The depth of WWE’s roster means that it’s impossible for every deserving superstar to get a main event push, but you won’t find many fans that don’t want to see Samoa Joe get a run with a major title. The veteran is one of the most consistently great performers in the company — but that could be to his detriment.
Citing the Wrestling Observer Newsletter ‘s Dave Meltzer, Sportskeeda notes that the reason why Samoa Joe is a permanent fixture in the upper midcard is because he’s one of the few performers on the roster who can lose on a regular basis while still maintaining his credibility. Fans of the wrestler will attest that it’s frustrating to watch at times, but it’s made him an invaluable asset to WWE officials.
“I know that there are people in power who are very high on Joe, although I don’t think that Joe needs to win the King of the Ring because Joe is such a good talker and people believe he is a badass and he can lose and stay somewhat strong. When I say lose and stay strong, and that becomes an excuse to beat him all the time and then they somehow don’t stay strong and then they wonder why.”
Despite featuring in some high profile feuds against the likes of Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar, the company has never been willing to pull the trigger on Samoa Joe. He has all of the required tools to be WWE’s top star, but his role appears to be putting over those whose stock is deemed higher than his by WWE officials.
At the time of this writing, the performer’s accolades include two United States Championship reigns and a run with the NXT World title. He’s always been portrayed as a dark horse whose moment could arrive at any time, though it’s hard to imagine him being pushed ahead of other main event mainstays.
“You will bend the knee, and you will call me KING.” – @SamoaJoe #SDLive #KingOfTheRing pic.twitter.com/3s7z1w6FXs
— WWE (@WWE) September 4, 2019
Right now, he’s still competing in the King of the Ring tournament on Monday Night Raw , with a chance at reaching the final should he overcome Ricochet and Baron Corbin on next week’s show. Previous winners have included midcard stalwarts, so Joe winning isn’t beyond the realm of possibility.
While winning the competition might not result in a Universal Championship reign in the near future, it would still be a prestigious achievement to add to his trophy case — and a way for WWE officials to show that they’re grateful for his service.
