Samoa Joe has once again shared the story of how quickly his fortunes turned after his second release from WWE, telling the congregation at his church in Tampa, Florida, that the call offering him a role in “Twisted Metal” came just four hours after he was fired.
Joe was released by WWE for the second time in January 2022, less than a year after his first departure from the company in April 2021. He had been brought back by WWE that June, went on to win the NXT Championship, and was later forced to relinquish the title before transitioning into a backstage role ahead of his January 2022 release.
According to Wrestling News, Joe told his church, where he has reportedly been a member for 18 years, that the call for “Twisted Metal” arrived just hours after the firing, and he included a new detail about his wife’s reaction to the news in this retelling. Joe has shared versions of this story publicly before, but this account added the church setting and his wife’s response to the rapid turn of events.
Joe did not take long to find work after his second WWE exit, and the “Twisted Metal” opportunity marked a significant television role for him outside of professional wrestling. The exact timeline of how the call came together beyond the four-hour window Joe described was not detailed in the available accounts.
