"I was more than happy to remind him of his place" - AEW World Champion Samoa Joe comments on former rival

AEW World Champion Samoa Joe has issued surprising praise for another top star in the company. He also made a bold declaration on the fellow grappler.

The Samoan Submission Machine began his first AEW World Championship reign by defeating MJF in the 18-minute Worlds End main event last month. Joe then headlined Dynamite last week with his first title defense against FTW Champion Hook. The first-time-ever match went just under nine minutes as Joe blocked Hook's Redrum submission and countered with the Coquina Clutch.

Joe recently spoke with WrestleZone's Matt Black and discussed the win over the son of Taz. The ROH Hall of Famer praised Hook for his toughness and strength but also labeled the rising star a dangerous individual that he needed to squash immediately.

“What a tough kid. I mean of all the lambs that I’ve slaughtered lately that was by far the toughest sheep I’ve ever had encountered. Let’s be honest here. I mean, Hook is very young. He’s a very tough and very durable individual, incredibly strong for his size. I will admit that. But when it comes down to it, he’s the type of dangerous individual that I knew I needed to squash out immediately," he said.

Joe continued and said he was more than happy to put The Cold-Hearted Handsome Devil in his place.

"You gotta go after the dangers in this world. And you know, he’s a very, very dangerous young man who’s still becoming the predator that someday he hopes to be. But I was more than happy to remind him of his place in the grander scheme of things and how the food chain works," he said.

Joe promised that he was settled in and ready to be a fighting champion. AEW has not confirmed who his next challenger will be.

Samoa Joe to speak on what's next during AEW Dynamite

The Road to Revolution will continue tonight as AEW Dynamite airs live from the Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia.

Samoa Joe is scheduled to speak to the fans just one week after his first AEW World Championship defense. The official Dynamite website preview teases a new challenger for The Samoan Submission Machine.

"This Wednesday night on DYNAMITE, we will hear from the AEW World Champion about what is next on his agenda, or perhaps that should be who is next!"

It's believed that Joe's second challenger will be either Swerve Strickland or Adam Page, or perhaps both in a Triple Threat match. Hangman is set to face Penta El Zero Miedo tonight, while Strickland is booked against Jeff Hardy.

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What did you think of Hook vs. Samoa Joe? Who do you think should be Joe's next challenger for the title? Sound off in the comments section below!