According to Tony Khan, Samoa Joe “saved the day” at AEW All In 2023.
In 2023, AEW became the first promotion to hold a show in London’s Wembley Stadium since the original version of the stadium hosted WWE SummerSlam in 1992. While the event was historic for the company, it also went down in infamy due to a backstage incident that saw CM Punk get into an altercation with Jack Perry.
Tony Khan later made the decision to air security footage of the incident on Dynamite. It showed Punk and Perry exchange words before Punk tried to put Perry into a Guillotine Lock. The two were quickly pulled apart by Samoa Joe and others.
Joe was in the vicinity of the altercation as he and Punk were the opening match of the ppv directly after it took place. He has previously given his view of it in an interview with ESPN, saying that his main focus was to make sure the fans got what they paid for.
We had [81,035] fans waiting out there. And that was my focus, because that’s what it was about at that moment. We’re about to go out and have the best night of our lives.
The match went ahead, with CM Punk defeating Samoa Joe in a classic match. However, it proved to be Punk’s last in the company, as he was fired with cause weeks later.
“I’m Very Blessed That Samoa Joe Is In AEW” – Tony Khan
During an appearance on Q101 Radio, Tony Khan admitted that All In 2023 was the “most stressful” pay-per-view the company has held.
“The most stressful pay-per-view was the first Wembley — by far. Samoa Joe saved the day there.”
The AEW President went on to praise Samoa Joe for de-escalating the situation, saying he is a leader in and out of the ring.
“I think it was very good that Samoa Joe de-escalated the situation. And also that Samoa Joe made sure that the fans got the match that they thought they had paid to see. And he went out there and everything was great, and he was such a professional. That exemplifies Samoa Joe in the ring and out of the ring. The most professional man.
“He was so great that day and so many other times. He’s one of the most incredible people I’ve ever met. What a leader Samoa Joe is — in the ring and out of the ring. A captain, a true captain of a team. I’m very blessed that he’s in AEW.”
During the same interview, Tony Khan denied stopping Shinsuke Nakamura from being Hiroshi Tanahashi’s final opponent.
H/T to F4WOnline for the above transcription.
