10 Wrestling Facts We Didn't Know Last Week (Aug 5)
Find out who laughed in Pat Patterson's face regarding one of WWE's greatest ever concepts...
The entire purpose of the WWE brand extension is to spread things more evenly between Raw and SmackDown. Generally, the roster should thrive, given more time with which to get over and make things happen. Looking back to the previous brand split in 2002, things don't always work out that way.
Despite the initial positivity, there is an almost hidden sense of pressure on some to crack into the main event mix and become more valuable parts of the show. For one critically-acclaimed star, such pressure has manifested itself into a real desire for headline success. Find out who in this week's article.
Joining that fact, there are also stories regarding the likes of Eric Bischoff, Booker T, Jay Lethal and The Club. In addition, there's an interesting fact laid out by none other than Seth Rollins, clearing the air on how things are handled behind the scenes in WWE.
And then for the 'main event' there's a tale revolving around the Royal Rumble and the initial skepticism some in the then-WWF had over the idea.
Let's look at 10 wrestling facts we didn't know last week...
10. Samoa Joe Immediately Viewed Himself As A Locker Room Leader In NXT
Arriving in May, 2015, Samoa Joe instantly made his way to the NXT developmental system rather than jumping straight to the main WWE roster. At the time, this was decried as an injustice, Joe certainly deserved to be on shows like Raw and SmackDown. All along, it was an entirely conscious decision.
Having traversed the globe in pursuit of his dream, Joe was ripe for slotting into NXT and immediately becoming somewhat of a locker room leader. Speaking to NOLA.com this week, the 'Samoan Submission Machine' said this was a position he relished from the start, because it allowed him to be the authority for younger wrestlers.
Far from arrogance, this kind of role was well-suited to Joe. Almost as soon as he had put pen to paper on a WWE deal, he was ready to help young talent grow and progress.
Now, as the NXT Heavyweight Champion, he is the leader on screen as well as off. WWE deserve praise for recognising Joe's leadership qualities, and allowing him to show them instead of possibly getting lost in the top line shuffle.