Samoa Joe plans to continue his winning ways, no matter who his next challenger might be.
WrestleZone spoke with Samoa Joe ahead of the ROH Death Before Dishonor pay-per-view. Joe will defend his ROH World Television Championship against Shane Taylor or Dalton Castle. Those two men will face off on Thursday’s new episode of ROH TV. The winner earns a title shot the following night at the pay-per-view in Trenton.
Samoa Joe said he’s fine facing either challenger. He said he respects Taylor’s drive to establish himself, but he’s ready to pluck the feathers from Planet Peacock’s leader.
“Truth be told, I’d be satisfied with either opponent. But men are tremendous opponents in their own right. I think Shane Taylor’s a guy that’s a little bit unsung and is trying to make his mark,” Joe said. “[He’s] definitely [trying to] establish himself as a domineering presence in the industry.
“Maybe trying to do that around me probably isn’t the best path to that type of distinction,” Joe added. “But I gotta give him credit for the callouts. And Dalton Castle, very enigmatic entertainer. He’s a very charismatic person, but we’ll beat the feathers off that bird.”
Ready To Shine
Ring Of Honor’s pay-per-view is bookended by Wednesday’s Blood & Guts match and AEW Collision on Saturday. Asked how ROH can continue to raise its profile, Joe said it’s about the talent establishing themselves and letting their personalities shine through.
“That’s just gonna be par for the course for AEW when they run big weekend events. That’s not to be unexpected,” Joe explained. “Having big, marquee match-ups day after day is something AEW prides itself on, so that’s nothing new.
“To have Ring of Honor featured in that mix is very key. It’s really just a matter now of the performers on Ring of Honor now establishing themselves and [their] identities. There was a time of upheaval of the newness and it being integrated with AEW. I think now, we’re in a period where you’re going to start seeing the personalities of Ring of Honor start to shine through.”
ROH Death Before Dishonor takes place in Trenton, New Jersey on Friday, July 21. Watch our full interview with Samoa Joe below:
