Samoa Joe

Samoa Joe
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Resides Orange County, California, USA Professional wrestling career Height 188 centimeters (6 ft. 2 in.) Weight 128 kilograms (282 lbs.) Billed from 'Huntington Beach, California The Isle of Samoa Debut 1999

  Nuufolau Joel "Joe" Seanoa^[1] (born March 17, 1979),^[2] better known by his ring name Samoa Joe, is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE. He was previously best known for his time with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) and Ring of Honor (ROH).

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, an he was an inaugural NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Champion with Keiji Sakoda in Pro Wrestling Zero1. 

Early life Edit

Seanoa was born and raised in Orange County, California. He resided mainly in Huntington Beach and spent time during his childhood in Ewa Beach, Hawaii. Seanoa's family founded a Polynesian dance troupe in the United States called Tiare Productions. Seanoa made his stage debut at the 1984 Summer Olympics opening at the age of five. He became a California State Junior Judo Champion and was an all league football player while attending Ocean View High School.^[3] Before becoming a wrestler, Seanoa worked as a mortgage broker.^[4]

Professional wrestling career Edit

Joe was the first graduate of the UIWA West Coast Dojo, training under Cincinnati Red, along with Johnny Hemp and, occasionally, John Delayo. He debuted in December 1999 in a match against "Uncle" Jess Hansen just three months after beginning training.

Pro Wrestling Zero-One (2001–2002) Edit

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,^[5] as well as the annual Burning Heart tournaments.^[6]

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.^[7][8] 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.

Pro Wrestling Noah (2007, 2012) Edit

On October 25, 2007, Joe made his debut for Pro Wrestling Noah at the Yokohoma Red Brickhouse, where he teamed with Yoshihiro Takayama to take on the team of Mitsuharu Misawa and Takeshi Morishima. Joe captured the win for his team after pinning Misawa with an Island Driver.^[9] Two days later, Joe again faced Misawa, this time for the GHC Heavyweight Championship in a one-on-one match at the Budokan Hall. Both competitors had exchanged and overcame their respective signature moves throughout the match, but it was Misawa who won the pinfall after striking the back of Joe's head with his elbow thus marking his sixth successful title defense.^[10]

On July 22, 2012, Joe returned to Pro Wrestling Noah, when he and Magnus defeated Akitoshi Saito and Jun Akiyama to win the GHC Tag Team Championship.^[11][12] On October 8, Joe and Magnus lost the title to KENTA and Maybach Taniguchi in their first defense.^[13][14]

Edit

Personal life Edit

Seanoa was married on July 27, 2007.^[15] He is close friends with fellow wrestlers CM Punk, Homicide, Christopher Daniels, A.J. Styles, and Rob Van Dam.^[16][17] He has appeared on Van Dam's Internet-based reality show RVD TV numerous times.^[17][18]

Seanoa avidly trains in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, judo, and Muay Thai at LA Boxing in Costa Mesa, California. He is often noted as a sparring partner for Team Punishment member Justin McCully, and is often in attendance in the locker room for Team Punishment fighters such as Tito Ortiz and Kendall Grove, with whom he maintains friendships.^[17][19]

Seanoa made brief appearances on the American version of the television show Distraction, participating in the round where wrestlers perform moves on contestants while they answer questions.^[17]

On April 1, 2014, We Want Insanity announced the launch of Samoa Joe's official Twitch video game streaming channel.^[20]

In wrestling Edit

• Finishing moves
  • CCS Enzuigiri^[21] (Enzuigiri while facing away from a cornered opponent)^[22] – 2000–2001; used as a signature move thereafter
  • Chimera-Plex^[21] (German suplex followed by a dragon suplex followed by a bridging X-Plex) – 2001–2005
  • Coquina Clutch^[23] (Rear naked choke,^[21] sometimes transitioned into a suplex)^[24][25] 
  • Island Driver^[21][24] (Sitout side powerslam,^[6][26] sometimes from the second rope,^[27] or an over the shoulder reverse piledriver)^[28][29]
  • Muscle buster,^[23][30] sometimes from the second rope^[24]
• Signature moves
  • Corner forearm smash^[21][22]
  • Death Valley driver,^[21] sometimes from the second rope^[31]
  • Facewash^[21]
  • Folding powerbomb transitioned into either a Boston crab,^[32] an STF^[22] or a crossface^[22][33]
  • Inverted atomic drop followed by a running single leg dropkick followed by a running senton^[22]
  • Lariat^[21][24]
  • Multiple suplex variations
    • Dragon^[21]
    • Exploder^[34]
    • German^[35]
    • Half nelson^[36]
    • Head and arm^[37]
  • Running big boot to the face of an opponent seated on a chair next to a guardrail^[21]
  • Samoan drop^[38]
  • Samoan Elbow (Running delayed high-impact elbow drop, with theatrics)^[21] – parodied from The Rock
  • Standing release sidewalk slam^[21]
  • STF^[21][24]
  • STJoe (Side slam from out of the corner, as a counter to an oncoming opponent)^[37]
  • Suicide dive transitioned into an elbow smash^[37]
• With Magnus
  • Double team finishing moves
    • Snapmare by Joe followed by a diving elbow drop by Magnus^[39][40]
• Nicknames
  • "The Samoan Submission Machine"^[21]

Championships and accomplishments Edit

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • Feud of the Year (2007)^[41] vs. Kurt Angle
  • Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (2006)^[42]
  • PWI ranked him #4 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2006 and 2008^[43][44]
• Pro Wrestling Noah
  • GHC Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Magnus^[11]
• Pro Wrestling Zero-One
  • NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Championship (1 time)^1[7][8] – with Keiji Sakoda
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter
  • 5 Star Match (2004) vs. CM Punk at ROH Joe vs. Punk II on October 16
  • 5 Star Match (2005) vs. AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels at TNA Unbreakable on September 11^[45]
  • 5 Star Match (2005) vs. Kenta Kobashi at ROH Joe vs. Kobashi on October 1
  • Best Brawler (2005, 2006)^[46]
  • Match of the Year (2005) vs. Kenta Kobashi, ROH Joe vs. Kobashi, October 1
  • Most Outstanding Wrestler (2005)

¹ After the title was vacated, Joe and Sakoda's reign was stricken from the promotion's records.

² Joe held the title by himself during his first reign.

References Edit