Samoa Joe Named Special Referee For NXT Title Match
Joe will don the referee's shirt as Karrion Kross faces Johnny Gargano next week.
Samoa Joe will serve as the special guest referee when NXT Champion Karrion Kross defends his belt against Johnny Gargano on next week's show.
This was announced at last night's Great American Bash special. Joe, who has been acting as General Manager William Regal's enforcer since returning to WWE, got between Kross and Gargano during an in-ring face-to-face, with Regal announcing his refereeing role.
The Gargano vs. Kross feud has been brewing for weeks. Recently, Kross tried to mow Gargano down with a car during an arena-wide brawl, which Gargano understandably brought up in the confrontation. He and Karrion will now headline a card that will also feature a Breakout Tournament first-rounder in Ikemen Jiro vs. Duke Hudson, the former Brendan Vink.
Joe and Kross practically went nose to nose at the end of last night's segment. This was the latest in a line of teases between the two, hinting at a potential match, though there's currently no word on whether or not Joe has been cleared to compete again, having been rendered unable to do so following a concussion in February 2020.
Kross has been NXT Champion since TakeOver: Stand & Deliver in April, where he unseated Finn Balor.