Examining the Future of Samoa Joe’s Career
Former TNA Star Signs Full Time Contract; What Lies Ahead?
Spoiler Warning: NXT Spoilers for the Month of June
It’s been made known that Samoa Joe, formerly of TNA and ROH fame, has now signed a full-time contract with the WWE, based on his performance at the latest NXT tapings and impressive merchandise sales. His time with the company will supposedly be spent at NXT for the time being, with the potential to be moved up to the main roster, a la Kevin Owens’ career path since joining WWE.
It is also worthy to note that, whilst this contract has not actually been signed by Joe yet, it is currently in the process of being put together by both sides. This gives Joe ample time to conclude his independent bookings and begin dedicating his time to the WWE first and foremost.
It’s been said that Joe’s next scheduled Ring of Honor match, to take place at the July 20th TV tapings, teaming with AJ Styles against The Addiction (Daniels and Kazarian), will more than likely be Joe’s last with the company, serving as a farewell match. The company was looking to use Joe for further dates, which has been said to force WWE’s hand in signing Joe to a full-time contract.
The Future of NXT… for a month or so?
With all of this in mind, what can we expect from Samoa Joe’s tenure with the WWE? Based on what we know at this time, it’s safe to assume that Joe will be the focal point of NXT’s roster for the next month or two, competing in matches against various opponents to help him acclimatize to the WWE’s style of performing. So far, Joe has performed in-ring against Scott Dawson, Kevin Owens, and Tyson Kidd: an eclectic mix of opponents, but his performances are said to have been excellent within those matches.
Assuming Joe spends time within NXT long enough, he could potentially be the one to take the title from Kevin Owens, who is already well on his way to a permanent stay on the main roster within the next month, having already been booked for multiple Raw tapings. Out of all of the current rivalries Owens has under his belt at the moment, it’s safe to assume that Joe will be the one to finally topple his reign of terror… provided John Cena doesn’t beat him to the punch in the parallel universe of the main roster.
Following this, Joe will make his way to the main roster, potentially as the NXT champion, to begin his first feud with the company; who would you pit against Joe? My first pick of an opponent would be someone to compliment Joe’s in-ring performances, such as a high flyer or a fellow powerhouse. Names drawn out of a hat could include Neville, Rusev, Balor (provided he’s already made his way to the main roster), or someone completely random and irrelevant like Jack Swagger, or perhaps Cesaro.
Either way, it’s safe to assume that Samoa Joe’s WWE career will be much more fulfilling and successful than his final years in TNA. The future is always unpredictable, as wrestling fans very well know: if you had told me at the start of the year that we’d see Samoa Joe out of TNA and performing for the WWE and ROH simultaneously, I wouldn’t have believed you. And, yet, here we are. The future is anyone’s game to predict, but this is merely a speculative discussion of just that.
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