Samoa Joe
I tremendously enjoyed my journey in professional wrestling, and I wouldn't want to trade a time or a place, even the low times, because it was those things that kind of tempered me and forged me and pushed me ahead to be here now.
You've got some very unique individuals in the WWE, and it's a completely different nexus on 'SmackDown' than it is on 'Raw.'
After I win the Championship, I'll be happy to take on anyone.
Backstage, I do my own thing and have my own spots in the locker room, so environmentally, it's not very different for me. But the backstage environments are vastly different, but that is mainly because of the personalities.
John Cena's match with me, the one that kind of got him hired with WWE, I remember they were there to look at John, obviously. He looked great - he was like the blue-chipper - and John was a good friend of mine, so I had no problem whatsoever helping him kind of highlight and do his thing.
Not a lot of people get into Brock Lesnar like I did. Brock is every bit as intimidating as you'd imagine he would be times two. No, I mean, he's a shaved gorilla. It's just, he's stronger than strong. I don't even think he even realizes how strong he is.
When it comes to WrestleMania, obviously you'll take whatever opportunity is put in front of you.
I've thought of the independents as a stable industry for a little over two decades, and that's because I stably worked in it, so I've understood it that way.
When it came to eliciting a reaction from an audience, especially at the time, I think Ric Flair is the guy who is constantly up there. Especially when you talk about speaking with passion and being able to convey a ton of emotion with his words and his body language.
The sixth move of doom? Yeah. So John Cena went to China, took some lessons, and all of a sudden, now he's got a bad palm strike. Listen, I've been traveling the world for years and I've been beating up people with martial arts techniques from far superior styles and techniques. So, I ain't worried about that.
I'm not worried about my WrestleMania dream. Trust me. I'm showing up at WrestleMania, and when I do, it's going to be a problem for everybody.
I realize people feel a complex way about me and how I handle things compared to what I do in the ring.
John Cena is a name I will never forget, and in the Royal Rumble, he will be the first man that I eliminate.
I think Conor McGregor is a promoter, and I'm not here to promote any of his fights. If he were here in WWE, that would be a different story, but until that happens, I don't feel like I need to address it.
For the majority of my career, I worked everywhere but the WWE.
I grew up watching Transformers. I think it was one of the first cartoons that I started watching as a kid. It was awesome. I would set my clock every morning before I went to school. It was a big part of my childhood.
As a child, I think everybody imitates their favorite cartoon character in some form or another when they're playing.
People talk about the Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn relationship and how they'll be fighting forever, but in reality, when it comes to me and A.J. Styles, I defy anybody to find two guys who have been battling against each other longer than us.
In the U.S., I've had the opportunity to grow up around a lot of Arab families, and the one thing that always stood out to me is the incredible hospitality; it's out of this world.
No matter what your background or where you are from, the one thing we can all respect is when great athletes and great passion leads to great achievements.
In your career, to walk away champion of the Greatest Royal Rumble would be something people will take with them for a lifetime.
I love professional wrestling, and I love sports entertainment.
For me, if you are not in it to be champion, you shouldn't be in it at all.
I had the greatest deal in the history of professional wrestling. I could work for WWE, anybody else that I wanted to, and collect income from every one of those companies, including merchandise. It was a really good deal.
There has never been a company that has wanted me, which sounds insane.
There is a good chance that, at 60, I will be in a wheelchair, but hey, I signed up for that. I know that.
I always tell guys to get paid what you are worth and know what you are worth so that if you are worth it, you will get that number.
This is a dream match to many people in this world... Me vs. Brock Lesnar is what people really want.
If you are going to do things in your life and be responsible for your career, then be responsible for your career. You are responsible for your success.
Anybody that got in your way or stopped you or barred your success, you either push through them or work around them. I don't have enough time for excuses or crying about people saying how someone wasn't given a proper opportunity. Nobody gave me an opportunity.
You never know with Punk. He is definitely somebody who does things his own way, and I think the biggest thing is that you can never count out what his next move will be. I think no one would have predicted his move to UFC - nobody would have predicted a lot of things he does - so whatever he chooses to do, he will do what feels best in the moment.
The biggest thing here in WWE is that if they see some really valuable qualities in you, they're really going to do their best to maximize them and put you into the scenarios and into the situations where that's going to make the most impact. For me, they've definitely done that.
For me, I've always been confident in my ability and what I've been able to bring to the table - what I can bring to a Brock Lesnar matchup.
I would like to see Jay Lethal and Dalton Castle join the company. Both have made their name in Ring of Honor, and their addition can make WWE a very exciting place.
I've been at the table with some really great poker players. I'm sure Vince McMahon is a hell of a poker player.
They've kind of backed off and allowed me to do what I do. I think that's the biggest testament is that they know when to have a hand in things, and they know when to back off, let me work, and let me do my thing. During my time in NXT, they have definitely done that.
To kind of be on the forefront of things here in NXT is definitely a big feather in my cap.
I've always understood that wherever I've gone, I've helped build and I've helped make those companies bigger and better. NXT is no different.
When guys are in NXT - not me, but the guys who are signed to developmental deals that are there - they're setting up the ring. They're tearing it down. They're working every day at the PC. And it's arduous training, man. Those guys go through a lot.
It was not very difficult for me to adjust in WWE because of my previous experience. Stylistically, this company is quite different from other promotions, but adapting to it is part of the job.
My experience at NXT was quite stellar.
People understand the simplicity of violence, and martial arts has always been about the more efficient way to deliver said violence upon an adversary. I've kept that philosophy as the focal point of what I do.
I was a judo player as a kid, and I think a lot of the concepts in judo as a kid played over. It influenced my style and has been a center point of what I do.
As long as you're confident in your skill set and what you can do, you're usually good to go.
I know what I do well, and I know what I can do with other people.
I've learned a valuable opinion does not tell you what to think, it illuminates what you should consider.Collection: Thinking