WrestleMania 38 weekend will be remembered for many things, but perhaps one of the most exciting and unexpected moments of all came in the form of Samoa Joe making his return to ROH and subsequent AEW debut at ROH Supercard. Kicking off the weekend in a huge way, Tony Khan took to social media to confirm the ‘Samoan Submission Machines’ signing to All Elite Wrestling, bringing with him a tonne of hype and a bunch of highly-anticipated dream matches.
With Samoa Joe set to make his first AEW appearance on this week’s episode of Dynamite, there’s more than a chance for any of the following opponents to be selected as his first victim. Joe is a former World Champion and will surely find himself in the upper echelon of the card in no time, so by ticking off a few of these dream opponents on his way to the top, there’s no doubt in my mind that Samoa Joe’s AEW career will be one of his greatest chapters to date.
1. Kenny Omega
Oh boy, this match is one that I’ve dreamt of for many years.
When looking back at some of Kenny Omega’s very best matches, a trend seems to be that he works well against wrestlers that are a little heavier than him and those that hit just as hard. Just think back to his legendary bout against Tomohiro Ishii in NJPW’s G1 Climax tournament, now picture that with the ring general ‘Cleaner’ that we have seen in recent years against a hot Samoa Joe on All Elite Wrestling.
Kenny is currently taking some time away from the squared circle to nurse some wounds but upon his return, there’s a bunch of signees that he just has to vie against. Samoa Joe needs to be somewhere at the top of the list, with a style that just perfectly meets Omega’s own unique brand of wrestling.
Samoa Joe vs. Kenny Omega could easily sell out an arena, and if anyone’s going to put that together, it’ll be the eternal indie fanboy, Tony Khan.
2. Darby Allin
Darby Allin is best known for taking some insane bumps for larger wrestlers, Samoa Joe is known for delivering some of the roughest looking moves in the business, see what I’m getting at?
Allin could become the perfect opponent for a heel Samoa Joe, forging one of the best underdog performances that Allin has made his own in recent years. Joe has, in the past, worked extremely well against X-Division wrestlers during his days in TNA and then other smaller competitors in his WWE tenure, Darby is the most popular cruiserweight wrestler currently signed to the AEW roster, so pitting him against ‘The Destroyer’ is an absolute must.
Also, this match would be perfect fodder for one of Joe’s ‘casually step away from a dive’ spot, one of my all-time favourite things about wrestling.
3. Eddie Kingston
 Okay, so let’s start thinking a little bigger shall we? Eddie Kingston is arguably the very best brawler of our time and has put on instant classics with the likes of Jon Moxley, Chris Jericho and CM Punk, pitting him against someone of Samoa Joe’s calibre could easily become the final feather in his proverbial cap to make him a championship contender.
With a penchant for the AJPW style of wrestling, this could be a really fun hoss-off between two guys that champion that similar style of beating the ever-loving tar out of their opponent. Kingston and Joe have shared a ring in previous years but never like the potential for this singles bout on a mainstream platform.
Joe and Kingston could one day be a sleeper match that delivers in so many ways, a revitalising of not only Samoa Joe’s own singles career but also a means of scoring ‘The Mad King’ his biggest run to date.
4. Keith Lee
Big meaty men slapping meat. That’s what we want.
When considering the meatiest men for Samoa Joe to slap, no other name than Keith Lee comes to mind. Imagine these two big behemoths exchanging chops, forearms and some brutal slams for a solid 15-20 minute bout, it could easily be the best heavyweight battle of all time.
‘Limitless’ Lee has yet to truly come into his own as part of the AEW roster, simmering on episodes of Rampage in a feud with Team Taz. Putting him into an immediate exhibition against a debuting Samoa Joe could be huge for both parties involved, getting both Lee and Joe over in a huge way in front of a fresh audience.
Both wrestlers have that ‘it factor’ about them which separates them from the rest of the heavyweight roster, so let’s make it happen TK.
5. Jay Lethal
The obvious feud coming out of the gate for a debuting Samoa Joe is against fellow former TNA alumni, Jay Lethal. Having set up a grudge match at ROH Supercard, when Joe came to the save of ROH Champion, Johnathan Gresham alongside Lee Moriarty to face down the newly-turned heel, Lethal, and his pals.
Similarly to Keith Lee, Jay hasn’t really had a chance to shine since debuting for the AEW brand, aside from a few performances here and there on Rampage and his most recent expose against Jon Moxley. A match against an opponent like Joe could do wonders for Lethal’s future career in All Elite Wrestling, leaning into that natural chemistry that Jay has with the likes of Samoa Joe, Christopher Daniels and other indie legends.
Not only that, but this is a storyline that loyalist ROH fans will be able to sink their teeth into, with direct links to the championship scene and the added potential for a burgeoning global star like Gresham to get involved with. Samoa Joe could be the missing piece of the puzzle when it comes to re-establishing Ring of Honor as part of AEW, bringing new eyes to their product as well as breathing life back into the promotion’s main-event scene.
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