On the seventeenth episode of Piper’s Pit, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper spoke with the unstoppable force of TNA, Samoa Joe. Joe was in London, England for a few matches with English promotions, as well as for a second series of TNA’s British Boot Camp. TNA and pro wrestling is very well received in the UK, so hopefully he enjoyed his time there. During the interview, Joe discussed his beginnings, his time spent in Pro Wrestling Zero-One, ROH, and TNA, and all the stories in-between.
Just like in the ring (...you know kayfabe and all that) Joe didn't pull any punches, so he was naturally a good fit with the "Hot Rod."
For those unfamiliar with Roddy Piper, he’s basically the CM Punk of the Golden Era of professional wrestling, and that’s an understatement. Widely regarded as one of the greatest talkers in wrestling history, you should listen to his podcasts if you want to hear the point of view from a guy that’s seen it all.
And if you don't know Joe, then you're in the right place!
What we learned from this episode:
- Roddy Piper's been "kicked out of [Japan] for life." So have at least five other guys Joe knows
- Japanese fans love to arm wrestle and do karate moves on wrestlers
- Ring of Honor fans chant about liking chants
- Joe says that Kenta Kobashi has surprisingly soft hands
- Chris Masters will be mayor of Preston, England someday, and he can't even spell WWE
- "When in doubt, choke 'em out." - Roddy Piper, on how to capture a crowd
The Samoan Hustle Machine
Joe discussed his training out in Southern California under the tutelage of Cincinnati Red, a former USWA wrestler. Cincinnati had the "hustle," the desire to get as many matches as possible anywhere he could, and he passed that onto Joe.
Piper: "And then like, these guys are waiting to get in the developmental camp of whatever federation. But while they’re trying to get in there, they don’t get as many bookings as they can possibly get. They go to the gym and they roll and they look good. Get their teeth whitened. They’re tanned, and then they go. You know? ‘Yeah, but can you wrestle?’ Last I saw, it was wrestling, although sometimes I wonder…"
Joe: "Yeah, showing up to the dance is twenty percent of it, and the rest of it is knowing how to dance when you get there."
Piper: "Yes sir. That’s a great statement for everybody that wants to become one. What Samoa Joe said, right there."
Joe: "And it’s not just wrestling. Nothing’s gonna find you, man. There’s no easy ways, there’s no easy breaks. The term ‘big break’ is bull****. And anybody who’s had any success in any field, they’ll tell you there’s no such thing as a big break. And anyone that’s ever had a ‘big break,’ well I don’t f****n’ trust ‘em."
He also had a few words for people waiting for their "shot":
"And I go out and say to them, "Well you know, there’s you, who are gonna be there waiting for a while. And then there’s other guys, you know, getting it. And getting the right kind of reputation. Anybody can say, ‘Hey kid, you look good, and you look great, and I think we can do something with you.’ Or they can say ‘Hey kid. We’ve heard a hell of a lot about your work. We’ve seen it, and you’ve produced.' And that’s a better barganing position, I think, going into any major company than just showing up and looking nice."
Guys from Joe's era of early 2000s independent wrestlers all seem to think the same way on that matter. You can't get far without working until you can't work anymore, and then some.
Roddy also voiced his opinion on developmental territories, which he thinks don’t work because they're so sheltered in one company. Taking a path like Joe did leads to being a true wrestling superstar. In his opinion, the prospective talents need the diversity in wrestling that has largely been lost over time. They have to learn from different people and learn different styles, or else they won’t be well rounded enough to "carry the ball."
They talked about the reaction that the big two wrestling companies receive when visiting the UK. The reaction is huge because there's no major wrestling presence there anymore. The demise of the British wrestling scene might be due to the legendary Big Daddy’s time at the top, when finishes became formulaic. Guys like Regal and the British Bulldog hardly got to wrestle when in a match with him. Anyone with him had to be the Marty Jannettys (not a term of disrespect) of the team.
If you want to hear more about Britain's iconic Big Daddy, check out Steve Austin’s two-episode interview with William Regal, who was at one time his permanent tag partner. The hot tag beatings Regal must’ve taken…
Breakout in Japan, ROH, and TNA
Joe’s first full time promotion was at Japan’s Zero-1. At nineteen, they offered him a contract and the opportunity to train. He spent three years in Japan and had a real love for the country.
Then he went to Ring of Honor. He got to the company in its infancy along with guys like Daniel Bryan, Low Ki, Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, and CM Punk. With Punk, he had legendary 60-Minute matches, a feat that most wrestlers don’t approach. The average guy can’t do a twenty minute match, yet alone thirty or sixty. Matches like those make you dig deep, and "They teach you how to wrestle," as Piper said.
From ROH, Joe went on to TNA. At first, he was working for both companies, but the Jarrett/Carter-owned company soon signed him to an exclusive contract when they realized they had a star. His first program was with AJ Styles, who was then the champion.
Out all the talent outside of TNA, Joe said that he’d most want to bring CM Punk into the company. Roddy affirmed, as he’s a big fan of Punk’s and might know better than anyone about the former-WWE Superstar’s situation.
Not much else was said on the matter of TNA specifically, just that Joe was there to help out with their competition show, British Boot Camp. The show seems to be better constructed than TNA Gut Check, as seen in Rockstar Spud, who was the first winner of BBB. And you can see how high he shot from that opportunity. He’s on Impact and Xplosion every week, wearing those deafening suits.
The two discussed the progression of the business since the respective times they entered into the wrestling world.
Piper on what he was told about promoters back in his time: "There’s room in your navel for two peas and the heart of a promoter."
When Piper was brought into the company, he worked with people like Gorgeous George (the original, I assume) who didn’t trust promoters. Fortunately, Joe says that he hasn’t dealt with many scumbag promoters. That's Samoa Joe for you, never having a bad thing to say about anyone.
Thanks for the Read
Keep in mind that all of these podcasts are done weeks before their release, so the recent buzz on the Viacom/TNA deal was not mentioned. Plus, these guys are too professional to talk about something like that. Also not mentioned was Joe's early jobber gig in the WWE from 1998 to 2001.
But there’s so much gold in this interview that I didn't even mention and couldn't truly capture. It's Roddy Piper with Samoa Joe, after all. So if you want to check it out, visit Piper’s Pit at Podcast One. If you don't, "Joe's gonna kill you."
I listened to part one of Jim Ross’ 7/30 interview with the Icon Sting, but my article's already turning out long (JR's episodes are filled with content) so I’ll save a review of that for later this week, or maybe next week after part two is released. In it, JR had great insight and opinions on the wrestling news of the week, including the McMahon/Bella angle, Xavier Woods and TNA, so if you want to listen to that while it's fresh, visit The Ross Report at Podcast One.
Until then, thanks for the read, and try not to get kidnapped by ninjas.