AEW's Samoa Joe Explains Why Vacating ROH World Television Title Was Difficult

Samoa Joe was the longest reigning Ring of Honor World Television Champion in the history of the promotion, which is why it was a shock to many when Joe relinquished the title in the middle of the ring. In an interview with "Niko Knows Best," Joe explained that the title was dividing his focus.

"Championships can be a gift and a curse, especially in the world of professional wrestling," Joe explained, noting that the ROH TV Title came with commitments he couldn't always make. "You have competitors and opponents waiting in line, defenses you have to make that are gonna keep you away from the path to the AEW World Championship."

Joe didn't feel it was fair to the division to have a champion that had aspirations elsewhere. Joe says that nearly defeating MJF at "AEW Grand Slam" lit a fire under him to finish what he started.

"Relinquishing the ROH Television Title allowed me to keep that focus and really pursue the AEW World Championship, and that's what I'm gonna do," Joe said. "It wasn't an easy decision." Joe says that he thought long and hard about the decision to vacate the title and eventually decided that he couldn't give up the chance to face MJF.

Joe relinquished the ROH World Television Title at the beginning of November, leaving the title vacant until last weekend's ROH Final Battle PPV, where Aussie Open's Kyle Fletcher defeated Keith Lee, Kommander, Dalton Castle, Lee Moriarty, and Lee Johnson in a Survival Of The Fittest Match to win the belt.