Samoa Joe

**Nuufolau Joel Seanoa** (born March 17, 1979), better known by his ring name **Samoa Joe**, is an American professional wrestler.

Joe established himself in Ring of Honor (ROH) from the promotion's beginning in 2002, holding the ROH World Championship for a record 21 months from March 2003 to December 2004. Upon joining TNA in June 2005, he embarked on a 19-month-long undefeated streak, and went on to hold the TNA World Heavyweight Championship once, the TNA X Division Championship five times, the TNA World Tag Team Championship twice, and the TNA Television Championship once; completing the TNA Triple Crown and the TNA Grand Slam. 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, and he was an inaugural NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Champion with Keiji Sakoda in Pro Wrestling Zero1. He left TNA in February 2015, briefly competing again in ROH and the independent circuit.

Joe officially debuted in WWE's developmental territory NXT in May 2015, and signed a full-time contract with the company in June; he went on to become the first ever two-time NXT Champion, and the co-winner of the inaugural Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic (with Finn Bálor). After joining the Raw main roster in 2017, he headlined the pay-per-view events Extreme Rules, Great Balls of Fire and SummerSlam, in contention for the WWE Universal Championship at the last two.

## In wrestling

* **Finishing moves**
	+ *C. C. S. Enzuigiri* (Jumping Enzuigiri while facing away from a cornered opponent, usually preceded by a reverse body avalanche)
	+ *Chimera-Plex* (German suplex followed by a dragon suplex followed by a bridging straight jacket suplex)
	+ *The Choke* (Rear naked choke)
	+ *Island Driver* (High-angle sitout side powerslam or an over the shoulder reverse piledriver)
	+ Muscle buster

* **Signature moves**
	+ Corner forearm smash
	+ Death Valley driver, sometimes with a leg cradle
	+ Snap scoop powerslam
	+ Facewash
	+ Folding powerbomb transitioned into either a thigh-held Boston crab, an STF or a crossface
	+ Inverted atomic drop followed by a running single leg dropkick followed by a running senton
	+ Chop to the back neck followed by a shoot kick followed by a Jumping knee drop
	+ Lariat
	+ Multiple suplex variations
		- Exploder
		- Overhead belly to belly
		- Bridging german
		- Half nelson
		- Head and arm
	+ Running big boot to the face of an opponent seated on a chair next to a guardrail
	+ Samoan drop
	+ *Samoan Elbow* (Running delayed high-impact elbow drop, with theatrics) – parodied from The Rock
	+ Standing release sidewalk slam
	+ *STJoe* (STO from out of the corner, as a counter to an oncoming opponent)
	+ Lariat
	+ Suicide dive transitioned into an elbow smash
	+ Uranage

* **Managers**
	+ Dave Prazak
	+ Jay Lethal
	+ Jeff Jarrett
	+ Jim Cornette
	+ Jimmy Hart
	+ Kevin Nash
	+ Okada / Okato
	+ Taz

* **Nicknames**
	+ "The Destroyer"
	+ "The Samoan Submission Machine"
	+ "The (Samoan) Submission Specialist"
	+ "The Nation of Violence"

* **Entrance themes**
	+ **Independent circuit**
		- "Microphone Fiend" by Rage Against the Machine
		- "Another Body Murdered" by Faith No More & Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E.
		- "I Stand Alone" by Godsmack
		- "The Champ Is Here" (Times Up Remix) by Jadakiss Feat. Nate Dogg
		- "Mama Said Knock You Out" by LL Cool J
		- "Nation of Violence" by Dale Oliver
	+ **Ring of Honor**
		- "Another Body Murdered" by Faith No More & Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E.
		- "The Champ Is Here" (Times Up Remix) by Jadakiss Feat. Nate Dogg
		- "Mama Said Knock You Out" by LL Cool J
		- "Tap Out" by Adam Gubman
		- **"Coliseum Clash"** by Mikey Rukus
	+ **Total Nonstop Action Wrestling**
		- "From the Groin" by Dale Oliver
		- "Crush U Up" by Dale Oliver
		- "On Fire" by Dale Oliver
		- "Nation of Violence" by Dale Oliver
		- "Main Event Mafia" by Dale Oliver (used as a member of the Main Event Mafia)
		- "The Anthem" by Jess Jamez & MVP (used as a member of the Beat Down Clan)
	+ **NXT** / **World Wrestling Entertainment**
		- "Taking It Back" by CFO$
		- "Destroyer" by CFO$
	+ **All Elite Wrestling**
		- **"Coliseum Clash"** by Mikey Rukus

## Championships and accomplishments

* **Ballpark Brawl**
	+ Natural Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
* **CBS Sports**
	+ Smack Talker of the Year (2018)
	+ Commentator of the Year (2020)
* **Extreme Wrestling Federation**
	+ Xtreme 8 Tournament (2006)
* **Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South**
	+ Revolution Strong Style Tournament (2004)
* **German Wrestling Association**
	+ GWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
* **Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide**
	+ Tag Team Tournament (2006) – with AJ Styles, Homicide and Low Ki
* ***Pro Wrestling Illustrated***
	+ Ranked **#4** of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the *PWI 500* in 2006 and 2008
	+ Feud of the Year (2007) – vs. Kurt Angle
	+ Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (2006)
* **Pro-Wrestling NOAH**
	+ GHC Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Magnus
* **Pro Wrestling Zero-One**
	+ NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Keiji Sakoda
* **Pure Wrestling Association**
	+ PWA Pure Wrestling Championship (1 time)
* **Ring of Honor**
	+ ROH World Championship (1 time)
	+ ROH Pure Championship (1 time)
	+ ROH World Television Championship (1 time, current)
	+ ROH Hall of Fame
		- Class of 2022
* **SoCal Uncensored**
	+ Rookie of the Year (2000)
* **Total Nonstop Action Wrestling**
	+ TNA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
	+ TNA X Division Championship (5 times)
	+ TNA Television Championship (1 time)
	+ TNA World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – by himself (1) and Magnus (1)
	+ Super X Cup (2005)
	+ Gauntlet for the Gold (2007 – TNA World Heavyweight Championship)
	+ Turkey Bowl (2007)
	+ King of the Mountain (2008)
	+ Feast or Fired (2009 – World Heavyweight Championship Contract)
	+ Maximum Impact Tournament (2011)
	+ Wild Card Tournament (2011) – with Magnus
	+ TNA X Division Championship Tournament (2014)
	+ Third TNA Triple Crown Champion
	+ Third TNA Grand Slam Champion
	+ TNA Year End Awards
		- Mr. TNA (2006, 2007)
		- X Division Star of the Year (2006)
		- Feud of the Year (2006, 2007) – with Kurt Angle
		- Finisher of the Year (2007) – Muscle buster
* **Twin Wrestling Entertainment**
	+ TWE Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
* **Ultimate Pro Wrestling**
	+ UPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
	+ UPW No Holds Barred Championship (1 time)
* **United Independent Wrestling Alliance**
	+ UIWA Tag Team Championship (2 times)
* ***Wrestling Observer Newsletter***
	+ Best Brawler (2005, 2006)
	+ Match of the Year (2005) – vs. Kenta Kobashi (ROH: Joe vs. Kobashi)
	+ Most Outstanding Wrestler (2005)
* **World Wrestling Entertainment / NXT**
	+ NXT Championship (3 times)
	+ WWE United States Championship (2 times)
	+ Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic (2015) – with Finn Bálor