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Ahead of Friday's Greatest Royal Rumble show in Saudi Arabia, Samoa Joe, who is competing a four-man ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship, spoke to The National about the event.
The 39 year old discusses coming to Saudi for the first time, his thoughts on the WWE staging their largest ever Royal Rumble with a 50-man line-up, competing for the Intercontinental title in Jeddah, as well as his thoughts on Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns.
Thoughts on a 50-man Royal Rumble
"Intrigued is the best word that I have to describe it. The audacity of the match if anything. That many people in a ring at once, and really the amount of time involved. If you are in from the start you are in for a marathon. I do think it will make for one wild brawl. It will be interesting to see how it comes up."
On tactics ahead of his four-man ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship against champion Seth Rollins and fellow challengers The Miz and Finn Balor
"I think the best way to describe me is that I am a very simplistic individual. I believe that taking people to the ground and keeping them there is the best way to do it.
"A ladder match is always a wildcard and you always have to put yourself in the most precarious position in the match just before you try and win by climbing to the top of the ladder so it is always a wildcard match.
"I am more than convinced I will be able to climb the ladder and grab the title and become the new IC champion at the Greatest Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia."
On competing in Saudi for the first time
"It is going to my first time in Saudi Arabia and I am over the moon and excited about it. To have the chance to experience a new place and a new culture first hand is always a great opportunity."
On enjoying touring in the Middle East and his visit to Abu Dhabi in December
"The hospitality and fans were phenomenal. The crowds and fans are awesome. They are very passionate and it is great to come out to the Middle East and bring our culture of entertainment to them.”
On winning a championship on the main WWE roster
"Since I’ve been on Raw I have hunted down and gone after every champion out there. I went after Brock Lesnar and the Universal Championship and I have gone after the IC Championship. It is an inevitability I will become a champion in the WWE. It is what I do. I go out there and people get out. It is is an inevitability."
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Read more
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Seth Rollins Q&A: On competing in Saudi Arabia and the Shield reunion
Rusev back to being Undertaker’s opponent for WWE casket match in Saudi Arabia
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On how he views his run on the WWE main roster since January 2017
"I am pleased with the opportunities I have provided myself but I am definitely not pleased with the opportunities that seem to elude me. If there are any opportunities that are to be made in my career it is the ones that I have made myself. I have no qualms about doing that now, or in the future.
"Am I satisfied? I am never satisfied. I am never happy with the results as they can always be better.”
On how he views WWE Universal champion Brock Lesnar and his intense approach to their 2017 feud
"I watched grown men tap dance around Brock Lesnar because they are scared of him. There is an edict in the company that Brock Lesnar is a thing to be feared at all times and all this. I fear no man. I don’t believe in and respect anyone who fears other men.
"You know, Brock Lesnar is like everybody else in the world. You go out, you smash him in the face, get in the grill. You have to get up close and personal with Brock Lesnar. If you are going up against a monster you better be a monster yourself. You have to have a monstrous fury in your heart because that is what it is going to take to beat that guy.
"I am not done with Brock Lesnar. Brock Lesnar knows that. He knows I am not scared of him."
On facing Roman Reigns at Backlash in May
Joe is scheduled to face Reigns, who challenges Lesnar for the Universal title on Friday in Jeddah in a steel cage match, at Backlash on May 6. If Reigns is successful then Joe will face him with the title on the line.
Joe said: "Roman has to realise that if he things he is going to beat Brock Lesnar and it is all going to be happy and great he is wrong. He is going to walk right into me.
"The minute you retain, or win, that championship you come on my radar and it stops being fun anymore."
The Greatest Royal Rumble can be watched on Abu Dhabi Sports 1 and Abu Dhabi Sports 6, with the action starting from 8pm UAE time.
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