The biggest stars of the previous pro wrestling generation are all seemingly hanging their boots one after the other, with JohnCena,AJ Styles, and Adam 'Edge'Copeland who recently announced that 2027 will be his final year of active in-ring competition.Samoa Joe made a name for himself inTNA, where he often had intense rivalries withStyles, has since become a major player inAEW. But, in light of all the retirements, Joe was asked about his thoughts surrounding retirement and his approach to his career at this stage, during a recent interview with"SHAK Wrestling.""Really just, putting on fun matches for the fans [is my priority], you know?" he said. "Listen, what my time frame is? Kind of still... Not quite nailed down, but I will say this: I want to leave as many good memories I can whileI [still] have the opportunity [to]."Outside of pro wrestling, the acting bug has also bitten Joe, mainly with his role as the physical actor of "Sweet Tooth" in the "Twisted Metal" television series, and several video game roles like 2025's "Like a Dragon: PirateYakuza inHawaii" and the upcoming "Deadlock." But, even with these doors now open to him, he still plans to keep giving back to the wrestling industry."It sounds super noble and all this stuff, but you know in reality I've had this amazing journey that is really not fraught with a lot of heartache and despair," he explained, also proclaiming how much he's loved travelling all his career. "There's a lot of places that have a lot of love for you, as long as you have the best intentions and yeah,I'd like to sprinkle a little bit back before I'm done, and hopefully leave the pro wrestling industry a much better place than I found it."If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "SHAK Wrestling," and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
