Samoa Joe: Worthy of a Title Run or Just a Contender?

[A.J.]

This has been tossed around in many threads throughout here in the TNA section so I figured it deserves it very own thread. I have to believe that many TNA smarks out there feel that Samoa Joe deserves the title by now and they are squandering away a perfect time for him to be the champion, but I feel that TNA is letting Joe grow as when his time comes he will be ready. Joe needs to grow in his character more and that is what he is doing, and when the time comes he will be ready to lead and carry the company, but as things stands right now IMO he is not ready to lead and carry the company to the main stream audience and even media. He will get his opportunity but right now he will be a contender but not a champion.

So the question regarding for Samoa Joe is: Worthy of a Title Run or Will he always be a Contender?

 

[SpiralHands]

I like Samoa Joe alot, and part of me wants to see Joe as champ but I think thats to do with I just want to see someone else with belt I would be happy to see Tomko or AJ with it but I mean I dont know. The thing is though although Joe has a huge fanbase I dont think he could be pushed as champ. But then I could imagine the Samoa Joe era in TNA being pretty good, so im really undecided I want to see what else he has at this point!

 

[Uncle Sam]

I'm neutral at this point. I'd have to see it in action to be totally sure. It could be great, some non-WWE/WCW talent getting the strap and everyone loving it, the streets being paved with gold and a new wrestling boom being built around the Samoan submission machine. OK, I'm getting ahead of myself, but it could be good and I have a feeling the smarks would love it.

That being said, it could be a total disaster. Without a ready-made star at the top, popularity could go down and TNA could slump. Then there's the lack of great matches Joe still can have, but that's true for anyone as champion. Booker T might be a good feud.

Whether we like it or not, I think it's coming.

 

[The Bearded One]

I voted neutral. Yes, I want him to eventually win the title. But I'm not sure if the time is right yet. Most casual fans would not recognize Samoa Joe when they flip the channel to TNA. He needs to be built up more and get more exposure, which I think their video game will give him. When he is a more recognizable figure, then give him the belt. He has the ability to carry the company, but it just ain't the right time now.

 

[Electric Wizard]

Worthy: He's paid his dues.

He has tremendous talent and has paid his dues I believe.He's one of the best wrestlers ever and have shown that he can handle being a world champion by putting on many four or five star matches over his wrestling career.

 

[Greenlight13]

I agree 100% with the original opening post of this thread, he will get there one day, but at present he isn't and needs time to grow.

I feel what he did in the X-Division where he was an unstoppable force that not even the mighty AJ & Daniels could stop showed his promise as a dominant champion and no-one can question his in-ring ability. His promos have come a long way also, i feel his work with Christian Cage and the more recent Kurt Angle feud have really helped him and hopefully Kevin Nash can help him fine-tune it even more.

I feel Joe will get the title at around i dunno.... Lockdown

 

[Testicular Claw]

I think Joe is already the best guy in the company besides maybe Christian Cage. I think it was mistake not giving him the title back when he had so much heat stemming from just finishing up with the x division. His match with Jarret should have been for the title and he should have won. He was pretty much the most over guy in the company then. To me Joe is a lot better Sting or Abyss. I prefer his work to Kurt Angle's post WWE work.

He is an excellent in ring wrestler, he's got a natural presence to him, and he can cut a mean promo. To me he's more than ready for it.

 

[Human Tornado]

Don't get me wrong I like Joe, but man is he overrated! I like the whole "agile for a guy his size" thing, but his match basically consists of strikes, jumping kick to the face, suicide dive, muscle buster, and occasionally the coquina clutch if the muscle buster doesn't finish the job. He's repetitive. His promos are top notch, but to me he will always be a poor man's Taz.

 

[rKo0019]

I think Joe definitely deserves a title shot, but it is true that the time is not quite right. Joe is my favorite in TNA at the moment, and one day he will be a great world champion. But, yes he needs to develop into more of a name to the casual wrestling fan before he can carry the company on his back.
On a second note, it would have been killer a couple of years back if he had gotten the title off of Jarrett, after recieving his initial monster push, which was well done. Maybe TNA would have been different the last couple of years with him as champ.
That being said, he is my fave and he deserves the belt. My prediction: around Lockdown or Bound for Glory, their big PPVs...

 

[8five]

I currently am down on Joe from where I once was. I wish his reign started by taking the title from jarrett after being sting's partner, but now he has gotten caught up in the bottom of the uppercard. First a one match feud with Roode, the thing with when they were reforming the outsiders he was just a throw in anyway. I'm still partial to putting the belt back on AJ and having them feud and letting the title move around a bit, but before that Joe needs a feud that reminds everyone how dominant he can be. The Angle feud brought him down a couple notches, and since he hasnt had that marquee feud to put him over and back into the main event picture, and if your going to argue the short Cage feud..... he got one win and it was during the time Christian was down and being used to put over Joe and then Kaz, so that doesn't make much sense either. I say let him win decisively a multiple match feud with either Cage, Morgan or Tomko and he will be back to where he was 18 months ago and ready for that title push

 

[ImpactPlayer27]

Worthy. Paid his dues.

Joe is most definitely ready. The crowd loves him. He has good enough mic skills and his rings skills always amaze. He's been able to main event and even carry guys. He carried Scott Steiner for god's sake. 2 times actually while Kurt Angle struggled to carry Steiner. In fact, before Kurt Angle came to TNA, I thought Joe was surely going to get the belt but that didn't happen. He wrestled Kurt Angle 3 times. Wrestled against Cage for the belt and was denied. And wrestled Angle again for the belt but was denied yet again. He can't go back to the X-Division title like AJ Styles had done on occasions because he's evolved way past that. Joe is ready. Angle as good as he is has the age factor working against him. Joe is younger and nowhere near as banged up as Kurt Angle. In the long run, the younger guys are the better way to go and thus, Samoa Joe is long overdue for that belt. And should it be him and Kurt Angle colliding one more time over it, that's fine with me because those matches were some of the best technical matches I've seen. So as I said yes, Samoa Joe is most definitely ready.

 

[Grudge]

Joe has been ready since before Angle got there. When you have a person who has his kind of pop and his kind of momentum, you let him ride it out. Not wait it out and see how long he can hold the heat with no push. If the fans want to see him represent TNA then dammit let him do it!!! This would help TNA to say hey we did make somebody, even though they seem to be doing everything they can not to! He needs the belt, he needs to be the face of TNA if not just because he's the only true main eventer that you could consider to be "home grown". You could argue AJ but he just isn't a buyable main guy to me right now and probably ever. Yea he's great in the ring, but so is Rey Mysterio but he could never carry a show by himself. It's amazing to me he's still in this disscussion because they already missed this boat the first time around with Angle/Joe fued. Its past time, TNA needs someone to seperate them from WWE and Joe is the only one who can do that right now.

 

[Agrex]

Samao Joe, in my opinion, is not just worthy, but overdue for a title reign. He's one of TNA's biggest stars, he's over with the fans, decent mic skills. Not only that, but he is one of the best wrestlers in the world today. Joe deserves this reign more than anyone in TNA, even Angle. I don't know why TNA would not give him the belt, as they can be assured that he won't screw it up. He can handle big things, like when the gave him the year long undefeated streak. So, in my opinion, TNA better give him a run with the belt soon.

 

[Rated K for Kennedy... Kennedy!]

To be perfectly honest Joe and AJ are the only reasons I watch TNA, and I think both are future champs, but neither of them should hold the gold yet.,And here is why, I think Joe right now is being booked very well, (yes thats good booking on the part of TNA, re-read it) I like the whole Nash mentoring him thing, and I think as a pissed off wanna be contender it fits him pretty well, lets put at this simply: Heel or Face, Joe must be angry! I see him winning the strap by the end of the year, and I always like it more when people "Earn their moment in the sun"

 

[dvdfreak1985]

i think joe definantely deserves to be champ hes paid his dues and i would love to see him and aj have a fued for the world title i love samoa joe and aj styles aj has had his run and will have more in the future joe deserves his run and im sure it would be the first of many can you imagine joevs angle vs christan vs aj for the title wow that would be great

 

[Trance Metaphor]

I'm a fan of Samoa Joe's ROH work and him being the ROH Champion already showed a lot of promise for his future. His run as ROH Champion was nothing short of amazing. When he went over to NWA-TNA, he had that strong undefeated streak working in his favour, which was very reminiscent to his ROH days. He should've won the TNA title before Kurt Angle simply for the reason that he already spent time with the company working his way up the ladder. Kurt Angle, as great as I think he is, was pushed far too quickly upon arrival. That's unfair to a lot of mainstay guys. Joe is pretty much done as a contender, it's time to become Heavyweight Champion. There's no questioning the impact that he's made.

 

[leelee]

He has been a contender for way too long lol. Can't blame TNA wanting to give Angle the belt, but I believe if the give Joe the belt they'll def get more fans if they use him right.

I'm tired of seeing angle as champ anyway lol.

 

[SergioGel]

Joe is primed for a nice title run in TNA. There is no other guy in TNA who can carry the company the way Joe can, especially if paired with Nash in the proper way. Also, Angel has been the only "TNA" Champion and eventually all era's must come to an end. I think that it would be great for Angel to go on and feud with some up and comming stars, like AJ. TNA needs to put the title on Joe cleanly and let him return TNA to the originals.

 

[TheOneBigWill]

Okay, based on personal and non-personal emotions, this is how I feel.

Professionally: Samoa Joe is a cornerstone in T.N.A., so it'd be senseless and stupid to not give him a legit. Championship run. I think he has the talent to definately carry the Championship and be a known and definate World Champion.

I will say, professionally, he needs to pick up his charisma and style better. Right now, to me, he's simply talent inside the ring, but shit outside. He sucks on the mic, and I think thats why he's been paired with Kevin Nash as more or less, his mouth piece.

Personally: I've never liked Samoa Joe, and I don't feel he deserves the spot he's in now, as even a remote contender to the Championship, let alone the actual Champion.

I feel every great Champion needs to have "it" about him, to be a great Champion. To be worth watching. And Samoa Joe doesn't (to me) have the "it" factor that makes him worth watching as Champion, so much more as simply putting up with watching, as your average spot filler.

 

[instant classic Dan]

Meh TNA fucked up Joe so bad that it doesn't really matter anymore.Anyone that disagrees with me then pop in a TNA dvd from mid 05 to late 06,the man was so fucking over it wasn't funny but alas they didn't captilze on it. Now fast forward to 2008 his aura is gone and Joe's just another guy.joe's pops these days are lukewarm,not something you want for you world champ.

 

[sugah2300]

Personally: I've never liked Samoa Joe, and I don't feel he deserves the spot he's in now, as even a remote contender to the Championship, let alone the actual Champion.

I feel every great Champion needs to have "it" about him, to be a great Champion. To be worth watching. And Samoa Joe doesn't (to me) have the "it" factor that makes him worth watching as Champion, so much more as simply putting up with watching, as your average spot filler.
-as posted by TheOneBigWill

i kinda agree with this kid, although i do enjoy some of joes work, i have never really got into his character, he usually comes off as a big fat bully, who when he dosent get his own way he whines, tho he was dominant when he firsyt entered, realize he was dopminant against guys who were half his size so yeah hes dominant against them, as far as him carryin anyone in the ring, not yet in my opinion, he has yet to make anyone look better or stronger in the ring for facing him, is he ready for a run with the tna world title, maybe, is he one of the best in the world, not even close, until hes been in wwe, and beaten the best he cant say crap, tho many do not like wwe, they aree still the number one promotion in the world. anyway, tna needs to stop focusing on competing with wwe anyway and focus on their own product whichg sucks, global impact a couple of weeks ago, was good, but impact and most of their ppvs lately have really sucked, from a booking and production standpoint, they need to wotrk on themselves before they start callin themselves competition.

 

[young_mastermind]

I think Joe is great. I mean you got this big, samoan technical wrestler who HASN'T worked for the WWE, a Ring Of Honor champ, and loaded with an arsenal of powerful moves both power and submission, and TNA still haven't given him the big strap? IMO, he SHOULD be one of TNA's biggest and brightest stars, instead they put him off as a big guy who complains about not getting his way and threatening the boss, etc. I think this is a perfect example of TNA's focus on Ex-WWE Superstars and not the great TNA Originals that they have backstage.

 

[JimmyJamm]

The only way Joe is gonna be a name guy is to put the belt on him...He is the best thing going in that company, and he is TNA's greatest asset. Isnt everyone sick of seeing washed up wwe has beens or never wases carrying the company...angles damaged goods, bookers too old, nash shouldnt even be wrestling, morgan just sucks, christian and tomko should be tag champs (yea, i know tomko turned on cage), etc...talk about repetive, every single wwe guy in tna are repetative...Joe can tangle with the 'big boys'...its time to prove it...

 

[ChosenOne]

I feel Joe wasn't ready for the title back when he was feuding with Jarrett back in the day, or back during the Hard Justice PPV. His character is twice as developed now (despite what some feel) and this added extra curricular exposure he's getting from doing these nonwrestling angles.

These are intangible things that he will take with him whenever he does get the title, and hopefully at Lockdown it will be his time. Because I now feel he is ready for the title, and he would a different change of pace from Angle or Sting, and I think he could very well propel TNA if he is booked correctly into a legitimate run.

 

[justinsayne]

I think Joe is ready, he's been ready for awhile now, though I don't want to see Joe/Angle in one on one matches anymore, simply cause it's been done to death, I think and hope that Joe will get his reign at Slamiversery, when he wins the KOTM match, I guess would be that the match will be Angle vs. Christian vs. AJ vs. Booker vs. Joe, I think Joe will get another one on eone title shot before that but will be screwed by Matt Morgan which will set up a mini-feud between them two (it seems like they are already setting it up now), after he's done with Morgan it's on to the KOTM match where he should win the title, however I not sure how long they will keep the title on Joe, I could see him dropping it before BFG, possibly in three way to either Angle or AJ, setting up an Angle vs. AJ title match at BFG, bottom line Joe is ready and should have the title, he is a solid performer who has all the tools necessary to become a good champion, and like I said I could see it happening at Slamiversery in the KOTM match