10 Potential Opponents for Samoa Joe in WWE
After a 10-year tenure in TNA, news broke Tuesday that Samoa Joe had left the company. TNA Executive Vice President John Gaburick revealed that Joe's contract had expired and the two sides couldn't come to terms on a new deal.
While the doors are open for a TNA return down the line, it's safe to say Joe is focused on moving on to other endeavors for now. Furthermore, the news sparked conversation among wrestling fans about the possibility of Joe being bound for the WWE.
According to Wrestling Inc, Triple H might be interested in offering Joe an NXT tryout. He previously worked for WWE as an enhancement talent from 1998 to 2001 before making a name for himself in Ring of Honor in 2002.
In the last year, Triple H has done an excellent job of scouting talent from the world of wrestling; from Hideo Itami to Finn Balor to Kevin Owens, his signings have been successes so far. While one can argue his best years are behind him, Joe is still capable of having a great match when motivated with a proper opponent and logical storyline.
Of course, all of this is pure speculation until we see Joe in a WWE ring, but it's interesting to entertain the idea of his signing with the company. There are many dream matches to be seen with Joe in WWE, and these are only the cream of the crop.
Daniel Bryan
1 of 10
This is an easy pick given their storied history in Ring of Honor, but it would still make for an amazing main event matchup in WWE.
It's crazy to think it's been at least a decade since the two last mixed it up and even crazier to think how far both of them have come since then. While Joe had a great run in TNA, Bryan went on to achieve more than anyone ever expected him to in WWE, closing out WrestleMania 30 as the WWE world heavyweight champion.
With CM Punk gone, Bryan has proved to be one of the best workers in WWE today; thus, a match pitting him against Joe would be nothing short of epic given their similar in-ring styles and ability to get a great match out of almost anyone.
Furthermore, as we've seen with Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn in recent months on NXT, WWE doesn't shy away from acknowledging a wrestler's past in Ring of Honor. It doesn't happen often on the main roster, but it would be a nice touch if Joe and Bryan ever went one-on-one and it was mentioned in passing.
It's been several years since we last saw an Iron Man match in WWE, but if any two competitors could pull it off, it would be Joe and Bryan.
Bray Wyatt
2 of 10
Bray Wyatt has been a part of the main roster for just short of two years, but in that time, he's solidified himself as a force to be reckoned with in the ring.
When he first appeared on WWE TV in the summer of 2013, some people were under the impression he wasn't anything more than smoke and mirrors—"a glorified gimmick" if you will. As soon as he stepped in the ring, however, he proved all those naysayers wrong.
In his unforgettable battles with Daniel Bryan and The Shield in early 2014, Wyatt emerged as one of WWE's most exciting in-ring athletes. Not only is he an excellent brawler, but his psychology is tremendous, making his matches that much more enticing.
That said, there is no doubt in my mind that Wyatt could produce one heck of a matchup with Samoa Joe.
Very rarely do "big man vs. big man" matches work, but the beauty of a bout between Wyatt and Joe is that neither of them is a traditional giant; they work similar styles and are extremely agile inside the ring, so the sky is the limit in terms of what they can pull off if they ever clash.
Sheamus
3 of 10
Much like Bray Wyatt, Sheamus is another individual who isn't rightfully recognized for being as great of a wrestler as he is. Corny catchphrases aside, he isn't one to be taken lightly inside the squared circle, especially when he has a bone to pick with whoever his opponent happens to be.
Upon his debut in mid-2009, Sheamus quickly solidified his spot atop the roster as a main event star when he unseated John Cena to win the WWE Championship. From there, he carved out a nice career for himself in WWE, capturing the World Heavyweight and United States Championships in addition to winning the 2010 King of the Ring tournament and the 2012 Royal Rumble match.
When he isn't rambling on about his Irish ancestors, Sheamus is laying a brutal beating on whoever he pleases. His matches with Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler, Bad News Barrett and others are classics, which shows that Sheamus is capable of greatness when focused and motivated.
Sheamus' knockdown, drag-out style is similar to that of Samoa Joe's, who also enjoys inflicting pain on his opponents. With his in-ring return imminent, one can only expect him to be taken more seriously as a heel this time around, making The Celtic Warrior a perfect foil for The Samoan Submission Machine.
Thrown in a no-disqualification stipulation and these two could have the brawl of the century.
Randy Orton
4 of 10
Whether he's a beloved babyface or a despised heel, one thing about Randy Orton remains the same: He's a tremendous talent inside the ring. He's always been a natural athlete, and while he has never been Stone Cold Steve Austin-esque on the mic, he lets his actions inside the ring do the talking for him.
Orton turned heads during his critically acclaimed rivalry with Christian in 2011, competing in some of the best matches of both the year as well as his career. Even during his lackluster run as WWE world heavyweight champion in late 2013, Orton had several solid matchups against Daniel Bryan, Cesaro, Cody Rhodes and various others.
In his 13-year career in WWE, The Viper has crossed paths with almost everyone, but a debuting Samoa Joe would present him with an all-new challenge. Orton's calculating, methodical ways combined with Joe's brash, in-your-face repertoire would make for quite the clash.
On the cusp of a career resurgence, Orton is in need of a fresh batch of opponents to work with, and Joe would be a great rival for The Apex Predator coming out of WrestleMania 31.
Who better for Joe to make a good first impression against than a 12-time world champion?
Seth Rollins
5 of 10
From Sami Zayn to Daniel Bryan, a slew of Superstars in WWE right now have history in Ring of Honor. Seth Rollins is no different, and similar to those aforementioned athletes, he too has found success since arriving on the WWE scene several years ago.
Although he initially signed with the company in 2010, Rollins didn't get his big break in WWE until 2012 as part of The Shield. He, along with Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns, rose to prominence in a matter of months as part of the most dominant faction WWE had seen in years.
He had his moments of greatness during The Shield's six-man tag team matches, but Rollins truly solidified himself as a star when he split from his stablemates last June to align with The Authority. As the self-proclaimed standard bearer of WWE, Rollins has come into his own as a heel over the last eight months and is among the best heels this company has seen in years.
With countless victories over John Cena, Dean Ambrose and Randy Orton, Mr. Money in the Bank has annihilated everyone who has stepped foot in his path; however, one would have to imagine that Samoa Joe wouldn't go down as easily.
Again, Rollins and Joe have clashed in the past on the independent scene, but in this instance, they wouldn't need to rely on where they've been. Rather, their feud could focus on where they're going.
Dolph Ziggler
6 of 10
Though he isn't as high on the card as some of the other Superstars listed, Dolph Ziggler is as good of an athlete if not better than most of them. With multiple reigns as United States, intercontinental and world heavyweight champion to his credit, he also has the credentials to back up his reputation.
Similar to Samoa Joe's tenure in TNA, Ziggler hasn't been used to his full potential for a majority of his time in WWE. He was been all over the card in recent months, breaking into the main event scene on various occasions but never maintaining the momentum.
Despite the lack of consistency with the character, Ziggler has showed he is one of the best all-around wrestlers in WWE today. His matches with Luke Harper, Seth Rollins and Cesaro in recent months have all received rave reviews, proving he deserves more than what he's been getting as of late.
If Joe were to sign with WWE, there would be concern among fans whether he too would be utilized properly. However, putting him up against Ziggler would show just how great Joe and the bleached-blonde Superstar are.
Ziggler's amazing ability to sell makes his matches entertaining to watch. That said, imagine him selling for Joe's hard-hitting offense or for his devastating finishing maneuver, the Muscle Buster; how beautiful would that be?
Brock Lesnar
7 of 10
Regardless of what you think of his recent reign as WWE world heavyweight champion, you can't deny that Brock Lesnar has been a valuable asset to WWE since returning to the company in early 2012. In the last three years, he's participated in several classic matchups against John Cena, CM Punk and Triple H, among others.
Since defeating Cena for the prestigious prize in decisive fashion at SummerSlam, no one has been able to put an end to Lesnar's ruthless reign of terror; many Superstars have stepped up, but none has yet been successful.
At WrestleMania 31, Lesnar will do battle with either Daniel Bryan or Roman Reigns (depending on who wins at Fastlane), but his future beyond that event remains in doubt. It's been believed (h/t MMA Weekly) he could be UFC-bound once his current contract expires, but there are still many dream matches to be had with Lesnar in WWE.
Among them would be a one-on-one outing against Samoa Joe.
I wouldn't imagine Joe being on Lesnar's level immediately upon entering the company, but he could be built up as a threat in the months following his debut. Both behemoths have backgrounds in mixed martial arts, and as we saw in Lesnar's critically acclaimed contest against Punk at SummerSlam 2013, incorporating that skill set into the wrestling world can only mean great things.
Roman Reigns
8 of 10
Within two years of his WWE debut, Roman Reigns has quickly ascended the card and finds himself on the cusp of headlining WrestleMania for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. If he can get past Daniel Bryan and go on to unseat Brock Lesnar, he will become the first NXT alum (since its rebranding in 2012) to win a world title.
Although he is nowhere near as great of a well-rounded wrestler as some of the other Superstars on this list, his pure power and unadulterated strength hide his weaknesses quite well. His scintillating Spear and impactful Superman Punch never fail to bring crowds to their feet, even if his popularity is waning at the moment.
Regardless of how "ready" he may be at this instant, Reigns is undeniably the future of WWE, and you can expect him to mix it up with the company's top-tier talent in the years to come. With the roster depth weaker than it has ever been, Samoa Joe would be excellent opposition for a babyface Reigns.
Sure, you can point to their similar Samoan backgrounds as reasoning for why they should feud, but it goes far beyond that. Reigns isn't the technical wrestler that Joe is, but when he's paired with the right opponent, he's capable of having a great match.
Joe can be that guy.
If anyone can push Reigns to his limit inside the ring, it's Joe. The Samoa Submission Machine vs. The Juggernaut sells itself.
Chris Jericho
9 of 10
Although he's only in WWE for short periods of time, Chris Jericho always makes waves whenever he's around. From Fandango to Bray Wyatt, he can be counted on for a superb performance every time he steps through the ropes.
Moreover, Jericho has a tendency to put the younger stars over at the expense of making himself look good, though he's still credible in defeat. He's welcomed back with open arms from fans, and the reactions he receives every time he returns can't be ignored.
Y2J has never expressed interest working anywhere but WWE, but he has admitted in the past that TNA has quite the talent pool, and Samoa Joe is no exception.
Jericho's flashy, technical style would mesh perfectly with that of Joe's, making for an exciting encounter. Plus, a feud with Jericho would establish Joe as an in-ring threat right from the get-go.
While Jericho's appearances are far and few between, if the timing was right, a match between these two seasoned veterans could be in the cards.
John Cena
10 of 10
Several stars who have debuted in WWE in recent years set their sights on John Cena immediately upon their arrival, and why wouldn't they? Regardless of whether you like him or loathe him, Cena is "the guy" in WWE, and anyone looking to make a name for himself must go through him first.
Cena's greatest rivals over the course of his career have come in the form of giants. Although he has overcome all of them, Joe would pose a different kind of challenge that would lead to a stellar series of matches.
Having come up in the Ohio Valley Wrestling developmental system together, the friendship between Cena and Joe is well documented (h/t PWTorch). Some have said that could play a major factor in whether the company signs Joe, and if it happens, the WWE can build their eventual feud off that.
Cena isn't the "old man" Rusev claims he is, but having been on top for the last decade, he is quickly running out of fresh faces to work with. Enter Samoa Joe.
While it would be wise to build up Joe if he were to sign and be called up right away (which is doubtful), there is no questioning people would take notice of The Samoan Submission Machine if he were to target Cena. If you weren't already familiar with Joe from his work in TNA and ROH, you would be from that moment forward.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is a journalism major at Endicott College. Visit his website at Next Era Wrestling and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.
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