7 New Directions For WWE After Great Balls Of Fire
3. Samoa Joe Being Cycled Out Of The Main Event Picture
Of all the names that will be in the Universal Title mix come SummerSlam, Samoa Joe won't be one of them. At least for now, his main event dreams are over, although he did prove that he belongs in there with guys the standing of Brock Lesnar at Great Balls Of Fire.
Losing to Lesnar in the show's main event is hardly a disgraceful way for WWE to treat Joe, but it is hard to see him still being a focal point on Raw in the immediate future. For the next few months (or until WWE realise there's a lack of interest post-SummerSlam), it looks like the big Samoan will be kept on ice as far as being a headliner goes.
Fans love Joe, so turning him into a rugged babyface is one option. Seeing him smash The Miz and take the Intercontinental Title would inject that belt with some much-needed excitement; the lack of it surrounding the IC Title isn't Miz's fault, it's more to do with the never-ending feud between he and Dean Ambrose. Joe could remedy that.