Samoa Joe shared with his Tampa church congregation how the opportunity to play Sweet Tooth in the Twisted Metal series came just four hours after WWE let him go for the second time. Speaking at Grace Family Church, where he’s been a member for 18 years, Joe recounted this story in a discussion with founding pastor Craig Altman, which the church posted to YouTube on Sunday.
Joe explained, “In the span of two months, I suffered a concussion that effectively ended my in-ring career. I transitioned to the commentary desk, which was a fun chapter. But during that period, I was fired again.” He added that WWE initially released him in April 2021 while he was commentating on Raw, rehired him in June to work in NXT—where he claimed the NXT Championship for a third time before an injury forced him to relinquish the title—and then let him go once more in January 2022 amid NXT staff changes.
Reflecting on that difficult morning, Joe said, “It was tough processing how these firings happened so close together. I told my wife, ‘I got fired,’ and she reassured me, saying, ‘It’s okay. God’s got this. We prayed, and it will work out.’” Shortly after, he received a call from an old friend he hadn’t spoken to in over 15 years. The friend invited him to audition for a new TV show for Peacock, encouraging him to send a tape and expressing confidence that Joe was perfect for the role. Joe said, “I landed the part in Twisted Metal, went back home, and told my wife, ‘I’m starring in a TV series now, so things are going to be fine.’ She said, ‘See? I told you it would work out.’”
This story had been told before on MVP’s Marking Out podcast in August 2025, where Joe named the friend as Sony executive Carter Swan and said the call came a few hours after the firing; the church version included his wife’s supportive reaction and specified the four-hour gap. Joe portrays Sweet Tooth in Twisted Metal, with Will Arnett providing the character’s voice. The show premiered on Peacock in July 2023, followed by a second season in 2025. Meanwhile, Joe returned to AEW in March 2022, held the ROH World Television Championship for a record 575 days before vacating it in November 2023, and won the AEW World Championship the next month at Worlds End.
The conversation occurred during a church service focused on giving. Joe described growing up in a Samoan household where faith was deeply embedded in daily life. Despite skepticism—partially due to his parents’ negative experiences with prosperity gospel—he eventually embraced tithing, encouraged by his wife who had always practiced it. “Even though I initially resisted, I agreed for the sake of happy wife, happy life, and it turned out to be one of our best decisions as a couple,” he reflected.
Joe also shared how he got into wrestling, starting with a jiu-jitsu school in Southern California whose owner encouraged him to join a pro wrestling class to improve his workout while helping boost the class’s numbers. He took to wrestling and said, “That’s how I started, and here I am doing it still.” His two sons grew up participating in the church’s youth programs and now attend Steinbrenner High School in Lutz.
The full conversation is available on the church’s YouTube channel, with the firing story beginning at 18:11 in the video.
Fan Take: This story highlights the resilience and faith that often underpin a wrestler’s journey through the ups and downs of the industry. For fighting fans, Joe’s transition from WWE setbacks to a starring TV role and AEW success shows the evolving opportunities in wrestling and related entertainment, offering hope and inspiration both inside and outside the ring.
Source: wrestlingnews.co
