WWE News: Huge Update On Samoa Joe’s WWE Contract, Exclusive To WWE NXT?
If you saw WWE NXT: Unstoppable, you know that former TNA star Samoa Joe made his way to the WWE in a very cool fashion. He came out to save Sami Zayn from a Kevin Owens attack. It was fun to watch, as we saw two very similar workers getting up close and personal with the other. While Samoa Joe being in NXT means he has agreed to a deal with WWE, the deal he apparently signed is quite interesting but makes total sense for him.
According to PWInsider, Samoa Joe’s WWE deal is very similar to what Rhyno signed. Before anyone gets anything twisted, there are things behind this. Joe is going to work the NXT tapings and live specials, but he’ll also be able to work with other independent companies. He is under a legit deal with WWE, where they are priority.
The reason for this deal is due to a lot of things. Triple H knows that WWE NXT is a brand, but is still claimed to be developmental. For the most part, it still is. The NXT show may not be, but the system itself is. That said, Samoa Joe does not need any development. He has worked for nearly 20 years now and has been on TV for a decade both domestically and internationally.
However, there is nothing WWE can do with him at this point on the main roster. Plus, he still has to prove himself with the younger talent. Joe is in possibly the best shape of his life, which is cool to see.
WWE needs people to tour with, and Samoa Joe would be a strong addition to that. The sad part is that Joe is only doing NXT material off and on. He is not under a developmental deal where he gets paid even if he doesn’t work, he’s on performance. That doesn’t totally pay the bills, one would imagine, so he is taking Indy bookings.
Originally, Joe was not taking any. However, once his deal with WWE was finalized he was able to take on bookings. That is why we heard of some shows with SMASH and NEW in the next few months at the last minute.
It is thought that since the reaction to Samoa Joe was so large both inside the Full Sail Live Arena and online, WWE may pull the trigger to to eventually sign Joe to an exclusive deal with them which would include a main roster run. WWE is promoting the hell out of Samoa Joe’s appearance on their website and they are allowing him to use his name as well, which means they believe he isn’t going to want to work televised events for anyone else in the future.
All of this said, WWE is clearly happy with the reaction his appearance has gotten. This is only a good sign for Samoa Joe, as the reaction to him debuting with WWE at WWE NXT was much larger than even experts anticipated.
[IMG Credits: WWE.com]
