Samoa Joe has insisted legend CM Punk is a ‘tough cat’ open to physicality in a wrestling ring.
The two All Elite Wrestling stars reignited their decades-long rivalry last weekend on , and viewers were left reeling after some brutal chops from the Samoan Submission Machine to his opponent’s chest.
Speaking exclusively to Metro.co.uk, Joe said: ‘He’s just a tough cat! He’s a guy that doesn’t want any corners cut when it comes to physicality in the ring, and I don’t cut corners either.
‘So, we come to an agreement on that!’
Joe stood alongside Bullet Club’s Jay White and Juice Robinson against Punk and FTR in the main event of Saturday’s huge Chicago show.
Speaking days after the match, he voiced his pride at how everyone involved in the event laid down a marker and set a high standard for the new weekly event.
‘I think you’re always grateful whenever you get in front of an electric crowd like that,’ he added. ‘We definitely sent the message that we wanted to send as a company starting a new show.
‘The crowd and the environment helped solidify that and drive that. I’m very happy with the debut, very happy with how the overall show was presented. I just look forward to seeing it evolve from here.’
There was some real history running through the main event too, with for the first time in 18 years.
‘Like most things with he and I, it felt very familiar, it felt very right. That’s by no coincidence, myself and him have had a storied history,’ he acknowledged.
‘We know each other very well. While we haven’t been physically in a ring together in quite a while, to be back in there and to mix it up, it felt like maybe we should be doing a little bit more…’
There could be a chance for just that, with fans waiting to find out who Punk could be facing if he’s involved at .
Joe admitted: ‘I would not mind getting down in front of Wembley Stadium at all! Obviously it might take a little bit of doing on my part to make that happen, but we’ll see! The future is definitely wide open.’
Being involved at Wembley would have an added significance for the Ring Of Honor TV Champion, who has a long history in the UK and has seen the scene rise from the ground up.
‘I’ve been fortunate to have actually been able to physically watch the evolution of the British scene from its infancy to where it is today,’ he pondered. ‘I got to see it grow from something small and something that was being held together by Brian Dixon pretty much at one point.
‘To see it grow into so many companies, so many stars – for me, it’s always fun to come back over and be in front of the fans.’
Before All In, there’s the matter of AEW and New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Forbidden Door show this weekend, and Joe – a man who insists he doesn’t deal in ‘dream matches’ – had a clear message for the NJPW roster.
‘Listen, I have a lot history with New Japan, I’ve worked both with them behind the scenes, across the table or on the same side,’ he said. ‘If they’ve got anybody who’s got enough guts to wanna run their mouth and come to me, then let’s see who does.’
AEW Collision airs Saturdays at 1am on Fite TV. Tickets for AEW All In London at Wembley Stadium are available . Tune into Forbidden Door 2 on Sunday night at 1am, also on Fite TV.
