10 Best Raw Segments Of 2017 So Far
4. Samoa Joe Arrives On Raw (30 January)
Even before Samoa Joe's surprise appearance, this was already a dynamite segment. Triple H's venomous speech about no longer trying to be different, to no longer avoid his desire to "injure people and crush dreams" is classic heel work from one the masters of the role. Rollins came down the ramp to confront him as we expected him to do, but the out-of-nowhere assault from a debuting Samoa Joe was a palpably brutal intervention to regular proceedings.
It was a fast and furious beatdown, with Joe tossing a ragdolling Rollins around the arena to great effect. The crowd's incredibly vocal astonishment at his unexpected arrival made it feel even more dramatic. Triple H's misdirect about hoping to be a creator instead of a destroyer was a perfect set-up for the reveal of Joe as the destroyer, rather than Triple H himself. The commentary team might have laboured this point a little, but their shock and awe at seeing Samoa Joe lay such waste to Rollins was more than adequate compensation.
It's the strongest debut WWE has witnessed in a while, for Joe to enter and immediately brutalise one of WWE's biggest stars. The resulting injury to Rollins was unfortunate, but the segment immediately established Joe as a beast and a very serious threat. Raw faded to black on the image of Samoa Joe choking Seth Rollins in the centre of the ring, creating one of the most shocking and brilliant endings to a WWE broadcast in some time.