Samoa Joe
Nuufolau Joel Seanoa[5] (born March 17, 1979), is an American professional wrestler and color commentator, better known by the ring name Samoa Joe. He is currently signed to WWE on the NXT brand where he is the current NXT Champion in his record third reign. During his career, he also worked in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) and Ring of Honor (ROH).
He established himself in ROH from the promotion’s beginning in 2002, holding the ROH World Championship for a record 21 months from March 2003 to December 2004. Upon joining TNA in June 2005, he embarked on a 19-month-long undefeated streak, and went on to hold the TNA World Heavyweight Championship once, the TNA X Division Championship five times, the TNA World Tag Team Championship twice, and the TNA Television Championship once; completing the TNA Triple Crown and the TNA Grand Slam. He also wrestled internationally and on the independent circuit for various promotions, winning several titles, including the GHC Tag Team Championship with Magnus in Pro Wrestling Noah, and he was an inaugural NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Champion with Keiji Sakoda in Pro Wrestling Zero1. He left TNA in February 2015, briefly competing again in ROH and the independent circuit.
Joe officially debuted in WWE’s then-developmental territory NXT in May 2015, and signed a full-time contract with the company in June; he went on to become the first-ever two-time NXT Champion, and the co-winner of the inaugural Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic (with Finn Bálor). After joining the main roster in January 2017 and being assigned to the Raw brand, he headlined several WWE pay-per-view events and contended for the Universal Championship, and later the WWE Championship during his time on the SmackDown brand. In March 2019, Joe won his only title on the main roster, the United States Championship. Following several injuries, he became a color commentator on Raw. He was released from his contract in April 2021, but was re-signed just two months later to be an on-screen authority figure on NXT and shortly after would return to in-ring competition to win the NXT Championship for the third time in his career. In 2021, WWE recognized the NXT Championship as a world championship due to which, he became the first wrestler to be a world champion in WWE, TNA and ROH.
Ultimate Pro Wrestling (2000–2001)
Joe quickly signed with former WWF developmental affiliate Ultimate Pro Wrestling (UPW), where he feuded with John Cena and made an appearance on WWF Jakked against Essa Rios.[8] He tagged with Mike Knox at UPW Proving Ground on December 12, 2000 in the Galaxy Theatre of Santa Ana, California and defeated the debuting Al Katrazz with Basil. He eventually captured the UPW Heavyweight Championship.[9] He later became the longest reigning UPW Heavyweight Champion ever. When Joe was in UPW, he met Bruce Prichard and Jim Ross, who told him that he would not have a future in pro wrestling.[10]
Pro Wrestling Zero-One (2001–2002)
In June 2001, Joe made his way to Japan, wrestling for Shinya Hashimoto’s Pro Wrestling Zero-One promotion, fighting in its Shingeki series of pay-per-views,[11] as well as the annual Burning Heart tournaments.[12]
Joe continued to work for the promotion throughout 2002, participating in a number of their biggest shows and tournaments. After forming a team with Keiji Sakoda, they became the inaugural NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Champions, though their reign is no longer officially recognized by the promotion.[13][14] He worked as both Samoa Joe and later King Joe, but ultimately chose to leave the promotion when he was asked to take on a more gimmicky character.
