Samoa Joe Set For Big WWE Main Roster Push?

Good news for fans of the former NXT Champion.

by Andy H Murray
Samoa Joe
WWE.com

Samoa Joe has taken NXT by storm since debuting in May 2015. After winning the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic soon after arriving, Joe turned heel on NXT Champion Finn Balor, and quickly became the brand's most dangerous villain. He captured the NXT Championship at a live event in April 2016, and after spending the past few months passing it back and forth with Shinsuke Nakamura, his NXT run is all but over.

According to this week's Wrestler Observer Newsletter, Joe looks set to continue his winning ways on the main roster. The WrestleMania 33 card is still up in the air, but WWE officials have reportedly had talks about bringing Joe to Raw or SmackDown and putting him in one of the top few matches in Orlando.

It has been widely speculated that Joe could be a surprise entrant in this year's Royal Rumble, but nothing has been confirmed. If WWE want him to debut with a bang, however, the Rumble seems like the perfect opportunity.

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Joe only worked a dark match at NXT's latest set of tapings, and likely won't appear on NXT TV before the Rumble. In Dave Meltzer's words, WWE plan on giving Joe a "monster push" if they bring him up for WrestleMania 33.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.