Samoa Joe All Smiles Heading Into Violent Cage Match At AEW Beach Break

This will be the first one-on-one encounter between these two men in over seven years. Their last bout came during their days together in WWE when Joe defeated Dean Ambrose, a much more restrained version of Jon Moxley, on an episode of Monday Night Raw.

During his six-year run in AEW, Mox has proven time and again that the shackles are off in AEW. He's willing to put himself through immense physical pain and torture. All of it for the love of the game.

Samoa Joe was almost giddy at the thought of testing a man who truly believes he has no limitations.

“You can be strong, you can stay in the fight and show me all your heart and that's fine. I'll continue to crush it until it's not there anymore."

AEW Commentator Tony Schiavone set the tone for this one during last week's episode of AEW Collision, when he said this fight may be remembered amongst the most violent in the company's history.

It wasn't long ago when Angelo Parker was strung upside down like a bleeding Predator victim, or that far removed from Darby Allin dive bombing through a pane of glass, so the bar has officially been set high for this showdown in the suburbs of the Windy City.

“Expectation is always a wonderful thing. It's there for a reason. [Fans] know what they're getting with the two individuals involved in the match.” Joe said. “The steel cage is a [much] vaunted venue for destruction. I think Chicago's a great town to host it. And I think, if history is any indicator, it often repeats itself and more brutally every time it happens.”

On paper, the challenger for the AEW World Title holds a distinct advantage in a steel cage setting. Moxley's propensity to bleed, coupled with Joe's history of legendary and brutal performances in these types of matches, could add up to a very rough night at the office for the Death Rider's head honcho.

“People attach emotion, and a lot of feelings and thoughts to what they do. There's a simple edict in front of us,” Joe said. “A lot of people say they wanna be World Champion, but what are you willing to do to be World Champion? And I've just always been resigned to do those things.”

While it has been some time since he's competed inside of a steel cage match, fans need to look no further than 2004's ROH At Our Best encounter against the late Jay Briscoe, or TNA Lockdown 2008 against Kurt Angle, to see what Samoa Joe is capable of doing to a man when locked in a confined space with them.

Jon Moxley may know what he's willing to go through to keep the AEW World Championship, but he might not fully be aware of what Joe is willing to do to him in order to win it.

Mox has noted that he's in for a beating, even referring to himself as one of the best at getting their ass beat in the industry. Samoa Joe agrees with that assessment, and is fully prepared to test his willingness to persevere in the face of insurmountable circumstances.

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“I don't think Jon has seen a clearer vision of what his future looks like. Nobody has gotten their ass beat better than Jon Moxley? Well, Jon, guess what? Ain't nobody been better at beating your ass than me this coming Wednesday. I mean, it's like it's destiny.”

Listening to him speak, there's no doubt that Samoa Joe is already in the right headspace for his upcoming battle with the AEW World Champion.

This Wednesday night will be no different than any other night at an AEW venue. He'll walk the halls of the NOW Arena in the hours before the opening bell, and maybe talk a little trash if the opportunity presents itself. Some light calisthenics may be in order, but aside from that, Samoa Joe is ready to go to work with one title belt and leave with a second.