Samoa Joe Vacates WWE NXT Title Due To Injury
Samoa Joe steps aside as NXT Champion, as another period on the sidelines looms.
Samoa Joe has relinquished the WWE NXT Championship due to injury.
The 42-year-old confirmed this in a video uploaded to Twitter on Sunday evening, stating that he faces an indefinite period on the sidelines:-
"Recently WWE medical has informed me that, due to certain injuries, they’d like to have me step away from the ring for a brief but indeterminate amount of time. I realize this week we are on the cusp of a new NXT, we are on the brink of a new era in our history and that era deserves a fighting champion. That’s why it makes a difficult decision very easy to make. Effective immediately, I relinquish the NXT championship. Best of luck to those who will vie for it. My sincerest condolences to whoever wins because I will be along shortly to recollect what is mine."
There is currently no word on what Joe is suffering from or how long, exactly, he will be out for. He last wrestled at TakeOver 36 on 22 August, where he defeated Karrion Kross to become the first three-time NXT Champion in the belt's nine-year history.
Joe's last few years in WWE have been plagued by injuries and other issues, with the former TNA man forced to miss considerable chunks of time in 2019, 2020, and 2021. His latest absence stretched from February 2020 until this past August. Forced onto the sidelines after suffering a reported concussion during a WWE commercial shoot, Joe didn't return to the ring until TakeOver 36.
All the best to Joe in his recovery - and here's hoping he isn't out too long.
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