Do SOMETHING With Joe Already!

[ABMorales787]

Samoa Joe isn't the most charismatic guy out there. He's not the most spectacular guy either. But Jesus Christ, what the hell is it about him? They build him up, and suddenly............


..........Nada. It's a ridiculous cycle with the guy that just get's stupid after a while. During the BFG Series, he started turning into a raving lunatic after losing every match. Following BFG, he made a throw at them main event by challenging Storm and Roode. He was teased as the guy who attacked Storm. It's been a month and... You guessed it. He apparently moved in with Patrick Star under a rock in Bikini Bottom. I haven't shit from the guy. I get that it's 2 hours a week for a roster that should have at least 3 and a half. But for God's sake, can't we at least get a glimpse of what in the blue hell he's up to? If I didn't know any better, I'd say he just stopped giving a shit about getting a shot and just went off to take a shit. They can fit other guys into TV. But we can't at least get 5 minutes of Joe throwing a hissy fit to let us know he didn't kill himself?

 

[Klown_Karnage]

I have to say I agree with this one. It seems to me they've had this guy practically since the beginning, they once had him as the biggest badass on their roster, and now it looks as if Impact is underbooking Samoa Joe out of existence...again. My theory is, what with Impact turning more into low-budget WWE every time I turn around, that Joe just isn't "Ken-doll" enough. He's a heavy guy without being tall enough with an almost frog-like stance. As Impact becomes more and more controlled by their sponsors (a common side-effect of having more and more sponsors) the look of wrestlers goes more and more towards the ideals of the mainstream media...and Joe just doesn't fit. That is, I think, the main reason why we've been seeing less and less of him.

I don't see any others. He's still able to put on a good match in the ring, he can still deliver on the stick, he's got all the ingredients to be a champion again, he just doesn't have the look.

Now, were I in charge, Joe's look would not be greatly important to me. What would be important to me is simple delivery and Joe can deliver...but neither you nor I are in charge. My gut feeling is that Joe will be the next TNA original to get the boot and get replaced by yet another ex-WWE talent.

 

[wrestlemaniac]

Last I heard is that him, kaz..etc etc are on Xplosion...mosttly a UK show though I know tna use to show some things from Xplosion on there youtube channel

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

Joe's gotta move.

I mean Christ, I know the E has Clay who is similar but Joe is very good on the mic. His expressions, in-ring tempo are phenomenal and grossly overlooked at times. The man can hit the big time in the E if a) he gets in a more presentable TV shape, I don't mean become the new Shaman of Sexy and get eight packs or anything but lose the flab and b) realize that he's getting old and should take a crack at the big pond, they just might do something great with him.

He isn't a mindless typical Samoan savage, he can be marketed, he can sure as hell talk, and the boy can go in the squared circle.

 

[HBsam31]

I agree totally with this, but in my opinion Joe has the potential to be one of tna's biggest stars again.. His promo he did in his feud with kurt angle was one of the most intense I have ever seen.. That feud was great all together. Push him and let him be that badass again and it will work..

 

[klunderbunker]

If I'm Joe, why in the world would I be motivated?

For years now, it's been decided that Joe simply isn't going to be pushed as anything other than in quick feuds with AJ/Daniels because of a series of matches they had years ago, or as a guy to put over monsters. If I'm Joe, why in the world would I want to try something when it's not going to get me anywhere? Look back at the three way feud he had with Morgan and Crimson. That should have been for the TV Title, but instead we've turned that into a comedy title for a Jersey Shore character and a guy that went to Hollywood to fight Chachi from Happy Days. He's too heavy for the X Title and he's been pushed as a loner so far that he's not going to be able to be in a reasonable tag team. He's certainly not getting near the world title because he's been put on the not main event list.

So what is there left for Joe to do? Nothing, because we need to give time to guys like Eric Young and Garrett Bischoff.

 

[GANLEYBRAND]

I came across a podcast on AllWrestling.com, Samoa Joe candidly discusses a number of topics including his contract status with TNA Wrestling, being properly utilized, who he feels are the young promising upstarts in the company, drugs in professional wrestling and wrestlers who have been recently affected by them, if he has any plans on jumping to WWE in the future, his thoughts on matches with the likes of CM Punk and Daniel Bryan and so much more. You can view and hear the interview at this link. http://allwrestling.com/iwpodcast.aspx

Take it as you will

 

[Bischoff's Knob Slobberer]

I wish Joe would take the TV title from the lame arse Robbie E and defend it every week. Joe has innovative moves that I doubt many other wrestlers in the business could pull off. I enjoy him and wish TNA would give him the TV Title and a major push.

 

[Larry]

I was at one time, a big Samoa Joe fan. I liked the fact that he didn't have a conventional look, I admired his pedigree, I liked that he could go with the smaller faster guys in better shape, I liked his attitude, and the fact that he could do more acrobatic maneuvers even for a big guy. Just about everything about Samoa Joe to me was what I wanted to see in a wrestler. Watching him fall into obscurity in TNA has been painful though. It's also been painful to watch him get more and more out of shape, get a worse and worse attitude, and give less and less in the ring. I realize that he has little motivation with the way they've used him, but if he really wanted to make them use him there are things he could do to convince them he was worth the push again.

It couldn't have helped for him to be in the back complaining about other people getting shots, that's not how you get people on your side. In all fairness I understand his grievances but he went about airing them the wrong way. I think everything really went downhill when they did the whole Nation of Violence angle with him. How was anyone supposed to take him seriously when it looked like he had tire tracks on his face, was carrying around a machete he was clearly never going to use, and was acting so stupid and over the top? Really? I feel like ever since then it's just been a downward spiral. I didn't like his angle with The Pope either, it was like he wanted to be more "Hood" than Pope with the way he was acting and talking and so on, he was gonna' get all gangsta' or something. Uhhhh, no. It's been a lost road with Joe and I don't know if there's a GPS system on the planet that can get him back on the right course.

 

[Clem]

I thought they were building towards something with Joe a few weeks back.

He had an opening promo with Fortune, a mainevent match, followed by a couple of weeks of getting in the faces of the GM and the World Heavyweight Champion, but then......nothing.

Someone in the company isn't taking him seriously.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

Given that Joe has had recent feuds with both Crimson and Matt Morgan, it could be beneficial to find him a suitable partner and form a tag team. After all, this worked wonders for Beer Money and the MCMGs, to the extent that many of the IWC are questioning why Alex Shelley isn't being utilised in the XDivision more. As to who would make a good partner, I would suggest Gunnar except for the whole Immortal thing (I think Joe joining Immortal would be extremely detrimental). Ruling Gunnar out, I think that the Fallen Angle would be a fantastic partner (Daniel's current storylines seem haphazard) and the two guys have a combination of their past history together along with the current storylines of being overlooked to overcome that 'two singles guys just thrown together' vibe.

This isn't to say that he can't be built up as a singles guy instead. Mark Henry, Kane and Big Show have all shown that unbeatable auras can be repaired and Joe is still over enough that it should actually be easier for him than the current WHC.

One thing I would be against is a move to the WWe because Joe just isn't big enough for anyone to realistically believe he would receive any love from creative (think Rhyno or, more recently, Husky Harris).

 

[Dagger Dias]

TNA has been using Joe improperly for years. He had a great year in 2008 but shortly after he lost the title the downward path began. The Nation of Violence could have been a cool stable led by Joe, but instead it ended in a way that left people scratching their heads. Joe had stupid looking face paint, made random threats to people, and apparently the entire "nation" was made up of him and Taz. The cycle of Joe being built up only to do nothing and then repeating began there. That was in spring of 2009. We are about to enter 2012. Any momentum Joe EVER had is now gone because TNA are not making any sense with how they book him. Granted their booking is complicated across the board, but it's worse with Samoa Joe than with anyone else. I too have noticed his absense and want them to do something, ANYTHING, with someone who was once one of their most over originals. It's ridiculous and I'm surprised he has not quit yet.

 

[He's Phenomenal]

I think it's just to do with Samoa Joe not being good enough to command regular TV time. What do you do with the guy? He never makes anyone look good and never looks that good himself when he's out there. I've watched TNA for bout 3 an half years and Joe has done nothing to stand out from anyone else. Guys like AJ Styles and Matt Morgan made an immediate impression, others have grown into their roles, but Joe? Nothing! I think it's about time TNA just done everyone involved a favour and released Samoa Joe. He really doesn't bring anything to the table and I see no reason to keep him hanging around. Just because he's a "TNA Original" isn't reason enough. If you want a sort of fat guy that can move, go get Willie Mack, he does it much better than Samoa Joe.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

When you look at everything on the surface, it does look like Joe hasn't been used well in years. If I had to pinpoint when Joe really started to go downhill, I'd say it had to do with the whole kidnapping angle. Joe was tossed into a trunk, he wasn't seen for a while, he came back with some sort of Samoan tribal paint on one side of his face and became even more one dimensional than usual. It's just all been downhill for him ever since.

At the same time, however, I'm sure we've all read reports that Joe can be difficult to work with. For instance, allegedly, Joe has asked by TNA management several times to drop some weight but he hasn't done it. That's a simple request that makes a guy easier to work with inside the ring from an overall perspective.

I've never been particularly into Joe's character, just comes off as very one dimensional and generally uninteresting. He does have good intensity, some solid mic skills and he's shown that he can deliver entertaining matches. That means that he does have potential to be considerably more than he has been and, quite possibly, more than he's ever been.

I don't know if the backstage reports are true, which ones are flat out wrong, which ones contain some truth, etc. and that can make it hard to decide where to stand with Joe. If Joe is just a lazy talent that's difficult to work with and unwilling to do what management asks of him, then it's hard to be sympathetic towards him. If that's his mindset, then it won't do any good for him to head to WWE because Vince certainly won't take any crap. If WWE management tells Joe to drop 50 pounds and he doesn't want to, he'd find himself wished the best in his future endeavors quickly. If Joe is someone that's just been kind of overlooked by TNA management as they don't see anything more significant in Joe's future, then maybe a change of scenery would be best for Joe.

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

And I'm calling it now you're post will be deleted.

Joe is charismatic forme. He has the mean edge about him which goes a long way in either making a great hell or a great anti - hero. I see the dirtsheets saying he's lazy or doesn't sell or is difficult to wok with. If any of this is true, then Joe is killing his own career. I firmly believe in the points I have made earlier. Joe is a talent that can be capitalized but you can't change his style, but he has to be a team player.

 

[ramblinroy682]

I posted this on the Mexican America thread, but I think Joe and Hernandez should combine to make a tag team. About 4 years ago, two singles guys one of which was mostly a tag team wrestler got together and formed Beer Money. Look at the two of them now. I think if you were to put Samoa Joe and Super Mex together, you'd get a pretty awesome tag team. Samoa Joe is serviceable on the mic and Hernandez is awful. It would probably work even better if they had a mouth piece to work with them. Eric Bischoff would be the best option from any of the guys currently in TNA.

I would give them a name, like Nation of Violence. It plays to the fact they are both non-US. I would give them matching gear. Personally, I feel a look like the Legion of Doom would be a great look for the two of them. Simple black trunks with N.O.V. down the side or Nation on one leg, Violence on the other. Have them come out with the towel over their heads like the old Tazz entrance.

They could immediately feud with Morgan and Crimson and eventually be the ones to take their belts. Then, when Motor City Machine Guns come back, that would be a great series of matches. I really could see them being the backbone of the tag division for a few years. TNA needs to form/bring in a couple of tag teams to give a little life to the tag division. But, Joe and Hernandez would be a good place to start. When the team has run its course in 3 years or so, then Joe can get another singles push. This would give him a fresh course in the company and keep him in the spotlight until the time is right for his re-emergence into the singles arena.