Samoa Joe was released by WWE in April due to budget cuts, but Triple H was reportedly “not happy” about the decision and wanted him back in WWE NXT.
That happened as Joe is now the enforcer for NXT General Manager William Regal. He’s also working as a talent scout. Speaking to the New York Post, Triple H stated that Joe’s release was actually more of a transition.
“It wasn’t like he got let go from one part of the company and the other part of the company [hired him]. It’s all one big company,” Triple H said. “Everybody knows what everybody’s doing. There was an opportunity for him to transition, no different than you would say, ‘Well, he was released from this pitching contract and started managing the team and became a coach.’ It’s a similar situation.”
Triple H stated the conversations about Joe’s backstage role were already being discussed even before the COVID-19 pandemic started. He put him over being a smart guy who is very business-oriented and has a level head. Triple H stated that Joe was enamored with the other side of the business.
Triple H likened Joe’s situation to the one he’s been in as they went from in-ring competitors to having a role behind the scenes. He noted that Joe will be a bigger component and that’s in developing talent. He’s excited to see Joe being in this stage of his career and helping develop the next generations of superstars.
Samoa Joe is motivated to get back in the ring. During an appearance on the Out of Character podcast, Joe told Ryan Satin that he is “absolutely” working on getting medically cleared to compete again. He’s been sidelined since February 2020 due to concussion-related injuries.
He recently returned to WWE television after a 2-month hiatus. He was released on April 15th, but now serves as NXT General Manager William Regal’s new enforcer. Since returning, we’ve seen Joe cross paths with some of NXT’s top stars.
Samoa Joe sees several NXT competitors he’d like to mix it up with. “Karrion Kross and Pete Dunne are at the top of that list,” he said. “A guy like WALTER, people have been asking for it, I’m not blind. It’s for good reason. The guy is a powerhouse and people want to see some furniture moving.”
Joe vs. WALTER is a dream match that would have wrestling fans salivating. We can only hope it comes to fruition one day. He also named Adam Cole, Roderick Strong, Kyle O’Reilly and Bronson Reed as potential opponents.
Samoa Joe: Talent Scout
In addition Samoa Joe’s new on-screen role, he is also scouting talent for WWE and doing other tasks behind-the-scenes.
“It’s a transition into some of the other aspects of the business,” says Joe. “It’s an evolution of my journey. It was a cool opportunity that Hunter offered me. It was a very nice understanding that we had come to.”
Joe is particularly well-suited for his job . He follows pro wrestling, MMA and other sports closely. His vast network of connections will be a valuable resource for WWE as they look to sign the next generation of athletes.
Samoa Joe is back on WWE TV as part of his return to NXT.
It happened on Tuesday’s episode when it was revealed that William Regal had declared that he can’t give anymore of himself to the brand and was about to say that there needed to be a change. NXT champion Karrion Kross came out to mock him and wanted to hear Regal say that he was right that he lost control. This led to Samoa Joe coming out and declining the offer to replace him as the GM.
Regal said Joe can’t be a competitor and can’t lay a hand on anyone unless provoked, but Joe can be his enforcer. Joe accepted the offer and Regal is still the GM.
At the NXT TakeOver: In Your House special, Regal hinted that there would be a change coming and so it did. There had been rumblings among NXT talent and staff that WWE was interested in bringing Joe back after the company released him from his contract back in April due to budget cuts.
He was last seen as part of the commentary team at WrestleMania and had been in that role for over a year. He was moved from an active in-ring performer to being an announcer after he suffered a concussion in early 2020 during a Raw commercial shoot for the USA Network.
It was recently reported that Triple H wanted to get Joe back as soon as possible because he wasn’t happy that WWE released him. He’s been a supporter of Joe for years and would rather see him in NXT instead of being in a different promotion.
In 2015, Triple H was the person who initially brought Joe to WWE for NXT. During his stint on the brand, he became an NXT Champion and was the top star for the promotion until he was called up to the main roster in 2017.
Last night’s TakeOver: In Your House event concluded with NXT GM William Regal giving some ominous comments about it being “time for a change.” Some fans are speculating this could mean a new authority figure for the brand. According to comments made on Wrestling Observer Radio, Samoa Joe has signed a deal with NXT and might be a perfect fit for the role.
“I think that’s the cue for Samoa Joe, I don’t know that 100%,” said Dave Meltzer regarding William Regal’s comments following TakeOver. “I was told today that Samoa Joe was in in a Regal-like role and then all of a sudden Regal’s talking like he’s stepping down. So, maybe the Regal-like role is Regal’s role.”
“If (Regal) is leaving, based on what I was told, Samoa Joe is definitely the favorite to be the new commissioner.”
Meltzer continued to say that Joe has signed a deal with NXT but in a non-wrestling role. He continued to speculate this could mean Joe is not medically cleared.
“Joe is in and he’s in as a non-wrestler,” Meltzer continued. “So, I think that tells you that he’s not cleared and so even if you want him to go to another company, if he’s not medically cleared…”
Joe’s last official match was on February 10th, 2020. He teamed with the Viking Raiders and Kevin Owens on RAW. They lost to Seth Rollins, Buddy Murphy, and AOP.
“He has taken a job in NXT and he’s doing something there,” Meltzer continued. “He may be the new authority figure on television, or he may not be, but he’s gonna be behind the scenes.”
Former WWE star Samoa Joe was seen at the Performance Center this week, following recent reports about the officials being interested in bringing him back.
The rumors about the heavyweight star’s return stemmed from a recent report. It said that the NXT talents have heard about the officials being interested in bringing the former NXT champion back to the brand.
In an update to the story, Fightful select is reporting that Samoa Joe was actually seen at the Performance Center this week. His visit was brief and there is no word on why the former champion was in the building.
The former TNA star is one of the names that were released from his WWE contract in mid-April earlier this year, as part of the company’s coronavirus budget cuts.
Joe hadn’t been wrestling for WWE for a while before his release. The former NXT star had been working on the Raw announce team instead.
The former WWE star is under the standard 90 days non-compete clause. This means that he cannot sign a contract with a different company until mid-July.
With the reported talks about his return and now his visit, it would be interesting to see if the company actually re-signs Samoa Joe before his non compete clause expires.
It appears that Samoa Joe could be headed back to NXT, according to a new report based on what talent have heard.
Fightful Select reported today that talent and staff have heard NXT officials were interested in bringing back Joe, who was released back in April due to budget cuts, to work on the black and yellow brand.
It should be noted that there have been several wrestlers that people in the company have pushed to bring back. The word going around is the interest on NXT’s side is for Joe to be back in a wrestling role.
Some talent in the company think this is going to happen, but only time will tell.
Joe originally worked in NXT back in 2015 where he had great success as a two-time NXT champion in addition to winning the 2015 NXT Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. He was called up to the main roster in 2017 and ended up winning the WWE United States Title twice.
He was ultimately moved to the Raw announce team due to a history of concussions. He last worked a match in February 2020 on Raw when he teamed with The Viking Raiders and Kevin Owens for an eight-man tag team match against Seth Rollins, Buddy Murphy and AOP.
Former WWE Superstar and newly signed AEW roster member Christian Cage recently spoke to Bleacher Report. Captain Charisma discussed a number of topics during the interview, including the recent WWE release of his former TNA colleague, Samoa Joe.
“That surprised me” Christian Cage began, speaking to Bleacher Report. “Joe is a super-talented guy. You see it in the ring, and obviously he has tremendous verbal skills.”
“He was a natural as a commentator as well,” Cage noted, referring to Joe’s recent run on Monday Night RAW in the booth. “When you have that kind of multi-talented individual who can wear a lot of hats, that’s invaluable.”
Christian continued, “He truly is, in my eyes, a top performer. He’s not going to have any shortage of suitors when the time comes, that’s for sure.”
Many fans have said that Samoa Joe should be a sure-fire signing for AEW. It is worth noting however that he was not cleared by WWE officials to perform, so there may well be lingering issues that mean he may not be able to perform in ring for some time if not ever.
IMPACT Wrestling EVP Scott D’Amore has however been teasing a return to IMPACT/formerly TNA for the former TNA and X Division Champion. It remains to be seen if a return to his former stomping grounds is on the cards for Samoa Joe.
On the heels of Samoa Joe being released by WWE on April 15th, former TNA Wrestling writer Vince Russo recently commented on why he wasn’t pushed harder while he was in TNA. Granted, Joe is a former Grand Slam champion in TNA but according to Russo, Joe’s weight was a factor backstage.
“The problem we always had with Samoa Joe, always revolved around weight. It was never that he was a pain in the ass or he wasn’t talented or he couldn’t do this… it was always (his) weight,” Russo said recently on his Writing with Russo podcast (transcriptions via Sportskeeda).
“So what would happen, and this always happened, it was like a yoyo… Samoa Joe would come to TV looking great so now we’re all excited because physically Samoa Joe could look really good or look really bad. He would come to work looking really great so now we’re booking for ‘Joe was off, Joe lost some weight, Joe is in shape…’, now we’re booking for that guy. So we’ll book six to eight weeks of TV, then we’ll go home, we’re all excited about Joe, we’re writing the next set of TVs and he comes back and he’s out of shape and you could tell in the ring. We had these talks with him all the time. We were all upfront with this. This is my POV. There’s a huge difference in Samoa Joe when he’s in shape and when he’s not in shape and you saw it. This happened so many times.”
Joe is a former TNA World Heavyweight Champion. He also held the X-Division title, the short-lived TNA TV title, and twice held the tag titles (once by himself and once with Nick Aldis).
Check out the video below and let us know if you agree or disagree with my reasoning for defending WWE somewhat in their decision to release Samoa Joe.
What would you like to see us produce for video content on YouTube going forward? Let us know in the comments
There are few wrestlers out there who have such a rapport with the fans as Samoa Joe. From his legendary run with ROH to his somewhat hindered tenure with WWE, Joe has always been a fan favourite despite being a heel for his entire career. In fact, he was turning face for the first time just before his recent layoff due to a concussion.
When news broke last week that Joe had been removed from the RAW broadcast team, many speculated that the submission machine would be making a return to the ring. They may have been right. It just won’t be in a WWE one, as the star was cut from the roster a few days later in what is now the annual post-Wrestlemania slim down.
Joe was gracious in his departure from the company, but his recent hiatus must have been frustrating for him.
Samoa Joe Still Has Enough Gas in the Tank for One More Run
At 42 years old, Samoa’s Joe’s best years may be behind him. Yet to hear his release from WWE looks to be because they felt he was over the hill is shocking. Citing age and injuries as being too much of a liability to keep him on the roster. At least that is the reason for his departure as given by Dave Meltzer in his most recent newsletter.
“But perhaps WWE believes with his age and injuries, he wouldn’t be, similar to not competing to keep Jay Reso (Christian Cage).”
It is a mind-boggling decision to many. Even if there were no plans to give Joe a title run, there are a great many potential matchups that would have stolen the show. Not forgetting the experience he brings behind the scenes.
AEW is the most likely place for Joe to head. He must first serve the obligatory 90 days no-compete clause. Wherever Joe does go, legions of fans are sure to follow. One thing is for sure, we have no seen the last of Joe in a wrestling ring.
The WWE RAW announce team moving forward will be Corey Graves, Byron Saxton, and the newly hired Adnan Virk. The broadcaster is from the Toronto area and has worked for TheScore, TSN, ESPN and for Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. WWE announced that Virk will continue his work for the MLB Network in addition to performing on RAW.
“I’m elated to be joining the premier sports-entertainment company in my new role with WWE,” said Adnan Virk. “As a kid who grew up idolizing WWE Hall of Famers like Bret Hart and Ric Flair, the opportunity to call modern legends like Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley, Randy Orton, Charlotte Flair and so many others alongside Corey Graves and Byron Saxton is truly humbling.”
Virk also had this to say about this historic career milestone:
When people say what would you tell your younger self…if I could speak about this opportunity with @WWE 10 year old AV would be screaming with glee! https://t.co/5OwwtCnLfF
With Corey Graves, Byron Saxton, and Adnan Virk as the new RAW announce team, that seemingly leaves Tom Phillips and Samoa Joe without roles. According to the Athletic, Phillips will stay on as the host of 205 Live and work on special projects for the WWE Network.
As for Samoa Joe, he might be headed back to the active in-ring roster. WWE stated the following in today’s press release as it concerns Joe.
“Samoa Joe remains part of the WWE talent roster.”
Samoa Joe has been absent from in-ring action due to being injured. Since then, he transitioned as a color commentator on Raw, and debuted on the commentary table in November 2019.
With fans wondering when we can see Samoa Joe back in the ring, the Destroyer recently commented on his condition in a recent interview.
While not committing to a timeframe, Samoa Joe assured fans that he will be back in the ring soon, as soon as he recovers and is cleared to compete again. Speaking to Sportskeeda about his in-ring return, Joe said, “As far as the timetable, no. But I just want to reassure people that you know this point, WWE medical is doing the best for my health and my well-being, and I’m appreciative of it, so we’re taking our time.”
Joe continued, “We’re making sure that I’m as healthy as I can be. And we are… Yeah, I think that’s essentially it, you know, I’m not putting a timetable on it because the type of injury is not something that I want to rush, obviously, for obvious reasons. So, yeah, I mean, that’s essentially the update.”
Samoa Joe also gave some more details, saying that there have been some holdups from a technical standpoint when it comes to his return due to the current pandemic situation as medical personnel are not readily available. He added that a careful approach is being taken and he appreciates the recovery time.
News of Samoa Joe being injured first came out in October 2019 when he injured his thumb and was sidelined for months due to it. Joe couldn’t catch a break from injuries though, as he returned in early 2020 and suffered a concussion. Then, he got injured again in February during a commercial shoot. This put him on the shelf for an extended period of time than expected. Hopefully Joe is able to make a successful recovery soon but in the meantime, we can enjoy him on the commentary booth.
Since suffering an unfortunate concussion, Samoa Joe has further established himself as a voice of Monday Night Raw. In a recent interview with Taylor Wilde’s Wilde Onpodcast, Joe addressed the status of his in-ring future.
Samoa Joe confessed he is enjoying his commentary duties on Raw, calling it a “fun challenge.”
He then stressed that he’s not finished with his in-ring ambitions but is currently exploring other things.
“Obviously, I’m not done in the ring by no means. I think right now I’m exploring things,” Joe said. “Aside from that, I’m doing voice acting which is fun and very cool. It’s a very enjoyable thing. I have a project coming up with Warner Brothers. I’m very fortunate and I’m very happy that I’m doing the things I’m doing right now.”
His commentary role on Raw was intended to be a temporary role. However, his natural ability in the role, coupled with recent injuries, made keeping him on the announce team a smarter goal for Samoa Joe for the time being.
Samoa Joe hasn’t competed in in-ring action since suffering a concussion earlier this year during a commercial shoot. Prior to taking over on the Raw team from Jerry “The King” Lawler, Joe had been involved in infrequent on-air skirmishes. One included a confrontation with “The Monday Night Messiah” Seth Rollins, indicating an in-ring return may be a matter of time.
WWE’s Samoa Joe has been impressing the WWE Universe with his commentary skills on Monday Night Raw. The Superstar is also set to lend his vocal talents to DC character, King Shark, in an upcoming Suicide Squad video game.
Despite his growing success both ringside and outside of the ring, according to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio, Joe may not be done with his in-ring career just yet.
He pointed out how Joe’s commentary role was only ever meant to be a temporary role. However, Joe’s skills, coupled with recent injuries, made keeping him on the announce team a smarter choice for now.
“I was told that it was temporary because he’s too valuable as a talent to have him as an announcer. But obviously, minds changed from when I was told that to when they decided to revamp it and he is great as an announcer. In theory, he’s supposed to wrestle again but who knows.”
Samoa Joe hasn’t competed in in-ring action since suffering a concussion earlier this year during a commercial shoot. Prior to taking over on the Raw team from Jerry “The King” Lawler, Joe had been involved in infrequent on-air skirmishes, including a confrontation with “The Monday Night Messiah” Seth Rollins, indicating an in-ring return may be a matter of time.
RAW announcer Samoa Joe is set to lend his vocal talents to Rocksteady Studios’ next game. He will star in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League as fan-favorite King Shark.
Following the reveal trailer’s debut from this weekend’s DC FanDome event, Samoa Joe took to Twitter to share the footage. He accompanied the video with the caption, “That Shark tho… #KTJL.” The trailer can be viewed at the bottom of this article.
The game will feature Suicide Squad members Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, and Samoa Joe’s King Shark. Rocksteady Studios has previously developed the beloved Batman Arkham series of games. These include Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham City, and Batman: Arkham Knight.
In Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, gamers will be able to play the game solo or by teaming up for a co-op experience. As the title and trailer suggests, the core narrative revolves around the Suicide Squad’s attempts to kill the Justice League.
Prior to a suspension following a WWE wellness policy violation, Samoa Joe had been appearing in on-screen physical altercations, suggesting an in-ring return was imminent. His violation saw him suspended from WWE for 30 days. He returned to his commentary role on the 4/27 episode of Monday Night RAW, replacing Jerry “The King” Lawler.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice will be released on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC in 2022.
Samoa Joe made an appearance on Wednesday’s episode of WWE’s The Bump where he discussed a wide range of topics.
During the interview, he talked about his transition from being an active in-ring performer into a commentator. It turns out that injuries led to the move.
Initially, he made only a few appearances in this role, but later permanently replaced WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler in the spot.
“I’ve had zero media aspirations,” Joe admitted. “I just drift through life, and things just hit me as they come. I got on the commentary table – it was funny when the light shined on me, I started to hear the angels sing, I said to myself, ‘You know, this might be a good fit.’
I then put my headset on, and Vince [McMahon] came through and said, ‘You know, this feels right.’ I was like, ‘I know!’
Joe continued by noting that it’s been a weird journey, odyssey, and a quest, but he’s trying to take the world along with him as he has a very descriptive mind. He added that when he sees things, his observations are quick to come right out of his mouth and it’s working out well.
The “RAW: Must Be Monday” commercial that was filmed in February and released in March was where Joe suffered his latest concussion after going through a table.
Samoa Joe returned to the RAW commentary team last month. According to a recent report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Joe is considered to be Jerry Lawler’s permanent replacement in the role.
“(Joe) is also now considered the permanent replacement for Lawler as an announcer,” wrote Dave Meltzer.
Samoa Joe is still not medically cleared to return to a wrestling ring. Joe was injured during a commercial shoot back in February. He was reported to have suffered a concussion. Shortly after that, he received a 30-day suspension for a failure of the company’s wellness program.
It is not clear what Joe’s role will be when he is medically cleared to return to competition. There is speculation that he could continue as an announcer but also participate in angles and matches.
As for Jerry Lawler’s role on the RAW commentary team, there was concern about bringing Lawler in for the shows during the pandemic due to his age and history of heart problems. Lawler is 70 years of age and suffered a cardiac arrest on the September 10th, 2012 episode of RAW from Montreal.
Joe’s last match for the promotion was on February 10th, 2020. On that night’s episode of RAW, Joe teamed with the Viking Raiders and Kevin Owens. Joe’s team lost to Seth Rollins, Buddy Murphy and the AOP.
As expected, Samoa Joe made his return to WWE television on Monday’s episode of RAW in Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center on the USA Network.
While Joe didn’t return to in-ring action, he did rejoin the announcement team. Earlier in the day, his return was reported by Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet. He replaced WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler.
Joe had done commentary for the flagship show of WWE before. Last year, he replaced Dio Madden on the team.
It was reported back in November that Joe, who received rave reviews from fans, was being recognized backstage for how good he is in that role.
The reason that Joe was chosen for this role was due to him being out of action after suffering a thumb injury back in September. It turns out that injury also put him back in the chair as a color commentator in 2020.
The “RAW: Must Be Monday” commercial was filmed in February and released in March.
It turns out that this is the same commercial where Joe suffered a concussion while filming it. At the time, it was reported Joe suffered the concussion while taking a bad table bump during a commercial shoot.
As recent as last week it was reported that Joe wasn’t medically cleared from his concussion.
WWE has released a new commercial to promote Monday Night RAW on the USA Network that features Samoa Joe.
The “RAW: Must Be Monday” commercial also features Ricochet, RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch, WWE United States Champion Andrade, Charlotte Flair, Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley.
It turns out that this is the same commercial where Joe suffered a concussion while filming it. WWE Backstage analyst Ryan Satin noted the news on Twitter.
The commercial was filmed back in early February. At the time, it was reported Joe suffered the concussion while taking a bad table bump during a commercial shoot. You can check it out here:
Joe was given his first 30-day suspension for his first violation of the WWE Wellness Policy a month ago but is now eligible to return to the ring. The suspension expired last week.
Despite the fact that the suspension is up, there’s been no word yet as to whether Joe has been medically cleared to compete. This was a significant concussion for the pro wrestling veteran as it marked his second concussion in less than 1 month.
He also suffered a broken thumb back in September and he didn’t return to in-ring action until late December. WWE even had him be part of the commentary team during this time in order to keep him on television.
The other concussion took place back on the January 27th episode of RAW while doing a dive. However, he was back in action just one week later until he suffered the second concussion at the commercial shoot.
Samoa Joe has revealed his ambitions to wrestle against The Undertaker before “The Dead Man” retires. Speaking with SportBible, Joe was asked if he would like the opportunity to face off against the Legend. His response? “Absolutely.”
He added how there are certain things that ‘Taker does in a match that he appreciates all the more now. Joe noted how these things are “more on display” now than ever before.
“You know, I think the things that especially now that I appreciate about ‘Taker’s work are much more on display now than they probably ever have been. And yeah, I would be down to get down with ‘Taker, whether it would be now or whenever in the future.”
Samoa Joe’s Long History With AJ Styles
One Superstar that Samoa Joe has a long history with his O.C. leader, AJ Styles. The two have feuded over the years across several promotions including WWE and TNA. Reflecting on their feuds, Joe confessed it was great that they were able to have a renewed rivalry on WWE television.
“I mean, any time you get in the ring with AJ — any time I have throughout my career — usually great things happen,” he said. “And it’s a testament to him and his ability. It was nothing new for us, we knew it was bound to happen, we’ve kind of been intertwined throughout the breadth of our careers, so us managing to see each other across the ring was no surprise [laughs].”
Samoa Joe is currently serving a 30-day suspension from WWE. This is his first violation of the WWE Wellness Policy.
WWE has suspended Samoa Joe for 30-days due to his first violation of the company’s wellness policy. The company has not released information regarding what caused Joe’s violation of the policy.
WWE has suspended Nuufolau Seanoa (Samoa Joe) for 30 days effective Monday, February 24, for his first violation of the company’s talent wellness policy.https://t.co/3PiiutkI32
“WWE has suspended Nuufolau Seanoa (Samoa Joe) for 30 days effective Monday, February 24, for his first violation of the company’s talent wellness policy,” WWE’s release reads.
Samoa Joe Suspended 30 Days For Wellness Policy Violation
Joe is currently on the shelf dealing with an undisclosed injury as a result of hitting his head on a table during a WWE commercial shoot. He was also removed from a match on RAW after being injured mid-match as well.
Joe is the 4th Superstar in recent months to be suspended due to failing the company’s wellness policy. Andrade was suspended recently and late last year saw Primo Colon and Robert Roode both suspended as well.
Samoa Joe could potentially be on the shelf for an extended period of time due to an injury suffered at a recent WWE commercial shoot. According to a report from Pro Wrestling Sheet, Joe hit his head on a table while filming a stunt for a commercial last week. While there is no timetable for Joe’s return, it is being reported that he could be out of action for “a considerable amount of time.”
Joe was recently pulled from a tag team match on RAW due to potentially suffering a concussion as well. The injury occurred on the January 27th, 2020 edition of RAW from the AT&T Center in San Antonio. Joe returned to action on a February 8th, 2020 house show. He also missed some time with a broken thumb in late 2019.
Samoa Joe Out of Action
Joe recently took part in a podcast with Fightful where he mentioned that Vince McMahon didn’t initially want him in WWE.
“Everywhere that I’ve gone—ROH I remember walking into and Gabe Sapolsky telling me, ‘listen, we can’t afford to fly you in from California, you’ll never work here again, but thanks for coming tonight,’ and shortly afterwards ‘hey, you’re working every show from here until forever,’” Joe said.
Samoa Joe Championship Statistics
WWE Championships:
NXT Champion (2x)
United States Champion (2x)
TNA/Impact Wrestling:
TNA Heavyweight Champion (1x)
Tag Team Champions (2x) w/Magnus (1x) w/himself? (1x)
WWE Hall of Famer and RAW commentator Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler recently made some interesting comments with regards to the booth on Monday nights. During the most recent episode of his podcast. On The Jerry Lawler Show, the King discussed this past Monday’s episode of RAW. Specifically mentioning Samoa Joe and the angle that has seemingly begun between him and the Authors of Pain and Seth Rollins.
The AOP and Rollins laid waste to Rey Mysterio and Joe at the commentary booth on this week’s taped episode from Des Moines. Iowa.
“A little rough…”
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Jerry’s co-host Sean mentioned how the third announcer position on WWE’s ‘flagship’ show is ‘a little rough’. Other performers have been working as the ‘third man’ at the booth over the past few months. Some getting involved in physical angles. Lawler responded by saying “I haven’t really heard that much about [Samoa] Joe, I don’t know if he will be back with us again this Monday. I know, I was told this first. That the whole state of the announce position there was sort of in a state of flux from the get go. The day that we switched over and [Michael] Cole and [Corey] Graves left and went over to SmackDown. And so things have just been changing.”
“…he might be back ready to go” – Jerry Lawler
Jerry Lawler also described how the commentary situation with Samoa Joe was laid out to him; “Vic [Joseph] and I were told ‘hey Joe’s going to be in there until his hand gets well.’ When Joe first came and started in there after Dio [Maddin], his hand was actually in a cast. But then the cast came off like the first week and he might be back ready to go [in the ring]. He better because it looks like he’s gonna get involved with the AOP in a hurry here.”
“…I guess they think that I might die on the air again!” – Jerry Lawler
Jerry Lawler finished by confirming that he would not be involved in any sort of physical angles going forward. This due to his previous medical history pertaining to his heart condition. “Joe had said maybe two or three different times during the show…he just sort of went off on the AOP. So when they came over to confront him I just felt like; you know they’ve got me on the ‘no touch list’ or something like that. I guess they think that I might die on the air again!”
Back in September, WWE made big changes to the commentary booth of both their premier brands – Monday Night RAW and Friday Night SmackDown.
Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler returned to WWE programming as the analyst for RAW where he joined Vic Joseph and Dio Maddin on the commentary booth of the show.
On the flip side, Michael Cole, who had been the voice of RAW, was moved to SmackDown for the play by play duties of the show while Corey Graves served as the color commentator.
Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the backstage feeling within WWE is Lawler has been better than expected and that his experience has helped Joseph get into the right rhythm.
It was noted the only direction Lawler has been given has been to avoid using dated cultural references. The reason for that is due to the company wanting RAW to appeal to a younger audience.
Regarding Madden being off of WWE television since earlier this month, He was pulled from TV when he was attacked by Lesnar. He is still part of the team and is just selling the attack from Lesnar.
Thus, that’s one aspect of the decision to have Samoa Joe fill in for Madden on commentary this past Monday night. Joe, who received rave reviews from fans, is being recognized backstage for how good he is in that role.
Joe was chosen for this role as he’s been out of action since September after suffering a thumb injury.
Regarding an update for his return to in-ring action, Joe stated on WWE Backstage last week that his recovery was a “day-to-day” thing and that he’ll be back in the ring in a few weeks.
Samoa Joe hasn’t been seen on WWE programming in recent weeks and as it turns out, the former United States Champion is also recovering from an injury like Sasha Banks.
According to reports from PWinsider, the former TNA Star has a broken thumb and he is waiting for the WWE doctors to clear him for in ring return.
The exact date when Joe suffered the injury is not known but
the reports say that he broke the thumb while working in a match a few weeks
back.
Before his injury, Samoa Joe was competing in the King Of The Ring tournament where he defeated Cesaro in the first round of the tournament and his second round match with Ricochet ended in a draw.
Both Ricochet and Joe advanced in the tournament due to it
and they faced Baron Corbin in a triple threat match during the September 9th
episode of Raw from Madison Square Garden.
The garden match was his last televised match before his
injury and it’s likely that this is where his finger was damaged. Though he
also worked a match against Roman Reigns on a Live Event the night before.
There is no word yet on when Samoa Joe is expected to return
to action but we’ll keep you posted on his injury and any reports about the schedule
of his return.
