Samoa Joe Quotes

Wrestling was like stand-up comedy for me. Every night I had a live audience of 25,000 people to win over. My goal was never to be the loudest or the craziest. It was to be the most entertaining.

It doesn't matter if you're the best wrestler in the world and can do every move perfectly; if you don't connect with the crowd or sell well or have good promos, nobody cares.

There were people that grabbed you just by talking, and that's what I loved about professional wrestling when I started out. That's why I'm already so good. That's why people literally hang on the edge of their seats when I have a mic because they want to know what I'm going to say.

We really do have a lot of personality in WWE. You have to, to be in this job. You showcase a lot of personality.

I've always liked being on the performance end of it. I've come up with different ideas, but as far as being a creative writer, I'm not sure about that. I've always liked the performance end of it and wrestling, getting in the ring in front of a live crowd.

Obviously, wrestling is a lot of fun, and I love it. But on the mic is where I have the most fun.

The backstage stuff is not for everybody. I'm very hands on; I like to train and teach young guys now because there's so many of them. There are certain ways to do things, to get crowd reactions and sell your emotions and sell stories.

The key is to be a personality outside of the ring and then bring that personality with you inside the ring.

Wrestling was like stand-up comedy for me.

I'm motivated by entertaining people.

Actors have to make you believe that it's happening for the first time and all that jazz and make it human and at the same time entertain you.

Amateur wrestling, you can go by instinct. Pro wrestling, you have to memorize, and you have to go by what moves you said you were going to do. Sometimes you have to feel the crowd and do the moves at the right time and know the timing and tell a good story.

I know I'm not much on face value, but when it comes to stage value, I'll deliver for you.

My goal was never to be the loudest or the craziest. It was to be the most entertaining.

When the music is physically demanding, I want to make sure that the effort involved is put across to the audience through physical gesture.

I can bring a crowd down. There should be a contest for that.

I've got my eye on Big Cass and Enzo Amore. I think they ooze everything that it takes to be a WWE superstar. They have so much energy. Those guys and the Vaudevillains are the guys I've been tipping my cap to on the viewership side.

When I was 20, I used to go around telling stories, and I knew where I was comfortable - onstage, talking, making 'em laugh and listen to the weirdest things. I liked being the center of attention.

Being a pro wrestler can be kind of difficult sometimes. We have a perception about what we do - and I totally understand the perception, because we're a weekly episodic program, and we're having fun all the time, so people think that's kind of the most talented thing I could do.

I love interacting with an audience. I love just being myself in front of a crowd.

I always tell people this - when you start wrestling, don't forget that part you liked as a child. If you can keep a bit of that in your act, you can keep a bigger audience.

I always say the wrestlers provide the music and the announcers write the lyrics. You have to feel what you're seeing and experiencing to write the best lyrics.

As you evolve, you learn that wrestling is not necessarily about stunts or spots. You need to go out and show the audience that they can love you for the persona you are - not because of the risk you're willing to take or the jeopardy you're willing to put your body in.

I love doing the in-ring promos more than doing the backstage promos because I love being able to interact with the crowd.

Once you learn how to work inside the ring - once you learn how to tell a story - then you can come to a big company like the WWE and learn the extra stuff, like the video, the pyro, the music, and that adds to everything you can do.