10 Stars WWE Are Booking Perfectly

8. Samoa Joe

Braun Strowman
WWE.com

Samoa Joe's win/loss record verges on dreaded 0.5 territory; still, the direction of his character doesn't feel as aimless as it should. That is because Joe, unlike many of his NXT peers, has otherwise been presented as a major deal.

Part of his killer aura is unintended. He all but retired Tyson Kidd and almost derailed a major WrestleMania match. Neither incident was ideal, obviously - but the effects were. This is a perception WWE have massaged and reinforced with their no-frills approach. Joe doesn't cut elaborate, long-winded promos. His rapid fire intensity remains undiluted. He doesn't pointlessly go over worthless undercard acts, like Apollo Crews, ad nauseam, normalising him via mere association. He is positioned as a big boy because he only faces the big boys. For a company often accused of unconsciously stumbling from one week to the next, Joe has been consistently booked as a threat and as a star.

His knack of getting one (and two, and three...) over Roman Reigns on RAW has done much to preserve his aura, equalising his mixed PPV record. Joe is excelling on the main roster.

This isn't (just) the cream rising to the top; creative deserves credit for their blend of seasoning.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!