8 Most Insane Things Happening In Wrestling Right Now (Feb 3)

4. Samoa Joe Enters WWE Proper (Without Being Repackaged As A Savage)

Cena S Bloody Head
WWE.com

This week's episode of RAW played host to the flagship's most stunning show-closing angle in months. In a bonkers development of what most perceived as the most predictable feud of WrestleMania season, Samoa Joe made his main roster bow and laid waste to a vulnerable Seth Rollins.

It was foreshadowed at TakeOver: San Antonio. Triple H, in response to Seth Rollins' mid-show hijack, coolly stated "He wants to come here and challenge the creator? Great. The destroyer’s not far behind." That destroyer manifested itself as Samoa Joe, who rag-dolled Rollins around the ringside area to loud cries of "This is awesome!" I mean, it was, but you probably shouldn't hear those three words when a top babyface is in the midst of a career-threatening experience. Not that they knew it at the time...

Regardless, Joe entered himself into a top-level programme and looked every bit the star such a role commanded. As thrilling as it was to see him on NXT, rumours persisted that it was his glass ceiling. He was halfheartedly courted by WWE around the time CM Punk was signed, but Joe didn't fancy his chances there. The company treated independent scene-honed talents with such disdain that he actively decided to take significantly less money to get captured by ninjas in TNA. To see the man, with his undesirable physique and stigma, positioned so well on RAW is crazy. It's equally crazy that he did not debut on SmackDown, as was heavily rumoured. Perhaps Vince McMahon has cut off his nose to spite his face. It wouldn't be the first time.

Looking at the angle cynically - has Joe been affiliated with Triple H purely to engineer a divorce and match later down the line? It's much too early to say, but Trips is rather fond of shoehorning himself into the hottest acts in wrestling.

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!