraser: Samoa Joe vs Bryan Danielson- Midnight Express Reunion. Not exactly forgotten or even underrated, as all critics received it exceptionally well. However, it always seems to get overlooked when it comes round to deciding “Greatest Matches In ROH History.” Personally, this is easily in my Top 5, as it has tremendous atmosphere from start to finish, and shows off both guys in a great light. Joe and Danielson brought their best, and it clearly shows, as everything was exceptionally slick well timed. Rarely gets the recognition it deserves.

Stuart Carapola: I consider Joe’s successful Pure Title defense against James Gibson at New Frontiers in June of 2005 to be a tragically forgotten match. James Gibson proved what a great worker he is, as he was able to pull a good to great match out of nearly everyone he got thrown in the ring with. In this match, both Gibson and Joe proved that they could not only put together a terrific match against one another, but did a superb job of working in the psychology of the Pure Title rules as well. I actually consider this to be one of the best Pure Title matches ever, and the only one I can think of that can touch it is Nigel vs Aries from Unscripted II.

Jacob Ziegler: There are a couple of Joe matches that fell through the cracks, such as against Bryan Danielson on 10.2.04, Colt Cabana on 7.24.04, and BJ Whitmer on 8.9.03. So many of Joe’s matches are great, but those are just a few that stand out.

Ari Berenstein: Samoa Joe vs. Bryan Danielson from Revenge on the Prophecy and the One Year Anniversary Show. These two matches from all the way back in early 2003 set the tone for their entire rivalry, which would importantly play itself out throughout the years but especially during the second half of 2006. While these matches are typically shorter than the great classics that were to come, they are no less quality viewings. It also demonstrates how good these two were four years ago and just how great they would become within those four years. I would also suggest Samoa Joe vs. Christopher Daniels from Glory By Honor 2. That was the first match where Joe’s title reign seemed seriously in jeopardy. Both Joe and Daniels really contributed to that feeling with the “big match” showdown mentality they had going into the match at a frenetic pace, hitting big bombs down the stretch and of course the wonderful false finish with the bell ringing on one of the closest 2 and 9/10 counts you’d ever seen.

Samuel Berman: Oh, it’s Joe vs. James Gibson from New Frontiers, without a doubt. Though highly regarded in pretty much every review I’ve read of the show, Joe’s Pure Title defense against Gibson somehow gets overlooked much of the time when people run down Joe’s all-time great ROH matches. To be completely honest, I think this is the single best Pure Title match outside of the McGuinness-Danielson unification bout. It’s on one of the lesser-seen ROH shows (occurring between the powerhouse May 2005 events and Punk’s title win at Death Before Dishonor III), so a lot of people missed this one, but trust me on this one: Samoa Joe vs. James Gibson is reason enough to pick up this show.

What single moment do you think epitomizes Joe’s ROH tenure?

Brad Garoon: When Joe dropped the title to Austin Aries at Final Battle 2004 I think it completely epitomized what he meant to the company. The crowd popped like never before for Aries’ win but really they were cheering just as much for Joe’s 18-month reign as champion. He handed the belt off in a great moment, showed respect to Aries and got it in return, and never tried to hog the top spot when he wasn’t champion. He showed the same class in his farewell speech on the recent ROH video wire.

Theo Fraser: Joe vs Kobashi. There’s a reason he was chosen for such a prestigious event. It signaled just how big of a star he had become. This was one of the most important events in ROH history, on so many levels. It further strengthened ties with NOAH. It brought unprecedented attention to the company. Most of all, it cemented Joe as an ROH legend. It was a defining moment in the company’s history, one that shall be remembered for decades to come. And it centered around Samoa Joe. That says it all.

Another equally momentous occasion was when Austin Aries pinned Joe for the ROH title. That was probably the first example of Gabe’s “shock booking,” as I like to call it. The sort of booking that led to CM Punk’s surprise title reign, Chris Hero competing in an ROH ring and many others. Going into Final Battle 2004, not even one solitary person believed that Aries, of all people, could end Samoa Joe’s 21-month title reign. And yet the pop in that building when Aries had Joe’s shoulders down for the 1, 2, 3 was just insane. Of course, we shouldn’t look back on Joe’s career and think of him ‘doing the job’, but this moment was absolutely vital to the future of ROH, as it signaled the rising of the new blood. He put over Aries like a true champ, and in doing so opened the door to the new era of Ring of Honor.

Stuart Carapola: Definitely the night he lost the ROH Title to Austin Aries. Most of the time when you see somebody lose a title, they’ll either a) flip out and attack their conqueror, or b) simply roll out of the ring and head to the back. Joe did neither. On the contrary, we saw a true passing the torch moment where Joe put Aries over, shook his hand, and strapped the belt around the new champion’s waist. In that shocking moment of defeat, Joe showed himself to be not just a wrestler, but a true sportsman and one with a deep respect for both the business and the title he carried for nearly two
full years.

Jacob Ziegler: At first I was tempted to say his title win against Xavier on 3.22.03, but I actually think him dropping the title to Austin Aries on 12.26.04 was a much bigger moment and showed what a class act Joe really is.

Ari Berenstein: Joe hitting his first Ole kick during the Frontiers of Honor show in England really sings out to me as far as an answer to this question, because it really underlines his connection to the ROH fan base. Joe was able to get the fans to shout a full soccer chant for him, to sing him on to greater glory. The chant began as a friendly challenge from Low Ki to Joe to see if he could get the fans to do it. Well, they did it, and they’ve been doing it for Joe ever since. It is the greatest moment where Joe and the fans are at one. He gives the call out, the fans respond. He slaps the hands of some nearby fans, and then he locks onto his opponent, running at full speed and launches the flat of his boot into the jaw of his seated opponent. Joe wasn’t the first top star in ROH, but when he became the number one man in the eyes of the fans, when the audience fell in love with Joe, that was the start of a huge collective, a gathering of fans that understood that Joe was the man of this era. He became their man of the ring. The Ole kick and the Ole chant are a genuine moment of brotherhood between Joe and the fans, and really, all of the fans together.

Samuel Berman: I think Joe’s promo from last year’s Wrestlemania weekend, where he called out then-ROH World Champion Bryan Danielson speaks to me, if only because I was there live. The feeling Joe expressed was pretty simply, “ok, it’s time for me to get my belt back…” and then to watch the dominant champion almost cower in fear was just spectacular. Danielson poked a bit of fun at Joe, but then quickly ran away before Joe could absolutely decimate him. It speaks volumes that throughout his ROH World Title reign, the only man that Bryan Danielson truly appeared to FEAR was Samoa Joe.

Who would you like to see as Joe’s final Ring of Honor opponent on 3/4 in Liverpool?

Brad Garoon: I’d really like to see Joe challenge Roderick Strong for the FIP title in his final match. He beat Strong decisively at Glory by Honor V Night 1 and it would be nice to see him leave giving the up-and-comer the rub. Or, if Takeshi Morishima beats Homicide in February for the title and then loses the title to Nigel as many are predicting then Joe beating Nigel the first night in Liverpool to earn a title shot and then losing to him on the second night in that title match would also be appropriate. I’d rather the former happen but the latter would also make sense to be and feel gratifying.

Theo Fraser: Fantasy booking of Low Ki or KENTA aside, I’d go with Roderick Strong. We’ve only seen the two spar with each other in a singles contest on one prior occasion, at Glory By Honor V Night 1. It was a good match, but it was clear that there was potential for so much more. I’d like to see them go at it one more time, with Joe putting over Strong on his way out from the company.

Stuart Carapola: I think that it would be the best for Joe to face somebody that he has a long history or rivalry with. Ideally, it would be CM Punk, but that’s not going to happen. Danielson would also be cool, but he won’t be healed up by then. He’s already lost to Homicide earlier this year. Given other options, I think it would be poetically correct if he were to face and defeat Austin Aries.

Jacob Ziegler: Roderick Strong would be a great final opponent for Joe, since he is one of the guys who will be expected to pick up the slack in Joe’s absence. Their matches in FIP and ROH have all been really good, but with the added pressure of being Joe’s last match these two could tear it up in a big, big way.

Ari Berenstein: There are obviously a lot of great potential choices of those who are currently on the roster—Brent Albright, Roderick Strong, Austin Aries, even Homicide once again. Then there are the dream picks like Low Ki and KENTA that you know aren’t very realistic, but maybe, just maybe they could happen. I’d like to think that maybe Gabe Sapolsky will swallow a little pride to bring Low Ki back and have Joe’s career in ROH come full circle. I’d like to think that, but it I don’t really think it’s going to happen–it wouldn’t be sound business sense and I understand that completely. Joe is obviously going to help put over as many wrestlers as he can on his way out, but the last one is incredibly important. Aries has had Joe’s number many a time, but Roderick Strong has never had the big one on one singles victory against Joe in ROH. I think now is the time to get that last Strong vs. Joe match in, have them go all out and end things with a bang up match.

Samuel Berman: I’m taking into account that the ROH way is to leave the company looking up at the lights (see also: London, Paul, Styles, AJ, Gibson, James and Punk, CM). Let’s narrow it down to people who have main evented a Ring of Honor show in the past year That leaves Kobashi off the list. And it has to be someone who currently works full-time for the company, otherwise you don’t get the rub from someone beating Joe. This eliminates Low Ki, CM Punk and KENTA. They can’t be injured, obviously. Therefore we’re not getting another match with Danielson. No one who has already had his ‘final match against Samoa Joe’ is eligible. See you later, Christopher Daniels. It can’t be someone Joe has faced recently. Both Briscoe Brothers, along with Homicide and Nigel are now out. It should probably be someone who defeated Danielson during his reign, because that’s a signal of being near or at the top of the card. So no Matt Sydal or Davey Richards. Let’s limit it to former Survival of the Fittest winners, just for fun. So you can now forget Colt Cabana and Austin Aries (because being twice the runner-up doesn’t cut it for this one). Now we’re left with two regularly booked main-event level talents who beat Danielson, haven’t faced Joe recently and are former Survival of the Fittest winners: Roderick Strong and Delirious. And when you look more closely, you see that Delirious defeated Danielson more recently, won Survival of the Fittest more recently and hasn’t faced Joe as recently. When you break it down, it seems clear to me that the man who should put Samoa Joe down in his last ROH match is none other than the masked man, Delirious.

Where does Samoa Joe rank amongst the list of ROH Icons?

Brad Garoon: Joe is the Hulk Hogan of ROH. As much as Punk and Low Ki meant to the company Joe means more. As much as the departures of Punk and Ki put dents in the company Joe’s absence on shows is often felt more. While I don’t think that Joe’s departure will hurt ROH’s business much I do think that his name more than any other is synonymous with ROH.

Theo Fraser: Easily in the top two. For me, it’s a toss up between CM Punk and Joe. Joe was/is a huge asset to Ring of Honor, being a key part of the company’s growth and current success. The fact of the matter is, Samoa Joe sold tickets. In the period after the Feinstein debacle, Joe was the main draw, without a doubt. I’m not taking anything away from any of the other guys, but in that period of time, people bought tickets because they wanted to see Joe. That is testament to how valuable he is to ROH. As I mentioned before, it is significant that Joe was handpicked to face Kenta Kobashi in one of the most important events in the history of the company. Gabe KNEW that Joe could deliver. When times were difficult, if all else failed, Joe would be the guy to pick up the pieces. For over 2 years, the name Samoa Joe was synonymous with Ring of Honor. That definitely counts for something in my book, and as such it is patently obvious that Joe is one of, if not THE, most iconic figures to ever step foot in an ROH ring. He IS Samoa Joe. He IS Pro Wrestling. And he IS ROH.

Stuart Carapola: In my mind, there are three people who are the top ROH icons of all time: CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, and Samoa Joe. Those three men are the foundation on which ROH not only survived, but thrived. Nobody, not even Low Ki and Homicide, ever meant as much to ROH as those three. I would say that Danielson, Joe, and Punk share equally the top spot because they each contributed in their own way. Sure, Joe carried the title for 21 months, but there was a lot of other stuff going on during that time, among the most important of which was Punk’s feuds with Raven and the Prophecy,
and then his own feud with Joe. Danielson finally hit the top of the ladder when he won the ROH Title, and he carried the company for over a year while Joe was mostly a non-factor when it came to main storylines. I’d say it’s a three-way tie, but it’s a three-way tie at the top.

Jacob Ziegler: Samoa Joe is THE Icon of ROH. Only CM Punk and Bryan Danielson come close, but it was Joe who made the ROH Title a World Title, and carried it through 2003 to the uncertainty of 2004, and the company came out stronger because of it. Many have contributed to the success of ROH, but no one has done it quite the way Samoa Joe has.

Ari Berenstein: Alongside Low Ki, Christopher Daniels, American Dragon, Homicide and CM Punk. These six men are the institutions of Ring of Honor. Their roots are deep and their meaning towards the success of the company is far too much to mention here. Low Ki was the main draw in the early days of ROH, and Joe was the one who carried ROH towards their greatest amount of national and international exposure. His title run gave the company a legitimacy and a currency that still continues to this day. That kind of effect cannot be easily forgotten, or ever fully repaid.

Samuel Berman: The Mount Rushmore of Ring of Honor is as follows: Homicide, CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, Samoa Joe. That’s it, that’s the list. You can debate up-and-down until you’re blue in the face about how to rank those four men, but in the end, they built ROH together. Joe and Punk have obviously gone on to more ‘mainstream’ success than Homicide and Danielson have (so far, at least), so perhaps their outside accomplishments have helped to augment their position amongst the all-time Ring of Honor greats. Whatever the case may be, I certainly agree with Jimmy Bower when he says, “When the Ring of Honor Hall of Fame opens some day, you have to believe that Samoa Joe will be in on the first ballot!”

With Joe leaving the company, who (if anyone) is poised to benefit the most from an opening at the top of the card?

Brad Garoon: Joe had become almost a specialty act near the end of his ROH tenure. I’d almost equate him to the Undertaker’s status the last few years, as he’d already done everything there was to do in the company and was mostly brought in to add authority to angles such as CZW vs. ROH and Homicide vs. Cornette. With that in mind I don’t think there’s really a spot left wide open for someone to take. However, Joe’s departure leaves the NOAH feud only half complete and someone could take up that cause. The only person I can see doing that is Austin Aries, but he’s already a main event player in ROH. Davey Richards and Roderick Strong could use Joe’s departure as a means to climb the ranks, but in no way are they going to be able to get that top spot anytime soon. Look for Nigel McGuinness to become the new face of ROH.

Theo Fraser: A number of guys on the verge of breaking into main event players will benefit greatly. Nigel McGuinness and BJ Whitmer in particular really stepped up their game in 2006 and could justifiably fill the gaping hole left by young Joseph at the top of the card. I also think Brent Albright could benefit greatly, as with the absence of Joe, there are very few ‘big guys’ left in the company. Albright has the size and the talent to fulfill the Big Guy quota for the year, and now more than ever has the chance to shine. I’m sure it must be a very exciting time in the ROH locker room, as everything is about to get shaken up big time.

Stuart Carapola: ROH’s talent pool is so deep that there’s no way to say for sure who’s going to benefit the most. I think everybody’s going to benefit simply based on the opportunity to move up the card. I don’t think that ROH is ever going to see “the next Samoa Joe”, but there’s so much quality talent in ROH right now that the only way I can answer this question is by waiting six months to a year and telling you then.

Jacob Ziegler: There are a lot of people who could benefit, including but not limited to Nigel McGuinness, Roderick Strong, Davey Richards, BJ Whitmer, Jimmy Jacobs, Delirious, and Matt Sydal. That’s the great thing about ROH, the talent pool is so deep that when one man leaves it just creates loads of opportunities for other performers.

Ari Berenstein: I somewhat addressed this in my recent edition of Column of Honor, but I would definitely say two people come foremost to mind. Homicide, if still ROH World champion after 3/4/07, will have the burden of carrying the company after the departure of Joe. The challenge has come to him and hopefully he will answer it. Nigel McGuinness has come so very close to the level of acceptance of Joe and the other huge icons. You can just feel that the ROH fans have come to grow an appreciation for the great things Nigel has done over the last year. His improvement in the ring and with his presence and charisma gives him a great chance of being top dog in Ring of Honor before the year is out.

Samuel Berman: I agree with the notion that no one can truly replace Joe, as his in-ring work is only one of the many things he brings to the company. However, men you can look to step in and try to fill the void by elevating they’re game in 2007 are Nigel McGuinness, Austin Aries, Roderick Strong, Davey Richards, Colt Cabana, Chris Hero and the aforementioned Delirious. To be completely honest with you, BJ Whitmer, Jimmy Jacobs, Brent Albright, Jimmy Rave, Matt Sydal and down the road a returning Bryan Danielson all also seem poised for major roles within the company during the next year. Oh, yeah, and the ROH World Champion, Homicide. He’s around, too. In the end, though Samoa Joe cannot be replaced, he leaves behind a deep and talented roster of both young and veteran talent that will no doubt continue ROH’s tradition of excellence for years to come. If you want a single prediction on who’s next in line for icon status, my money’s actually on “Classic” Colt Cabana.

Any other final thoughts you would like to share on Samoa Joe’s time with Ring of Honor

Brad Garoon: I know Jake Ziegler at least can testify to the fact that I was a very early supporter of Samoa Joe. I became a fan of his through watching his UPW matches. He wasn’t the in-ring monster he is now but he had that it factor and I picked up on it from the beginning. I was ecstatic when he came in to ROH to face Low Ki. I remember hoping that Doug Williams would beat Christopher Daniels and that Joe would beat Xavier at Night of Champions so that I could see a Joe vs. Williams title match at Round Robin Challenge 2. Joe took what I consider to be a step back in quality in 2006 and it is actually an appropriate time for him to take his leave from the company.

Stuart Carapola: Samoa Joe is a very unique performer. He’s a big, heavyset Samoan who can kick your head clear off your shoulders, but there’s so much more to him than that. He has an extensive submission repertoire, is very agile for a man his size, and has proven his conditioning by going 60 minutes several times over the last few years. He was also entirely unique in that he held the ROH World Title for three months shy of two full years, a feat that is unheard of in today’s wrestling world. Again, the best word
I can come up with to describe Joe is unique, and Gabe Sapolsky better not be thinking about finding “the next Samoa Joe” because he’s not going to find him. While Joe may not have been the single, irreplaceable cog in the ROH machine, he was a very, very important piece of that machine and without his feud with Punk, Ring Of Honor might not be here today. Joe has brought ROH fans so many great matches and moments over the years and even though life will go on without him as it does every time a talent moves up to the next level. Due to his legendary status in ROH, I get the feeling that every time a new talent comes in and moves into the main event scene, the question is always going to be “What would happen if he faced Samoa Joe?” because he has become the measuring stick by which all future ROH main eventers will be measured. It’s going to be really weird not having him there.

Jacob Ziegler: Samoa Joe is the true measuring stick for greatness in Ring of Honor. He was the World Champion for almost two years, and gave the company the credibility they sorely needed and got them on the road to where they are today. I think when all is said and done for Samoa Joe, he will be remembered not only as the greatest ROH ever had, but one of the greatest, period.

Ari Berenstein: When you look back on Joe’s four year run in Ring of Honor, the major thing you are going to see is consistency. No matter who Joe was fighting on the card and in whatever was the position on the card for his match, Joe was going to give the fans his best of himself. He was “Samoa Joe” from beginning to end, and the fans understood that, took to that and reacted to that throughout his career.

I saw Joe’s first match in ROH against Low Ki on DVD in early 2003. Low Ki was the star of the first year of Ring of Honor, positioned as the big baby face. He was someone who I was a big fan of considering his ability and the quality matches he put on in that first year. When Ki fought Joe, for the first time I felt like there was someone who could possibly become was Ki currently was, the number one baby face of the company and the face of company itself. By the time I saw him live and in person that had actually come to fruition.

The one time I met Joe in person, he was extremely nice, approachable and very cool to all his fans. He gave me a soul brother handshake—ME, the whitest guy on the planet. It was cool that Joe made me feel like someone he had known a million years, even though we only had dialogue for a few moments. I have to believe that counts for something in the larger scheme of the wrestling business.

I have enjoyed Joe’s run immensely. Every time I have seen him live, the aura is there, the gut feeling that something great is about to happen is there. Joe vs. Kobashi may have been the greatest live moment of my wrestling fandom, but any Joe match was a memorable moment on the ROH show. Joe vs. CM Punk in Edison, teaming up with Dragon against KENTA and Marufuji in March of 2006, and even the upcoming hugely anticipated match against Morishima–every time out, Joe is an exciting live wrestler.

Joe has provided a ton of quality matches and a legacy that is going to be very hard to match. I stand back in awe and admiration of a man who has shattered the myth of the big man in wrestling, has proven his detractors wrong at every step of the way, has demonstrated that he can talk, can wrestle, can brawl, can do anything he sets his mind to it (well, except maybe climb the ultimate X cables). Bottom line, he is cool, he is bad, he is Samoa Joe. I will never forget how great he was in Ring of Honor.

Samuel Berman: I have front row tickets to Ring of Honor’s February 24th event in Chicago and for the first time, my dad is going to accompany me to a wrestling event. My dad has never really understood my fascination with wrestling, only recently growing to accept the notion that I view it as ‘art’ and ‘performance’ rather than ‘violence’ and ‘aggression’. When I found out last week that Samoa Joe would be making his final North American ROH appearance on the show we were attending, I called my dad immediately. Though I don’t think that he truly understands the gravity of this announcement for an ROH fan, I have hope that the emotion of that event will reach him when he is there to experience it live.

Samoa Joe is special. He operates, both in and out of the ring, at a higher level than almost any other performer I have ever seen. He has that X factor that guys like The Rock and Chris Jericho and Steve Austin have; he makes you want to see what he’s capable of doing next. His TNA work has gained him mainstream press, but as far as I am concerned, no wrestling fan has truly lived until they have seen Joe destroy a bloody Jay Briscoe in a cage, exchange chops with Kenta Kobashi or go Broadway with CM Punk, and all of those things happened in Ring of Honor.

And for the record, at every ROH show that I have attended, Joe has made himself available for autographs, handshakes and pictures. Every show, he walks the lobby, taking time for every fan that stops him. You’d have to be crazy to think that Samoa Joe has to wade out into a pool of fans before going on to star in the main event. Going out to meet his fans is something Joe CHOOSES to do, and that’s what separates him from so many other stars; he goes that extra mile, and the fans know it.

My real first reaction to the announcement that Joe was leaving was ‘I’m glad that my dad will get the chance to see him live’. As Joe goes on to undoubtedly great things with TNA and beyond, I hope everyone that can will take the opportunity to go see one of wrestling’s great treasures perform in person. Joe never disappoints. Joe never phones in a match. Joe always elevates his opponent to a higher level. Joe will always make you happy you came to the arena that night.

I was touched by Joe’s own words at the end of his announcement, and I think they deserve mention here, because no words I could ever write will do justice to the end of Samoa Joe’s time in Ring of Honor: