In all actuality, the last match that anyone in the WWE Universe should want to see is Samoa Joe wrestling Kevin Owens. Sure, it'd be fun and all, but for the purposes of creating stars, Joe's missing a certain piece of the equation to drive home that he's a killer to WWE's fanbase. The easiest way to make that happen would be to have Owens and Joe partner up as a "Two-Man Power Trip" to "run" NXT. The idea is simple. Book Joe vs. Owens for say, the August Takeover event. In a rare moment, have Owens note that Joe is a quality opponent, and have Joe say the same about the NXT Champ. The two then come to the ring for the match, prepare to lock up, and instead shake hands. Owens grabs the microphone and says "gotcha!" Owens explains what's happening as a "swerve," and that he fought for Joe to be signed to WWE because he needed someone in NXT who could ward off challengers for the NXT Championship while he was at Raw and Smackdown "making more money for his family." Joe says that there isn't ANYBODY in WWE who can beat him. He also says that he has had a legendary near 20-year career, and that wrestling performers who are "beneath him" in WWE is a great way to cement his legacy AND help out a "great friend." Joe wrestling all comers in NXT that want Owens guarantees a money match, and also lessens the wear and tear on Kevin Owens from having to be a performer on three different brands. Of course, there's either Joe turning on Owens down the line, or somehow Owens securing Joe a role on the main roster at some point, too. In any event, it'd certainly be a lot of fun.
Besides having been an independent professional wrestling manager for a decade, Marcus Dowling is a Washington, DC-based writer who has contributed to a plethora of online and print magazines and newspapers writing about music and popular culture over the past 15 years.
