8 Ways WWE Can Make Samoa Joe The AJ Styles Of 2017
2. A Big Title Run
The days of decade-long builds towards title contention are long gone. If WWE see something in you in the modern era, they’re going to push you hard and fast.
Finn Balor became Universal Champion one month after hitting the main roster, and AJ Styles was WWE Champion after less than eight months. If you’re a talented performer and the crowd are behind you, WWE aren’t going to waste their time. Title opportunities are just around the corner.
The Universal Championship looks like it’ll be held-up by Kevin Owens, Goldberg, and Brock Lesnar for the near future, and there’s a strong chance Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt will soon feud for the WWE Championship. This will keep both belts locked-up for the next few months, which is all the time WWE need to build Joe up as a suitable competitor.
Joe needs to win dominantly, and often. His rampage can’t afford to hit any snags, and the company must build an aura of near-invincibility around him. That’s exactly what they did on his road to becoming NXT Champion, and while he fell to Finn Balor on the first few attempts, he always came back harder and stronger than ever.
He might not have the look of a typical WWE Champion, but Kevin Owens proves that aesthetics have never been less important. Provided he’s given the right kind of push, putting one of the big belts around Joe’s waist by the end of 2017 would make him one of the biggest stars in the company, and a surefire Wrestler of the Year candidate.