WWE Legend Ric Flair thinks highly of Samoa Joe and believes the former NXT Champion is talented and tough.
Joe and Flair worked together on TNA/IMPACT Wrestling. The Nature Boy was with TNA for two years between 2010 and 2012 after his WWE contract expired.
Ric Flair, on his Wooooo Nation Uncensored podcast, praised Samoa Joe, saying he felt like a legitimate opponent to Brock Lesnar when the two feuded:
"I like Joe a lot. I got a lot of time for him. I think he's good on the mic. He's one of the few guys that, when he grabbed Lesnar, it was believable. Going back to what I said last week, those Samoan kids are not only tough, they can all work – and they're tough kids."
"To me, he's very talented. I knew he had an injury but I can't remember what kind it was. He and I have talked, and I enjoy being around him, he's a very nice guy."
The Nature Boy joked he's glad he didn't wrestle Joe as he couldn't have handled a "big guy" like Joe at his age.
Samoa Joe's current WWE status
An immovable object meets an unstoppable force as TNA gains traction…with a feud for the ages!@HeyHeyItsConrad & I welcome @SamoaJoe on a new episode of @TheAnglePod! Available ad-free + on video now at https://t.co/TdaEPfP7LA #TAP pic.twitter.com/MKRamDqBo5
— Kurt Angle (@RealKurtAngle) October 15, 2021
Samoa Joe hasn't been on WWE television since his NXT Championship match against Karrion Kross back in September. Joe defeated Karrion Kross to win the title but had to relinquish it a few weeks later owing to an injury.
It was later revealed that the decision to strip him of the title was due to not being medically cleared.
— Samoa Joe (@SamoaJoe) September 12, 2021
Following his return to WWE earlier this year, Joe has also been given a backstage role in the talent scouting department.