Not your average Samoa Joe
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BY JIM VARSALLONE
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TNA star Samoa Joe gives his all in the ring and on the phone.

Joe answered many questions during a Spike TV conference call to promote the TNA Lockdown pay-per-view on Sunday, April 13 at the Tsongas Arena in Lowell, Mass.

Joe will challenge Kurt Angle for the TNA title. Angle wants a mixed martial arts style matchup, and if Joe loses, he must quit the business.

''Kurt is a fantastic grandstanding individual,'' Joe said. ``At the end of the day, I'm a pro wrestler. I'm going to win a professional wrestling championship in a professional wrestling match. Still, I'll be more than happy to smash his face in, in any style.

``We are a professional wrestling company and cater to wresting fans. Still, you have to try something new. Kurt wants to try it. I think I have enough crossover know-how to do it. There can be a careful balance of the two.''

Whether it's pro wrestling, MMA style or both, Joe fights hard to win the TNA title.

''This is an opportunity to show the world we can make a Samoa Joe championship run work in a national company,'' Joe said. ``It's an advantage working with Kurt again, but there's also a lot of expectations to outdo what you've previously done.

``It will be a physical affair, and I will have a lot of bumps, bruises, scrapes and cuts, but it will be worth it.

``I'm looking forward to a great match with Kurt Angle, and we can absolutely top any of our other matches.''

Joe, 29, knows a thing or two about mixed martial arts.

''I have tons of friends in MMA,'' Joe said. 'They always throw jabs at me, `You should give it a shot.' I love professional wrestling. Circumstances drive you to different things.''

Joe's contract situation is a circumstance.

''We're still at an impasse,'' Joe said. ``I'm coming close to the end of my date with TNA. The contract negotiations are a very long and involved process. We've been on the road a lot. We just have to sit down and get all the parties involved and get it settled.

``I have to admit. I'm kind of happy with TNA. The company is expanding, trying new things, and the younger TNA talent is being profiled. Within this coming year, hopefully most fans will agree with me.''

Fans can agree Joe gives his all, always.

''I'm the type of guy who wants to hit a home run everytime,'' Joe said. ``My contract situation isn't a factor. The bottom line is that it's still my work. It's my name. I have a tremendous amount of pride in my work.''

Joe expressed disappointment with the ratings from TNA's first live iMPACT! show on Thursday, March 27 on Spike TV.

''It's hard to gage these things -- ratings,'' he said. ``You can blame it on a number of factors, but it just didn't happen. We'll try again.''

TNA mixed its original roster with known talent like Booker T, Christian Cage, Rhino, Tomko and Angle. Spots are taken in any company when the talent pool widens.

''I was not concerned about my spot when Kurt came in,'' Joe said. ``Guys like Kurt, Christian, Booker, they have a name and a following much bigger than myself. I came from Ring of Honor.

``TNA is about expanding its fan base and attracting fans. People show up for them and stay for me. I never worried from day one where I'm at in the company. I'm very loyal to the company that I'm with. I'm very happy to this point with TNA.''

Joe, who reflected on highlight matches against Homicide, CM Punk and Kenta Kobashi, wants to face Booker T. ''Booker T versus Samoa Joe. His résumé speaks for itself,'' and noted his relationship with Kevin Nash.

''It's been good working with Kevin Nash,'' Joe said. ``At first, we didn't see eye-to-eye. The past four to five months, we've come together. I respect him a whole heck of a lot more than when I first met him. He's a really good person, has a great mind and is a great asset to this business.''

What about Scott Hall?

''If Scott was ready to go, ready to make those changes and be a contributor, show up with his boots on, laced up and ready to work, I'd be more than receptive to having him back,'' Joe said. ``Scott Hall is responsible for drawing a lot of money and involved in some of the biggest things in pro wrestling. If he can do that again, why not.''

Angle will force Joe to leave TNA if he defeats him at Lockdown.

''I guess I could hire myself out as a sparring partner in my neighborhood,'' Joe said. ``Starbucks has a really good pension plan. You know what, I haven't really thought about it. I don't plan for failure.''

Joe has succeeded, making a name for himself working the indie circuit, most notably Ultimate Pro Wrestling in California and Ring of Honor in Pennsylvania. He held titles in both companies.

''Hardcore fans are at those indie shows,'' Joe said. ``Wrestling on those shows feels comfortable to me, and it's a fun deal to go back. It's horrible, if nobody goes to the show and you're at a bad hotel, but that goes with the territory.''

Growing up, Joe, a California junior judo champ, was an accomplished football player at Ocean View High School, located just north of the Santa Monica/Malibu area in Oxnard. He started his pro wrestling career in September 1999 as the first graduate of the UIWA's now-defunct West Coast Dojo under Cincinnati Red, Johnny Hemp and John Delayo.

Debuting in December 1999, just three months after starting his training, Joe quickly rose through the ranks throughout California. He soon signed with former WWE developmental affiliate UPW, where he feuded with real-life friend John Cena and made an appearance on WWE Jakked against Essa Rios.

WWE recently conducted its WrestleMania Week festivities in Orlando, Fla., which is also home to TNA's TV tapings at Universal Studios. Ring of Honor held two shows in Orlando during that same week.

''I think it was a good vibe, a good atmosphere,'' Joe said. ``It turned Orlando into a pro wrestling mecca with all three companies putting out their finest, doing their best.''

After finding success in UPW, Joe ventured to Japan, wrestling for Shinya Hashimoto's ZERO ONE promotion. He is a member of New Japan Pro Wrestling's Inoki Dojo in Los Angeles.

''TNA wants to do more with New Japan,'' Joe said, ``but we're adding more and more house shows every week so it's harder for international travel. I love Noah, but either company [in Japan] is good.''

In 2002, Joe joined Ring of Honor. His wrestling roots are with the ROH family.

''The Briscoe Brothers [Jay and Mark, not Jack and Jerry Brisco] are a fantastic tag team, and I'd like to see them in TNA,'' Joe said. ``Nigel McGuinness in Ring of Honor is another, and Austin Aries and Roderick Strong, I'd like to see them back in the mix here. My pool is Ring of Honor guys.''

Joe's biological family founded a Polynesian dance troupe in the United States titled Tiare Productions. He made his performance debut at age 5 during the opening ceremonies of the 1984 Summer Olympics.

''With seven kids in our family and a father in entertainment, my parents would pack up the kids and take us on the road with them,'' Joe said. ``Traveling internationally, I had a taste of the world at a young age.

``Pro wrestling is a lot of travel, performing night after night. Being in my family on the road a lot helped make it an easier transition for me in pro wrestling, and my family's been supportive because they understand the nuances of business on the road.''

In TNA, Joe noted the work of Kazarian and Curry Man, two talents with plenty of upside. What works these days is a question?

''Every generation of wrestling has to have a new hook, a new way to bring in fans,'' he said. ``I don't think anybody's hit that yet. It's trial and error.''

The TNA Lockdown pay-per-view features each match in a six sides of steel cage.

''Lockdown is a concept pay-per-view,'' Joe said. ``New things, you have to give it a try, give it a go. It's a challenge. ``I'm kind of lukewarm to a lot of stipulation matches. The TNA roster is talented enough that we don't need so many of those types of matches.''

Joe is hot about the new TNA video game under the Midway banner.

''I'm absolutely overly excited about the TNA video game,'' Joe said. ``I think we adopted a good initiative, fast play style that fans around the world will pick up. I think video game fans and pro wrestling fans will be happy with what they see.''

. Say it's so, Joe

Impact of mixed martial arts

``I think this is a very complicated question. Over the course of time, mixed martial arts will have a tremendous effect on all combat sports -- pro wrestling, kick boxing, mixed bag. I think it's going to be very prevalent as years go on and will eclipse boxing.''

Worst injury

``Broken ribs. You're miserable during and miserable after it happens. You can't stand up. You can't sit down. You can't breathe. You can't do anything.''

Best mustache

``Dirty Dutch Mantell [who works for TNA creative] has a great mustache. The Bully [a former WWE wrestler], I may have to give it to him.''

Ric Flair retirement

``What a spectacular career. I think they did a fantastic job sending him off. Who wouldn't have liked to work with Ric Flair.''

TNA Lockdown thoughts

``Go Team Cage.''

. The TNA pay-per-view Lockdown is 8 p.m. EST on Sunday, April 13 from the Tsongas Arena in Lowell, Mass.

TNA title: Kurt Angle (champ) versus Samoa Joe.

Lethal Lockdown: Team Cage (Christian Cage, Kevin Nash, Rhino, Sting, Matt Morgan) versus Team Tomko (Tomko, A.J. Styles, Team 3D (Brother Ray and Brother Devon), James Storm).

Xscape match for TNA X Division title: Jay Lethal (champ) versus Curry Man versus Sonjay Dutt versus Johnny Devine versus Shark Boy versus Consequences Creed.

Mixed tag match: Robert Roode and Payton Banks versus Booker T and Sharmell.

Grudge match: B.G. James versus Kip James.

Super tag match: Awesome Kong and Raisha Saeed versus Gail Kim and O.D.B.

The Queen of Cage: Angelina Love versus Velvet Sky versus Salinas versus Rhaka Khan versus Traci Brooks versus Christy Hemme versus Roxxi Laveaux versus Jacqueline.

Cuffed in the Cage: Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin and Alex Shelly) versus Latin American Xchange (Homicide and Hernandez) versus Scott Steiner and Petey Williams versus The Rock 'n Rave Infection (Lance Hoyt and Jimmy Rave) versus Super Eric and Kaz versus Black Reign and Rellik.

. TNA iMPACT! is 9 p.m. EST Thursdays on Spike TV.

Credit: A1 Wrestling Newsletter