AEW CEO Tony Khan is hopeful that Samoa Joe will transition to a backstage role in the promotion once he calls time on his career. 

Joe, a former AEW World Champion, recently announced that he may be nearing the end as an in-ring performer, stating that his next contract will be his last wrestling contract. Khan discussed with “Z100 New York” about those comments, expressing how valuable Joe could be in a backstage role after his retirement. 

“Hugely valuable [in a backstage role]. Samoa Joe is already one of the top mentors in AEW, and anybody who steps in the ring with Samoa Joe learns a lot, and anybody who gets the tutelage of Samoa Joe in AEW learns a lot. I think Powerhouse Hobbs is a great example of somebody who is currently learning a lot from Samoa Joe that will benefit him throughout the rest of his career. I know he’s learning, to quote Samoa Joe, life lessons, life lessons that will be with him for the rest of his life,” Khan said. 

Khan believes that Joe would be a great addition to the coaching team in AEW when he decides to retire, helping the promotion’s stars, much like what Bryan Danielson has done.

“I’m very optimistic that eventually, whenever Samoa Joe does decide to retire from the ring, I’m very hopeful and optimistic that Samoa Joe will stay with us in AEW and be a mentor to the wrestlers. Not unlike Bryan Danielson, who is still a huge part of AEW, even though he’s not actively competing in the ring. He’s been now for one year away from wrestling since Wrestle Dream last year, but he’s still a huge part of AEW and continues to be. And my hope is that Samoa Joe will stay with us in AEW forever.”

Joe is currently in his third year with AEW, having joined the promotion in 2022 after being let go by WWE. Before his WWE release, Joe had worked as a trainer at the Performance Center, a role he could take up after retiring.