10 Early WWE Predictions For 2017
7. Samoa Joe Becomes A Fixture
There are a number of potential candidates for a main roster call up at the moment. Shinsuke Nakamura and Asuka are among them, but the duo will likely continue to play a starring role at Full Sail while their respective divisions are built-up around them. For better or worse, the Japanese duo look set to remain in “developmental” for the foreseeable future.
There’s no reason to keep Samoa Joe around much longer, however. The ex-TNA and Ring of Honor star has had a tremendous NXT run, and while his title run wasn’t as long as he would’ve liked, he has completely perfected his bitter heel act. Regardless of whether or not he defeats Nakamura at TakeOver: Toronto, there’s a strong chance he’ll be called-up to Raw or SmackDown by 2016’s end, and it’s no less than what he deserves.
He might not hit the main roster with AJ Styles-like momentum, but if Joe lands on SmackDown, it’s hard to imagine him being anything other than an immediate threat. SD has been great lately, but their roster is paper thin, and they’re in dire need of top performers to pad their title scenes out. As one of the best heels in the business, Joe is ideally positioned to become a big fixture on the blue brand, and it should happen in 2017.