10 Impulse Reactions Following WWE Extreme Rules 2017

3. Joe Vs Lesnar

Alexa Bliss Bayley
WWE

A pleasant surprise then, as Samoa Joe got the better of his former NXT rival to book his ticket to the Great Balls of Fire pay-per-view and a mouthwatering showdown with Brock Lesnar.

WWE have, if a little unexpectedly, stumbled into providing fans with a pairing long pored over. Since Joe elected to enter the WWE system in 2015 just weeks after Brock agreed to stay in it for the long haul, fans have drooled at the prospect of the 'Samoan Submission Machine' coming up against 'The Beast'.

Common consensus saw Brock positioned against Braun Strowman at the ludicrously-titled July supershow, but injury to the 'Monster Among Men' temporarily shelved plans. Joe is the perfect replacement. The prospects of both the battle and the build-up are enticing.

Joe was a natural rival for Kurt Angle in TNA, with his intense submission style meshing well with Angle's Olympic and amateur background. WWE should employ similar strategy and make the showdown a palette cleanser from Lesnar's tired suplex-suplex-F5 formula.

Furthermore, as a laser-focussed killer, the heel Samoa Joe talks almost as good a game as he fights. With Lesnar likely to be off duty during spells in the run-up, Joe can more than hold his own in the interim, and may look towards manhandling Brock's advocate Paul Heyman should they engage in verbal duels.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett