Samoa Joe on AEW All In incident: ‘I wasn’t really affected by the moment’

During an interview with the New York Post, Samoa Joe addressed CM Punk and Jack Perry’s backstage incident from All In.

The altercation took place right before Joe and Punk’s match at Wembley Stadium. Though Punk threatened to quit following the incident, Joe reportedly talked him into still doing the match. It ended up being the final time that Punk would wrestle for AEW. The promotion announced on September 2 that Punk’s AEW contract had been terminated with cause.

The New York Post asked Joe if reports regarding the incident have been accurate:

For the most part, I haven’t read what’s been portrayed. There’s been so much said. I’m not the one to go out there and try to debunk everything. I know we had the initial incident. Everybody rallied. Everybody got together. Got their heads together and lined up and got ready to do the show and we went out there and we did the show.

That really was the focus at that point in time. We got a massive show to do and we got fans out there rabid to see that happen. So it’s important that we step up and do it and it’s important that we did and I was proud to be a part of that.

Joe was also asked if the altercation was as intense as it sounded. In response, Joe said he “wasn’t really affected” by the moment and was more focused on getting the show back on track:

That’s up to whoever perceived it. I’m used to that environment. Those things don’t seem very intense to me, but it could be something crazy intense to someone else. I wasn’t really affected by the moment. I was more focused on getting the show back on track and getting us going because it was bell time.

Joe and Punk had two singles matches against each other in AEW. Joe told the New York Post that it meant a “tremendous amount” to him to be able to revisit his in-ring rivalry with Punk.

On Dynamite Grand Slam this Wednesday, Joe is challenging MJF for the AEW World Championship. Joe earned the title shot by winning AEW’s Grand Slam eliminator tournament. He defeated Roderick Strong in the finals last week.