Samoa Joe, the Samoan Submission Machine, had success everywhere he wrestled. He had his first breakthrough in Ring of Honor when he became the company's longest-reigning champion at the time. He then moved on to TNA, where he enjoyed a lengthy undefeated streak before going on to win every title in the company.
After a long career in ROH and TNA, Samoa Joe finally signed with WWE. He was successful in NXT before making his way to the main roster. Sadly, Joe spent as much time injured as wrestling, but when he was healthy, he enjoyed some great feuds. Here are his five best rivals in TNA and WWE.
10 WWE: FINN BALOR
The first significant feud for Samoa Joe in WWE came when he was in NXT and wanted the main title there. Finn Bálor was the champion and held the title longer than anyone at the time with a 292-day reign after winning it from Kevin Owns. Bálor and Samoa Joe in 2015 and the two had terrific matches at both NXT TakeOver: London and NXT TakeOver: Dallas. Joe finally won the title at, surprisingly, a live show, and ended the feud with NXT TakeOver: The End.
9 TNA: AJ STYLES
When it comes to TNA, the earliest and best feud of Samoa Joe's career there was against AJ Styles. The two men were opposites in the ring, Styles is a high flyer while Joe is a hard-nosed brawler. However, the two men matched up perfectly and turned in some of the best matches in TNA history. The two men went on later to have a feud in WWE, but nothing compares to the matches these men had in TNA.
8 WWE: SHINSUKE NAKAMURA
Shinsuke Nakamura and Samoa Joe faced off when the two men worked in NXT. Tensions began to rise between both men after Joe won the NXT Championship from Finn Balor and finished their feud with a win. Nakamura was a new arrival from NJPW and proved he was the real deal in WWE as well.
Nakamura beat Joe for the title at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II, and then Joe won the title back at NXT TakeOver: Toronto, the first time anyone held the title twice. Nakamura returned the favor, and Joe moved on to the main roster.
7 TNA: CHRISTOPHER DANIELS
The early days of TNA Impact Wrestling's X-Division featured some of the best wrestlers on the planet. While Samoa Joe and AJ Styles had great feuds between the two throughout their time in TNA, no one can leave out the great matches Joe had with the third member of that grouping, Christopher Daniels.
The two go back a long way, as they worked together in Ring of Honor with Joe as Daniels' hired muscle. The two then feuded for the X-Division Title, and many people consider the triple-threat between Daniels, Styles, and Joe at Unbreakable 2005 as one of the best TNA matches ever.
6 WWE: SETH ROLLINS
Samoa Joe's feud with Seth Rollins took place over two different times in WWE. The first was in 2017 when Rollins was still a babyface, and Joe was a brutal heel. Joe moved up from NXT and made his debut by attacking Rollins and joining The Authority. Joe cost Rollins two different titles. Later, when Rollins became the Monday Night Messiah, Joe was one of the first to stand up to him, but an injury ended that before it could get rolling.
5 TNA: KURT ANGLE
The best matches of Samoa Joe's career came in TNA when he worked with the Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle. When Angle came to TNA, he was at his peak, and he even said that he could have been the top star in WWE if he had stayed. However, he went to TNA, and fans got to see Angle and Joe feud in what amounted to several five-star matches between two of the best in the business.
4 WWE: ROMAN REIGNS
Roman Reigns liked to walk around and claim that the WWE ring was his yard. Despite being a babyface, his confidence, which bordered on arrogance, rubbed many people the wrong way. This included Samoa Joe, who decided he was going to stand up to The Big Dog.
While Joe attacked Seth Rollins when he made his main roster debut, his first match was against Reigns, and Joe won. The two men feuded in 2017 and 2018, with Joe proving to be a good match for Reigns and one of his toughest challengers.
3 TNA: STING
When Sting came to TNA, he had an on-again, off-again relationship with the TNA originals. He had a big feud with AJ Styles, but his toughest competitor from the originals was Samoa Joe. The Samoan was always a loner, and Sting realized this early on when he saw Joe was only out for himself. The two later teamed up in the Main Event Mafia, but when they kicked Sting out, Joe and Sting were back at it again, helping to remind everyone that Joe was a top star.
2 WWE: BROCK LESNAR
Samoa Joe did something very few wrestlers in WWE had a chance to do. He got to fight Brock Lesnar at a pay-per-view. According to reports, Lesnar wanted to work with Joe because he liked Joe's style and felt that they could do great things in the ring. The two ended up having a match at the Great Balls of Fire PPV in 2017 in a competitive match. Their feud continued into SummerSlam and a four-way match that also included Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns.
1 TNA: MAGNUS
One of Samoa Joe's final major feuds in TNA came against the man who now represents the NWA as their top champion, Nick Aldis. In TNA, he went by the name Magnus, starting as a green British star learning the ropes and leaving as a top name. Joe worked with him from the early years of his career in TNA, both as tag team champions in 2011 and later as heated rivals. They finished their feud in 2014 when Magnus was finally the world champion.