Samoa Joe to answer the U.S. open challenge in debut?

[CM Steel]

Now there's been a whole lot of talk about who should face John Cena for the WWE United States championship at this years SummerSlam in Brooklyn, NY. Continuing the feud with Kevin Owens has been talked about. A triple threat match featuring Cesaro for the U.S. strap has also been discussed. But what it one of the others guys that Kevin Owens is feuding with comes to the table to challenge for the WWE U.S. championship? With that other guy being...Samoa Joe! He is the only guy who can do it! The only guy to defeat John Cena clean for the U.S. gold.

Samoa Joe is the biggest name that the WWE has ever picked up from TNA wrestling. Samoa Joe is well known around the wrestling world! And if you didn't know now you know. Samoa Joe trained with John Cena back in the day while both were yound wrestling in the indies in southern California. So it would make perfect sence for Samoa Joe to make his WWE debut against the face of the WWE in John Cena, and answer the U.S. open challenge. Joe can debut as "the ghost from John Cena's past" but later on pair-up with Cena against Owens and Cesaro. But for that Cesaro would have to turn heel once again.

And with WWE SummerSlam just around the corner, why not bring back former Samoa Joe ally Taz back to the WWE in Joe's corner since it will be held in Taz's hometown of Brooklyn, NY this year. But maybe bringing Taz back to the WWE is more of a NXT move if anything.


Can you see it?

 

[TheLogan27]

I can see it......a little bit. I think it's good. I just don't think Joe is "there yet" in terms of the WWE. I haven't really followed the story of how they are treat Samoa Joe after the whole Tyson Kidd incident played out as far as consequences are concerned.

Bringing Tazz back would be awesome. Hey always been one of my favorites. But would having Tazz as his manager be a one time deal or an confounding thing?

 

[Vanilla Midget]

I think the Joe part of the idea would work, but I'm not sure it's the way WWE wants to go. There's certainly the question of whether Samoa Joe is going through NXT to the main roster, or if he's working a similar deal to Rhyno and only working in Florida.

Personally I hope it's the latter and we eventually get Joe on Raw, in WWE, at WrestleMania and the whole shebang. Either way, a main roster debut so soon doesn't fit with the way they're pushing Owens. Do they really set him aside for Joe when they've been building him up so hard?

When (if) Joe debuts, it'll likely not come a month from now. I don't believe they would forgo advertising John Cena's opponent for Summerslam in favour of an open challenge. My bet is Owens and Cena ends there, though I'm not sure who the challenger is that night.

None of this is to say the idea is bad, it would have a lot of intrigue and be a compelling match up considering Cena's quality of work as of late.

My gut feeling is Samoa Joe spends another 6 to 8 months in NXT, provided he's singed a long term deal with the company. My guess is Sami Zayn will be a fall main roster debut, with another not happening until Royal Rumble or the night after Maina 32.

As for Taz, I doubt WWE has any interest in him. Taz managing Joe is a TNA thing, I doubt they go there. Not because TNA did it, but because Joe doesn't need Taz. Joe can talk just fine.

I really enjoyed Taz's ECW work and early WWE work. I though he was fairly boring as an announcer. He was never a main event star, so I doubt enough casuals remember him. Taz put on some kick ass matches, but he's not a name, nor is he a draw.

The pairing would be fun, but unless Taz agrees to a pittance, it won't happen.

 

[Messiah]

A lot of you fans can't book for shit... No he shouldn't come in as a "ghost from John Cena's past".. WWE doesn't give a damn if Joe trained with Cena in the past, and neither do the fans... And you want them to bring back Taz just because they're in Brookyln? Taz is the last person they need back. He doesn't contribute anything to the product at all, never did. Only time he was entertaining was back in the 90's.

 

[Prince Vee]

Your fantasy is becoming overwhelming to be honest. First you all wanted to see Kevin Owens wins clean over John Cena to grab his first US Championship and now when you start to fancy Samao Joe, all of a sudden he becomes your fantasy choice to beat Cena?

I would first let Owens wins the title from Cena and after that Joe comes up to the MainRoster demanding a tile shot as their feud was never over back in NXT. I want to see them both resume their feud it would make some relevant and legitimate kayfabe hatred between each other!

Cheers!!

 

[RobertTheBruce]

Samoa Joe should be sent back into the Indies, or spend his days in NXT putting better, fresher, and less reckless talents over.

The guy is over his prime, and blatantly careless. Kidd is a phenomenal talent, and was finally really hitting his stride in the last year. Great NXT work, IC Title triple threat on RAW, and of course the Tag Team combination with Cesaro. That tag team is what finally gave Cesaro his one last chance to deserve that not only is he deserving of a push, but can garner that precious pop from the crowd.

Now his career is significantly shortened, if not over completely. All because some yobo who is deserved only of being enhancement talent, can't execute his OWN signature move safely.

Bret Hart agrees, if no-one else.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Samoa Joe should be sent back into the Indies, or spend his days in NXT putting better, fresher, and less reckless talents over.

The guy is over his prime, and blatantly careless. Kidd is a phenomenal talent, and was finally really hitting his stride in the last year. Great NXT work, IC Title triple threat on RAW, and of course the Tag Team combination with Cesaro. That tag team is what finally gave Cesaro his one last chance to deserve that not only is he deserving of a push, but can garner that precious pop from the crowd.

Now his career is significantly shortened, if not over completely. All because some yobo who is deserved only of being enhancement talent, can't execute his OWN signature move safely.

Bret Hart agrees, if no-one else.

I've seen the footage of his bout with Kidd and I saw nothing reckless about Joe. Kidd was injured, though I'm of the opinion that it was one of those situations in which Kidd ultimately just took one bump too many and it was a culmination of impacts over the years that led up to his neck issues, much like we saw with Daniel Bryan. Joe's Muscle Buster finisher is little more than a modified suplex and, like a traditional suplex, Kidd's head & neck were cushioned by portions of Joe's bicep, shoulder & pectoral muscles. As for Bret Hart, I don't believe he condemned Samoa Joe, just the finisher. Again though, I didn't see anything reckless about it as Kidd's head & neck were cushioned during the move. Far be it from me to try to lecture someone like Bret Hart in anything concerning wrestling, but people get hurt all the time in pro wrestling and it's often by sheer luck if they don't suffer at least one serious injury in their careers, especially if they've been at it their entire adult life like Kidd has. Anybody can potentially suffer crippling injuries taking anything from a body slam to the Sharpshooter.

As to the subject of the thread itself, while an interesting scenario, I'd prefer to see Owens taking the strap from Cena and for their feud to ultimately conclude at SummerSlam with Owens retaining the title. Owens has a ton of momentum right now, he's red hot and I see no logical reason to derail that momentum for Samoa Joe. I'm not a mega Joe fan, I do like the guy, but I think WWE would be better served putting Joe's debut off until sometime around the Royal Rumble so he can be a part of WrestleMania. After which, maybe enter him into a feud with Owens over the United States Championship, possibly winning at WrestleMania, with Owens ultimately moving on during the summer into the main event scene.

 

[kadroan]

Your fantasy is becoming overwhelming to be honest. First you all wanted to see Kevin Owens wins clean over John Cena to grab his first US Championship and now when you start to fancy Samao Joe, all of a sudden he becomes your fantasy choice to beat Cena?

I would first let Owens wins the title from Cena and after that Joe comes up to the MainRoster demanding a tile shot as their feud was never over back in NXT. I want to see them both resume their feud it would make some relevant and legitimate kayfabe hatred between each other!

Cheers!!

That would be smart. Owens get the big win at Summerslam, Owens vs. Joe through the fall. I can't recall two newer talents feuding over the US title in recent years.

 

[Jeff Deliverer of Mail]

Kevin Owens is going to win the U.S Championship at Battleground.

 

[BestSportsEntertainer]

I don't think everyone who gets called up to the main roster should start out in a feud with John Cena. I say have Samoa Joe feud with Cesaro using the story of "I took out Tyson Kidd and now I'm going to take you out", something like that anyway. If you start out feuding with the best, it just goes downhill from there, and for so many wrestlers it has.

 

[BestSportsEntertainer]

Kevin Owens is going to win the U.S Championship at Battleground.

This is what I think will happen. Then Cena goes into the main event scene to break Ric Flair's world title record (unfortunately). Owens should then feud with Orton, as I mentioned on a previous thread.

 

[waylonmercy]

This is what I think will happen. Then Cena goes into the main event scene to break Ric Flair's world title record (unfortunately). Owens should then feud with Orton, as I mentioned on a previous thread.

It is interesting that you write that. It makes me wonder if HHH is protecting Ric Flair's legacy (which in my opinion he totally should) by having Ric Flair as the only 16 time World Champion. I have a feeling that John Cena is onboard with that, but this isn't the topic here.

Samoa Joe is 36 and I think his ship has sailed sadly. If WWE feels he is better off on the main roster, instead of using his perceived "Indy Status" in NXT, then he could very well be brought up and a debut in the US Open challenge would be a great way to debut him on the main roster. I don't see him winning the title though due to his age and WWE's interest in investing in younger talent who could carry the WWE flag for decades instead of years. Samoa Joe is in a great place being in NXT as he is able to share his wealth of knowledge, he knows the struggles of having to earn his spot, he is pushed in NXT and like the IWC has said before, he may understand that on the Main Roster he could be treated as a JTTS, end up on Superstars and never get a fair shot. I would imagine his merchandise sales would actually be better staying in NXT due to his placement on the card and the exposure he receives. If he gets white hot in NXT, then a WWE jump would make perfect sense and hopefully he continues his momentum.

 

[BestSportsEntertainer]

It is interesting that you write that. It makes me wonder if HHH is protecting Ric Flair's legacy (which in my opinion he totally should) by having Ric Flair as the only 16 time World Champion. I have a feeling that John Cena is onboard with that, but this isn't the topic here.

At the end of the day, Triple H doesn't make the decisions. Vince McMahon does, and he wants everyone to view John Cena as the greatest professional wrestler of all time. Breaking the world title record is necessary to be viewed as that, at least in Vince's eyes.

Samoa Joe is 36 and I think his ship has sailed sadly. If WWE feels he is better off on the main roster, instead of using his perceived "Indy Status" in NXT, then he could very well be brought up and a debut in the US Open challenge would be a great way to debut him on the main roster. I don't see him winning the title though due to his age and WWE's interest in investing in younger talent who could carry the WWE flag for decades instead of years. Samoa Joe is in a great place being in NXT as he is able to share his wealth of knowledge, he knows the struggles of having to earn his spot, he is pushed in NXT and like the IWC has said before, he may understand that on the Main Roster he could be treated as a JTTS, end up on Superstars and never get a fair shot. I would imagine his merchandise sales would actually be better staying in NXT due to his placement on the card and the exposure he receives. If he gets white hot in NXT, then a WWE jump would make perfect sense and hopefully he continues his momentum.

I disagree with this. Joe isn't young, but he's got 3-4 years left in him. They shouldn't waste his time in NXT. I think he could start out in the upper mid-card and eventually be in the main event scene shortly after WrestleMania 32.

 

[OYDK]

He is the only guy who can do it! The only guy to defeat John Cena clean for the U.S. gold.

Uh, what about the guy who's been built up as the next big thing in pro wrestling? You know, the guy who already beat John Cena clean in his debut match? To bypass Kevin Owens for Samoa Joe at this point is ludicrous and it won't happen. Owens has a ton of more upside for WWE at this point. I could see Joe being used as Owens first feud following his US title win, but it would only be as fodder for KO.

I hope Samoa Joe can make an impact when he finally does come up, but I'd rather it be away from the title scene. I don't think he needs a strap to be seen as legitimate. Just give him Roman Reigns and watch the magic happen.

 

[RobertTheBruce]

The best use of his talents would be in catering imo.

 

[Kodo Sawaki]

He is the only guy who can do it! The only guy to defeat John Cena clean for the U.S. gold.

If you think they will let Samoa Joe to beat no1 guy on WWE clean you are just delusional. This is WWE, not TNA so other company guys have to wait in line for decent shot. Its not TNA where WWE rejects can get titles right away after debuts.

 

[BestSportsEntertainer]

The best use of his talents would be in catering imo.

He is WAY more talented than that. Look up some of his TNA stuff.

 

[Woodstuff]

I don't think everyone who gets called up to the main roster should start out in a feud with John Cena. I say have Samoa Joe feud with Cesaro using the story of "I took out Tyson Kidd and now I'm going to take you out", something like that anyway. If you start out feuding with the best, it just goes downhill from there, and for so many wrestlers it has.

This would be interesting, but I think WWE would opt to turn Cesaro heel again, and have him vow to end Joe's career for hurting Tyson.

I doubt WWE will throw Joe into this feud with KO/Cena, but I do think he'll be Owens' first real challenge as champion, after the feud with Cena (presuming Owens wins).

 

[BestSportsEntertainer]

This would be interesting, but I think WWE would opt to turn Cesaro heel again, and have him vow to end Joe's career for hurting Tyson.

I doubt WWE will throw Joe into this feud with KO/Cena, but I do think he'll be Owens' first real challenge as champion, after the feud with Cena (presuming Owens wins).

It would be the other way around. Samoa Joe injured Tyson Kidd. For storyline purposes, he would claim he did it on purpose. Cesaro claims he wants revenge on Joe, and the rest of the storyline writes it itself. Cesaro is the face, and Joe is the heel.

 

[RIPbossman]

This would fit Samoa Joe nicely. He's a workhorse, and these Open Challenge matches highlight your in ring ability. A lot of fans unfamiliar to him probably wouldn't see him as a guy who can really go in the ring.

 

[Jeff Deliverer of Mail]

It would be the other way around. Samoa Joe injured Tyson Kidd. For storyline purposes, he would claim he did it on purpose. Cesaro claims he wants revenge on Joe, and the rest of the storyline writes it itself. Cesaro is the face, and Joe is the heel.

That would be a better debut in my opinion. Start a nasty feud with Cesaro and watch both wrestlers tear down the house with great matches.