Samoa Joe had one focus during CM Punk’s backstage altercation at All In.
At All In, Joe and Punk were due to put a bow on a rivalry that had spanned the best part of 20 years, but an incident backstage threatened to completely overshadow the action in the ring.
During his match on the pre-show, Jack Perry took a shot at CM Punk by referencing him on camera, and this sparked chaos backstage. Once the match was over, Punk and Perry got into a confrontation and Tony Khan was also involved.
While the exact details of the incident are yet to fully emerge, the end result was a suspension for Perry and Punk has been fired.
As the situation escalated Samoa Joe reportedly attempted to keep the peace and get his match with Punk in the ring. In the immediate aftermath of the incident, there was a real fear the show would have to be changed on the fly.
During an interview with the New York Post, Joe was asked about his relationship with Punk, and what happened at All In. When questioned about whether the information that’s come out is accurate, the ROH World TV Champion said he’s tried to keep out of it, and all he wanted to do was get his match started.
“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.”
When it was put to Joe that the incident was “intense,” the star downplayed it, reiterating that he just wanted to get 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.”
Samoa Joe Praised For Role In Calming CM Punk Incident
In the weeks after the incident, it’s been reported that Samoa Joe emerged with real credit backstage. One source noted that Joe was a “real leader” in the moment, and took control to keep the show running as planned.
Joe will be back in action at AEW Grand Slam when he challenges MJF for the AEW World Championship.