Samoa Joe's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A closer look at the biggest achievements of Samoa Joe. Awards, milestones, and records that define success.

Nuufolau Joel Seanoa, known as Samoa Joe, is a prominent American professional wrestler. Currently signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and a member of The Undisputed Kingdom, he is an AEW World Trios Champion. He gained significant recognition through his tenures in Ring of Honor (ROH), Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), and WWE, showcasing his skills across various major wrestling promotions. Joe is celebrated for his intense wrestling style, technical prowess, and impactful presence in the ring.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

2000: Rookie of the Year

In 2000, Samoa Joe was named Southern California's Rookie of the Year.

March 2001: UPW Heavyweight Championship Win

In March 2001, Samoa Joe defeated Christopher Daniels to win the UPW Heavyweight Championship.

April 2001: UPW No Holds Barred Championship Win

In March 2001, Samoa Joe held the UPW No Holds Barred Championship from March to April 2001.

March 2003: Defeats Xavier to become ROH Champion

In March 2003, Samoa Joe became ROH Champion by defeating Xavier at Night of Champions.

March 2003: ROH World Championship Win

In March 2003, Samoa Joe won the ROH World Championship.

May 2003: Defeats The Zebra Kid and Title Renamed

In May 2003, Samoa Joe defeated The Zebra Kid at "Frontiers of Honor" in London, England. The ROH title was subsequently renamed the ROH World Championship.

July 2004: Defends ROH World Championship at Inoki Dojo

In July 2004, Samoa Joe made a handful of appearances with Inoki Dojo, including successfully defending the ROH World Championship against Shinya Makabe.

2004: IWA Mid-South's Revolution Strong Style Tournament

In 2004, Samoa Joe won IWA Mid-South's Revolution Strong Style Tournament.

May 2005: Wins ROH Pure Championship

In May 2005, Samoa Joe won the ROH Pure Championship by defeating Jay Lethal, his on-screen protégé.

August 2005: Wins TNA Super X Cup Tournament

In August 2005, Samoa Joe entered the 2005 TNA Super X Cup Tournament, defeating Sonjay Dutt and Alex Shelley before defeating AJ Styles in the tournament finals at Sacrifice following interference from Christopher Daniels.

October 2005: Defeats Jushin Liger at Bound for Glory

In October 2005, Samoa Joe defeated New Japan Pro-Wrestling's Jushin Liger at Bound for Glory.

December 2005: Wins X Division Championship

In December 2005, Samoa Joe defeated Styles to win the X Division Championship at Turning Point.

January 2006: Defends X Division Championship Against Daniels

In January 2006, Samoa Joe defended the X Division Championship against Daniels at Final Resolution, winning by technical knockout.

February 2006: Retains X Division Title in Rematch

In February 2006, Samoa Joe defeated Daniels and Styles in a rematch from Unbreakable at Against All Odds to retain the title.

April 13, 2006: Wins X Division Championship for Second Time

On April 13, 2006, Samoa Joe defeated Christopher Daniels to win the X Division Championship for a second time on an episode of Impact.

September 2006: Defeats Jeff Jarrett in Lumberjack Match

In September 2006, Samoa Joe defeated Jeff Jarrett in a non-title "fan's revenge lumberjack match" at No Surrender. After the match, he took Jarrett's title belt.

December 2006: Defeats Kurt Angle by Submission

In December 2006, Samoa Joe defeated Kurt Angle by submission at Turning Point.

2006: Championship Wins

In 2006, Samoa Joe won the Twin Wrestling Entertainment Championship, the Ballpark Brawl Natural Heavyweight Championship, and the Extreme Wrestling Federation's Xtreme 8 Tournament.

February 2007: Becomes Number One Contender for NWA Title

In February 2007, Samoa Joe won a Gauntlet for the Gold match to become the number one contender for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.

February 2007: Wins Match Against Takeshi Morishima

In February 2007, Samoa Joe won a match against Takeshi Morishima after their argument and brawl in September 2006.

November 2007: Wins Inaugural TNA Turkey Bowl

In November 2007, Samoa Joe defeated Robert Roode at Genesis and won the inaugural TNA Turkey Bowl.

April 2008: Wins TNA World Championship

In April 2008, Samoa Joe defeated Angle in a title versus career match at Lockdown to win his first and only TNA World Championship, also becoming the third TNA Triple Crown Champion.

May 2008: Defends TNA World Championship

In May 2008, Samoa Joe successfully defended the TNA World Championship against Kaz and Scott Steiner in a three-way match at Sacrifice.

August 2008: Retains Title in Steel Cage Weapons Match

In August 2008, at Hard Justice, Samoa Joe defeated Booker T in a steel cage weapons match to retain his title.

September 2008: Retains Title in Three-Way Match

In September 2008, at No Surrender, Samoa Joe defeated Christian Cage and Kurt Angle in a three-way match to retain his title.

April 2009: Lethal Lockdown Victory

In April 2009, at Lockdown, Samoa Joe teamed with Styles, Christopher Daniels, and Jeff Jarrett to defeat the Main Event Mafia in a Lethal Lockdown match.

May 2009: Victory over Kevin Nash at Sacrifice

In May 2009, at Sacrifice, Samoa Joe defeated Kevin Nash.

July 2009: Victory Road Win Over Sting

In July 2009, at Victory Road, Samoa Joe defeated Sting by submission in a grudge match, assisted by the debuting Taz, who became his adviser.

December 2009: Feast or Fired Win

In December 2009, at Final Resolution, Samoa Joe participated in the "Feast or Fired" match, winning the briefcase containing a title shot at the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.

May 2010: Ranked in TNA Championship Committee

In May 2010, Samoa Joe was ranked number 10 in the inaugural TNA Championship Committee rankings to determine the number one contender for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.

September 2010: Tag Team Victory

In September 2010, at No Surrender, Samoa Joe and Jeff Jarrett defeated Kevin Nash and Sting in a tag team match.

February 2011: Victory Over Dinero

In February 2011, at Against All Odds, Samoa Joe defeated D'Angelo Dinero with the help of Okato.

March 2011: Steel Cage Match Win

In March 2011, at Lockdown, Samoa Joe defeated D'Angelo Dinero by submission in a steel cage match.

July 22, 2012: GHC Tag Team Championship Win

On July 22, 2012, Samoa Joe returned to Pro Wrestling Noah, teaming with Magnus to defeat Special Assault Team (Akitoshi Saito and Jun Akiyama) to win the GHC Tag Team Championship in the Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo.

November 2012: Turning Point Title Defense

In November 2012, at Turning Point, Samoa Joe successfully defended the TNA Television Championship against Magnus in a no disqualification match.

December 2012: Final Resolution Victory

In December 2012, at Final Resolution, Samoa Joe teamed with Garett Bischoff, Kurt Angle, and Wes Brisco to defeat Devon, DOC, and two masked members of Aces & Eights in an eight-man tag team match.

March 2013: Lethal Lockdown Victory

In March 2013, at Lockdown, "Team TNA" (Samoa Joe, Eric Young, James Storm, Magnus, and Sting) defeated Aces & Eights in a Lethal Lockdown match.

June 2013: Slammiversary XI Victory and Main Event Mafia Reform

In June 2013, at Slammiversary XI, Samoa Joe teamed with Jeff Hardy and Magnus to defeat members of Aces & Eights in a six-man tag team match. Later that month, Joe was announced as a member of the reformed Main Event Mafia.

June 2014: TNA X Division Championship Win

In June 2014, Samoa Joe defeated Low Ki and Sanada in the finals of a tournament to win the TNA X Division Championship for a fifth and final time.

October 2015: Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Win

In October 2015, Samoa Joe and Finn Bálor won the inaugural Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament, defeating Baron Corbin and Rhyno in the finals at NXT TakeOver: Respect.

April 2016: NXT Championship Win

In April 2016, at a NXT live event in Lowell, Massachusetts, Samoa Joe finally defeated Finn Bálor to win the NXT Championship.

March 5, 2019: WWE United States Championship Win

On March 5, 2019, Samoa Joe defeated R-Truth, Rey Mysterio, and Andrade in a fatal four way match on SmackDown Live to win the WWE United States Championship.

January 2022: ROH Hall of Fame Inauguration

In January 2022, Samoa Joe was named part of the inaugural class of the ROH Hall of Fame.

July 2022: ROH World Television Championship Defense

In July 2022, Samoa Joe successfully defended the ROH World Television Championship against Jay Lethal at Death Before Dishonor.

November 2022: Wins TNT Championship at Full Gear

In November 2022, at Full Gear, Samoa Joe defeated Wardlow and Hobbs in a three-way match to win the TNT Championship, becoming a double champion.

November 30, 2022: First TNT Championship Defense

On November 30, 2022, Samoa Joe made his first successful TNT Championship defense against AR Fox on Dynamite.

December 2022: ROH World Television Championship Defense at Final Battle

In December 2022, Samoa Joe successfully defended the ROH World Television Championship against Juice Robinson at Final Battle.

September 2023: WarJoe defeats Josh Woods and Tony Nese at Grand Slam

In September 2023, WarJoe, the team of Samoa Joe and Wardlow, defeated Josh Woods and Tony Nese at Grand Slam.

November 2023: ROH World Tag Team Championship Defense

In November 2023, at Full Gear, Samoa Joe (substituting for Adam Cole) teamed with MJF to successfully defend the ROH World Tag Team Championship against the Gunns.

December 2023: AEW World Championship Win

In December 2023, Samoa Joe defeated MJF for the AEW World Championship, becoming the only wrestler to have held the AEW, ROH, and TNA World Championships.

January 2024: First AEW Title Defense

In January 2024, Samoa Joe had his first AEW World Championship title defense against Hook.

March 2024: Successful Title Defense at Revolution

In March 2024, at Revolution, Samoa Joe successfully defended his AEW World Championship against "Hangman" Adam Page and Swerve Strickland.

June 2024: Trios Match Victory at Forbidden Door

In June 2024, Joe, Hook, and Katsuyori Shibata defeated Chris Jericho's Learning Tree stable and Jeff Cobb in a trios match at Forbidden Door.

January 2025: Return at AEW Maximum Carnage

In January 2025, Samoa Joe returned at AEW Maximum Carnage, saving Hook from an attack by The Patriarchy.

April 2025: AEW World Trios Championship Win

In April 2025, at Dynamite: Spring BreakThru, Joe, Shibata, and Powerhouse Hobbs (substituting for an injured Hook) defeated the Death Riders for the AEW World Trios Championship.