WWE News: Huge Update On Former TNA Star Samoa Joe, Is He Now WWE Bound?
Samoa Joe has been a very hot story as of late. It was stated that he would be returning to Ring of Honor and those were very true, as last night we saw on the Ring of Honor 13th Anniversary show. It is said that he will be fighting for the ROH World Championship soon, but it is unknown if he will win it again. Contrary to popular belief, Joe is not signed to a long-term deal with ROH.
He is working per date with them like many on the roster. Joe is set for an Indy tour soon, but ROH was one of his big stops. Many wondered if Samoa Joe had a no-compete clause in his contract when he left TNA. While he may have, it would most likely include places like WWE. So ROH and Lucha Underground, for example, may not be part of this. This is why many wonder if Joe is just waiting for that to expire before he makes a big jump somewhere.
Many think he might end up in WWE, and those rumors can probably intensify now. According to Cageside Seats, Samoa Joe is taking on a lot of bookings but he will not be taking any April 23 and beyond. Interestingly, the 23rd of April happens to be a WWE NXT taping date. This is now leading to very obvious speculation that Joe could end up in WWE. However, many promotions have an interest in him such as AAA, Lucha Underground, and even New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
Many think he would want to go to Japan. However, he has always had the idea of going to WWE on his mind. Triple H is a big fan of Joe and it was stated recently that Joe was offered a WWE contract. Obviously, he has not accepted it as of yet. WWE can offer it, but Joe does not have to sign it until he is ready. Interestingly, we have had no word on Joe declining the offer. So for now, the concept is there that he might show up on a WWE NXT taping.
Plus the idea that Joe has not accepted any offers for bookings from April 23 and beyond does mean that there is an idea Joe could be coming to WWE on this day. Many wonder why he would want to go to developmental over the main roster first. Some speculate that is Joe went to WWE, he’d be ruined there.
Early on in his career that might have been true. However, now that Triple H is head of Talent Relations and in charge of WWE NXT, he’d be able to come to NXT for a short period and then show up on the main roster shortly after.
Since Triple H is also on creative and now part of the WWE Board of Directors, there is a big chance Samoa Joe could have a better future than what many might think. When Triple H is a fan of a wrestler, they are usually used quite well on television. That said, Joe could come in and have a few awesome matches on WWE NXT shows and then come up to the main roster a little down the line.
All the while, he’d be paid well and with a guaranteed amount. For a guy who comes from an Indy background as well as TNA, a guaranteed pay offer is always a big deal. So this is something Samoa Joe would most likely consider greatly. Who wouldn’t?
For now, while is not confirmed Samoa Joe will make his way to WWE….we can pretty much conclude that unless he starts taking offers after April 23, he is not taking some vacation in Florida. Rather, he will end up coming on to an episode of WWE NXT and make a huge impact on his first day in WWE. Since he is older, one would imagine that Joe won’t spend a year down there either. So this could just be a way to help NXT out for the time being and then find a way for him to get to the main roster.
[IMG Credit: mindofcarnage, wrestlingforum]
