Samoa Joe had to step away from the ring in February 2020 due to a concussion-related injury.
Joe would remain on television, joining the WWE Raw announce team as a permanent member in November 2020.
Speaking to Ryan Satin on Out of Character, Joe explained how the gig came together.
"I had done a few spots on the pre-show that they enjoyed. While I was out injured, they asked me if I wanted to come in and do color on Raw. I said, 'Sure, no problem.' I wasn't really asked, it was just, 'What are you doing on Monday? Come on in, do some color' and it evolved from there," he said.
"No, never really thought about it in-depth," replied Joe when asked if he thought about doing commentary once his in-ring career was over. "Was it something like, 'That'd be kinda cool'? Yeah, but I never thought of it as something that I was gunning for and could see myself transitioning to after wrestling. I had a lot of fun and it was a good time. It was cool seeing a different aspect of the business after being in it for so long and being on the cans and hearing all the production mayhem and getting a handle of the tremendous effort that goes into producing. Even as wrestlers, we don't get the full scope of everything going on behind the scenes and how much things fall into place at the right time. My experience in commentary definitely gave me a great appreciation of that."
Joe went on to credit Byron Saxton and Tom Phillips for their professionalism, how comfortable they made him, and their work ethic.
When asked his favorite part of doing commentary, Joe said, "It sounds selfish, but just popping the boys. Guys would like calls that I did or I made something sound cool that they did. 'That was cool man, I liked that.' 'No problem.' It's a high-stress job, it's crazy. It's live television and a lot of times changes and revisions are being made on the fly and you have to hit the mark when it comes to it. Make no mistake, the man who sits as the main commentator on Raw or SmackDown, that is a multi-tasker beyond belief. My respect for Michael Cole or Tom [Phillips] or anyone who sits in that chair and has to direct that traffic, you may think you have a stressful job, but it's probably the most unique and high-pressure job in sports. It takes a special individual to do that job. I do not envy that task. Being part of the commentary team makes me appreciate the production process even more and the incredible amount of effort that goes into Raw and SmackDown."
Joe's last night on WWE commentary came on April 5. He was released by the company on April 15, but returned to NXT on June 15.
You can find Joe's comments on his release by clicking here.
If you use any of the quotes above, please credit the original source with a h/t and link back to Fightful for the transcription.
