Awesome / Samoa Joe

• His ROH debut match against Low Ki in the first-ever Fight Without Honor match. Although he lost the match and was supposed to be booked for just the match, Joe impressed fans with his MMA-like offense that the promotion booked him full-time.
• He held the ROH World Title for 645 days (21 months), the longest of the title's history that remains unbroken to this day. He gave the championship its World Title status when he successfully defended it in London, England against The Zebra Kid.
• His triple threat match against AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels at Unbreakable is still considered TNA's greatest match ever. It's also the only match in the promotion's history to date (and Joe's second match, see below for the first) that was rated five stars by Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
• His ROH World Title trilogy with CM Punk, with the first match largely considered to be the moment ROH Grew The Beard and the second one being rated five stars by Dave Meltzer, the first to do so in North America since the first Hell in a Cell match between Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker.
• His match with Kenta Kobashi. It is considered one of ROH's greatest matches, got five stars by Dave Meltzer (making it Joe's third time getting the rating), and was chosen as "Match of the Year" in 2005.
• That moment where Kurt Angle had seemingly given Joe a hellacious beatdown and was mugging for a close up camera shot as if he had vanquished Godzilla, only for Godzilla to suddenly pop up on camera behind him with blood running down his face breathing heavily through gritted teeth and staring a hole of pure death through the back of Kurt's skull◊ in what is perhaps one of TNA's most iconic visuals EVER. That shot alone is enough to explain to a non or new fan "THIS is what Samoa Joe is".
• After months of speculation following his departure from TNA in 2015, Joe made his long-awaited WWE debut at the NXT Takeover: Unstoppable show, saving Sami Zayn from a beatdown and having a long staredown with current NXT champion Kevin Owens. The best part? Owens looked legitimately intimidated by Joe the entire time.
• His raw angry shoot promo at Turning Point 2007 when Scott Hall no-showed the PPV due to his addiction issues and Joe tore into him for stiffing the fans who paid to see him while Kevin Nash quietly fumed and backstage staff tried from off camera to get him to just introduce Eric Young as Hall's replacement.
  Samoa Joe: "(to offscreen official telling him to stick to the script) What are you mad? Go ahead, fire me, I don't care!"
• Just the fact that he's keeping the name "Samoa Joe" counts, as WWE would prefer their talents use WWE owned names. The last people to get WWE to waive this were Sting^note a genuine legend well-known as "The Franchise" of WCW, thus it would make no sense to give him a new ring name, David Otunga^note his real name; also, WWE would play up Otunga's marriage to actress/singer Jennifer Hudson as well as his real past as a Harvard educated lawyer, and CM Punk^note a case nine years earlier, and Paul Heyman lobbied for the name to stay. Not only that but it also appears that WWE are being a bit more flexible with indy stars: AJ Styles, Austin Aries, Shinsuke Nakamura, Karl Anderson, Eric Young, Roderick Strong and Bobby Roode all kept their names when they signed.
• Delivering an absolutely stellar match with Finn Bálor at NXT Takeover: London. As one critic pointed out: Joe looked the most dangerous in that match in his 15+ year career.
• Samoa Joe is now the first 2X WWE NXT Champion after beating Shinsuke Nakamura at NXT Takeover: Toronto.
• His entrance at Takeover:Brooklyn II was something to behold, with fans chanting "JOE JOE JOE" to the beat of his theme, and him loudly announcing to the camera that he is a badass in no uncertain terms:
  Samoa Joe: Most VICIOUS! Most FOUL! Most VIOLENT! Competitor...in the WWE!
• Extreme Rules 2017: Samoa Joe is #1 Contender for the WWE Universal Championship against BROCK LESNAR!
• Raw, June 5, 2017. Joe is confronted by Paul Heyman. During which, Heyman tells Joe that he represents the "worst-case scenario" for Brock Lesnar going into their title match. Joe, miffed that Brock isn't there himself, decides to send Brock a message, and expressly tells Paul to deliver it for him — right before locking Paul in the Coquina Clutch. That night, Joe looked every bit the monster he should be. He also ended the segment by responding to the crowd’s chant for Brock:
  Crowd: We want Brock! We want Brock! We want Brock!
  Samoa Joe: And so! Do! I!
• Raw, 6/26/2017: Paul Heyman is doing yet another promo hyping up Brock Lesnar and belittling Joe by saying that Joe relies on cheap shots and that "[Joe] should start fearing Brock Lesnar". Cue Lesnar's theme song and entrance...before Joe attacks him from behind and locks in the Coquina Clutch. Brock attempts to break free but Joe keeps the hold and he very nearly makes Brock go to sleep before being interrupted by the officials. The look on Brock's face after Joe lets go of him says it all.
• Great Balls of Fire July 9, 2017. Brock Lesnar is doing his usual dance as Paul Heyman announces him... only for both to be blindsided as Joe runs in, flings Brock out of the ring, and drives him through a table. Brock just manages to make it back in to begin the match, only for Joe to pretty much dominate throughout, outstriking easily and almost choking Brock out several times over. Brock finally manages to land a F5 that puts Joe down for three, but it was clear that had it been left to judges decision it could have easily gone the other way.
  • Something to note: Joe never got the Coquina Clutch in fully. It was either a side stance, or he didn't body scissor Brock. YMMV, but it seems like, in kayfabe, if Joe had done that, we would've had a new Universal Champion.
• In the final moments of the 11/27/2017 Raw, Joe choked out Roman Reigns.
• Returning to RAW the night after WrestleMania 34 and dropping a damning "The Reason You Suck" Speech to Roman Reigns, who, after his brutal, bloody loss to Brock Lesnar, came out on RAW to vent his issues with Brock's resigning to WWE, and finding out about his rematch with Lesnar^note A steel cage match for the Universal title at the "Greatest Royal Rumble" event in Saudia Arabia on April 27, 2018 through secondhand internet news rather than Vince McMahon himself:
  Samoa Joe: "Wellll...let's break out the tinfoil hats, because Roman thinks there's a conspiracy. Well, allow me to bring you back to reality, because you see, last night Brock Lesnar didn't just beat you...he exposed you. For over a year, you've been coming out here, week after week, saying you were the only one who could beat Brock Lesnar. And the reality is, no matter how many whispers you heard, no matter how many eyes couldn't meet you, you failed...and that makes you a failure. And you know what else it makes you, Roman? It makes you a liar. You lied to these fans, you lied to your family, you lied to yourself. In fact, you're still lying, because you can't face the facts that every time Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar get in the ring together, you get jacked up. You get put through tables, you get carted out on a stretcher, you get broken, and Brock Lesnar gets richer. And no matter how many times we tell this story, trust me, it's gonna be the same thing: When 'The Big Dog' meets 'The Beast', 'The Beast' conquers you and you come out here making excuses for why it happened...but I bear good tidings and good news, the vicious cycle will end, because when Brock Lesnar is done rag-dolling you around that cage and you fail once again, I'll be waiting at Backlash to put you to sleep.
• The internet had been rumbling since his release, but Joe showing up in his very nice suit to offer his services to beleagured NXT General Manager William Regal caused much rejoicing from the fanbase.
  • Instead of the usual WWE authority figure who does not get physical with wrestlers, Joe proved he was a man of his word when he slapped the Coquina Clutch onto Adam Cole. Cole provoked him, Cole got put to sleep.
  Samoa Joe: AND WHEN HE WAKES UP... (adjusts suit)... you tell him Mr. Regal awaits his decision.
• After signing with AEW and making his return to Ring of Honor, Joe won the World Television Championship and embarked on an epic reign, setting an almost untouchable record of 574 days while defending it against all comers. He would eventually decide to actually relinquish the title in order to change his focus to capturing the AEW World Championship instead, which while it initially seemed like a foolish and hubristic mistake, well...
• At Worlds End 2023, a brutal match (featuring a Muscle Buster on the apron) ended with Samoa Joe putting MJF to sleep with the Coquina Clutch, ending his 400+ day long reign to become the new AEW World Champion!