NXT is known as the development system for WWE, but there is nothing minor league about the man wearing the championship belt. International wrestling superstar Samoa Joe is the man sitting at the top of the NXT mountain, and he has no plans of giving up that throne anytime soon.

Joe’s basically done it all, having wrestled and held championships in every major promotion, including Total Nonstop Action (TNA) and Ring of Honor (ROH). Becoming the NXT champ after disposing of the former face of the company, Finn Balor, Joe now sets his sights on “The King of Strong Style” Shinsuke Nakamura. Both men are set to do battle this Saturday at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II, but before they tear each other apart, Myspace chatted with the champ to get his thoughts on Nakamura and life as the NXT leader. 

Right off the bat, I have to ask if you’ve ever had an opponent (Nakamura) pull a “got your nose” on you before?

No I haven’t. And I look forward to handing him his ass in return.

After your epic trilogy of matches with Finn Balor, you now move onto another dream match with Nakamura. What are your thoughts on your challenger and what should fans expect at TakeOver: Brooklyn II?

You know, I have a great deal of respect for Nakamura’s skills, I mean, I’ve been kinda watching him from the ground up. I remember him coming into the New Japan (Pro Wrestling) system and you know, how he developed. I remember him coming to the dojo in Los Angeles with me and training there and how hard he worked and knowing that there’s big things in store for his future. He’s definitely blossomed into an accomplished performer. It’s a rare opportunity to see history revisited as much as I have lately, especially with Finn Balor and now Nakamura. It’s a match I’m looking forward to.

Every man who has held the NXT Heavyweight Championship has expanded the brand and made NXT more popular than the guy before him. Now that you’re the man, what are your plans to keep the company growing?

You know, I think the biggest aspect is delivering these big match-ups and upholding the standard of quality people expect when they tune into a NXT big event. We’ve signed on some really great acquisitions in the past few months; there’s people coming up through the Performance Center who are kind of coming into their own and are going to be big stars. I think it’s that mix that kinda helps expands the brand also, so it’s good to be on the spear tip of a big machine that is really looking to push it and expand it and make it bigger on a worldwide stage.

Now that you’re the leader of the locker room, what makes NXT so special compared to every other promotion you’ve worked for?

I think the biggest thing is the culture and environment of NXT. It’s one that fosters people to push themselves harder and to do better. It’s a very different approach, especially from the wrestling business I came up in. It was more I guess “Darwinian” in a sense, where sometimes a guy’s potential was realized because of the ability of other people there, that were helping to support them and get them better and push on them every day. When I show up to NXT events and I work with these guys day after day, and I see them in the locker room and see that they’re getting that support now and that they’re developing at a much faster pace, with much more quality to their acumen because of it. 

When you’re on the road or right before matches what type of music or musical acts do you listen to get yourself hyped up? 

So, I’m probably the worst person to ask this question to simply because my musical tastes are so crazy varied, that there is no kind of set playlist. I have a general smattering of genres and songs that I put on shuffle when I got out there. I mean really, it’s a lot of early ‘90s Southern California punk, a lot of hip-hop, just anything that puts me in a ‘go out there and smash this guy in the face’ mood. Just pretty much what I got going through my headphones. [laughs] 

On that frame of mind, what do you think of Bobby Roode’s “Glorious” theme song?

I think it’s exactly as it’s titled. Most of the world agrees. Yeah, it’s a catchy tune, I’ll give him that. He’s been tagging with me at a few live events here and there, and I got to admit, I’ve been enjoying hearing it before my music as well.

With TakeOver taking place the day before SummerSlam, do you have any favorite SummerSlam matches from years past that standout or made an impression on you?

You know it’s funny, I remember in ’88 how The Mega Powers versus The Mega Bucks, it’s a weird match, but I remember how big of a deal it was that Savage and Hogan were together. Ultimate Warrior and Rick Rude in a steel cage was awesome. Rude was just an awesome performer and the whole thing with The Ultimate Warrior was pretty memorable, how he got under his skin and the whole build up to it was really really great. I mean those stick out in my head. Yeah, Bret Hart and Bulldog obviously for the Intercontinental belt, was good too.

Yeah that Rude v Warrior matchup was really good and underrated, like people don’t bring it up a lot.

And the program in general, everything that lead up to that match was pretty masterfully done. You were pretty polarized by the end of it. [laughs] And Rock and Kurt Angle and Triple H, I think they did a triple threat once for the championship, and that was pretty good too. 

What match do you want to compete in that you haven't had the chance to yet? 

I’ve done a lot of crazy matches. Elimination Chamber looks pretty fun. You get to sit in a box for awhile and chill, and then come out. Hell in a Cell, yeah I think everybody, well maybe not everybody, but just the psychopaths would love a go-a-round in Hell in a Cell once or twice, so those all sound good. 

A year from now, where will we find Samoa Joe within the wrestling landscape?

Well, wherever you find me, I’ll probably be holding gold.

NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II airs this Saturday, Aug. 20 at 8/5 PT live on WWE Network