WWE NXT In Lowell - 10 Live Observations
2. Samoa Joe Is As Great As He's Ever Been
Samoa Joe was a strong candidate to join NXT when his contract with TNA expired in February 2015, though a small group of fans worried it was too little, too late for WWE to sign him. Upon his arrival that May, it didn't take long for him to silence those critics through his great matches and feuds with Baron Corbin, Kevin Owens, Finn Balor and others.
For someone who appeared to be burned out toward the end of his TNA run, Joe has been more motivated than ever during his stint in NXT, especially as of late. He's run roughshod on the entire roster, and despite falling short of winning the NXT Championship twice before, he finally got the job done in surprising fashion at NXT Lowell.
And thus, his career renaissance was complete. Fans were in shock when the three count was made, but the stunned silence was followed by a roar of cheers for the Samoan Submission Machine. It was high time he be rewarded for his efforts in NXT in the form of the NXT Championship.
Seeing him here compared to when I saw him at the Destination America debut for TNA in January 2015, he was a completely different competitor. He's determined to dominate, and his ruthless reign as champion has only just begun.