Signing Samoa Joe Should Be High Priority for WWE

Samoa Joe is a gladiator in search of a new coliseum, and WWE needs to do everything it can to have him choose to swing his sword on its battlefield.

Open the gates, and let The Samoan Submission Machine charge in. Joe would add instant depth to the roster, be a valuable in-ring mentor and craft classics for the company. He's not at the stage of his career that he can be the future of the franchise, but he would certainly impact the present like few others could.

After he walked away from TNA earlier this year, Joe left the wrestling world abuzz, leaving fans with two major questions: 1) Where would he go? and 2) What would he do next?

In the short term, the answer has been a return to Ring of Honor. WWE would be smart to have him follow that run with one in WWE. Apparently, the company is discussing that possibility with him as we speak.

Joe told Chris Jericho on his Talk is Jericho podcast (h/t Wrestle Zone) that he and WWE were talking about a potential deal.

WWE can drag its feet and let Joe head to Japan or elsewhere and still be fine. Ardently pursuing him, though, is the wiser move. His presence improves the product.

This is no indy darling who won't be able to translate his game to the big stage. He's a world-class performer with a robust selection of great matches on his resume. Get his signature on the dotted line, and let the excellence begin.

Smart people within the business are certainly convinced of what he can do.

Joe Comes Endorsed

In addition to being an in-ring predator, Joe can help boost WWE's next generation of talents. Hall of Famer Jim Ross believes that the powerhouse can teach up-and-comers mid-tussle.

Ross wrote on his blog, "Joe could be a valuable asset to WWE as it relates to working with young talents who need to work with someone better than them to learn."

There's no doubt about that. You don't compete at the level that Joe has for over a decade without having a wealth of knowledge to pass down. Joe has worked with wrestlers of all types—from mat technicians to high-flyers, big bruisers to sleeker, smaller athletes. 

WWE can insert him into the lineup with confidence. Everyone from Bull Dempsey to Roman Reigns would benefit from tangling with him and taking notes in the process.

Steve Austin believes WWE should scoop up Joe as well. He tweeted matter-of-factly when a fan asked him about his thoughts on adding Joe:

"

@SLIMM703 I think @WWE should pick him up. Helluva hand.

— Steve Austin (@steveaustinBSR) February 17, 2015"

And Stone Cold has seen his fair share of special talents through his historic run. His thoughts on the matter are certainly worth noting.

PWInsider.com's Mike Johnson recently wrote an article discussing Joe's past and future. Most of it discusses what the former TNA champ could do on the indy circuit or with New Japan Pro Wrestling. He also spent a good chunk of his word count praising the big man. 

Johnson wrote of Joe, "A hungry, determined Samoa Joe is something to behold, and something tells me Joe is damn hungry. He's not just a young kid anymore, he's someone who has a family to feed. There's a whole lot of awesome coming in 2015, courtesy of Samoa Joe."

It's hard to argue with Johnson. At his best, Joe has been a compelling force to watch.

TNA failed to get the best from him in his last years with the company. Imagining what WWE could do with him is tantalizing.

Abundant Possibilities 

Joe is the type of talent who can be plugged into a variety of places. Make him a midcard title contender with a penchant for hard-hitting bouts, have him be a key component of NXT, or shoot him toward the main event scene.

He's done such a variety of things throughout his career, from working TNA's X-Division to being ROH's centerpiece, that WWE can move forward knowing success will follow him regardless of where he fits in.

The challenge for WWE Creative will be trimming down the list of ideas. The possible directions the company can go with him are overwhelming.

Bleacher Report's Big Nasty doesn't believe Joe would thrive with WWE. He says that there would be a Samoan overload with Reigns and The Usos already on the roster:

On the contrary, Joe's Samoan heritage only adds to the avenues WWE can take. Have him be an enforcer for The Usos to help fend off all the cheating heels. Have him be upset with Reigns about not representing the Samoan people right. 

The Samoan element makes for an easy bridge from TNA to WWE. For fans who don't know his previous work, playing up that he is another badass Samoan in a long line of them is Booking 101.

And the number of tempting matchups WWE can put him is plentiful. 

He could slug it out with John Cena, stand up to Brock Lesnar or go with a power-versus-speed dynamic against Seth Rollins or Dolph Ziggler. He's had great matches in the past with Daniel Bryan. Putting them together again would be the kind of remix-of-an-indy-classic treat that Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens has been.

That's a smart way to pacify the fans pushing for a higher spot for Bryan. 

Should WWE decide to keep him at NXT for a good while, there are plenty of potential masterworks on tap there as well. Maybe taking down Joe is how Finn Balor proves himself worthy of the main roster. Maybe Owens finds himself in a battle with another beast of a man.

Enhance the Roster Right Now

Joe is not a long-term project. He's not a small guy from the indies who won't be able to cut it when he moves from gyms to arenas. And at 36, he's not a nostalgia act, either.

He is the best free agent on the market today.

His "it" factor is a rare skill. When he stomps his way to the ring, you can't help but watch and become entranced. When he slips his arm around his opponent's throat, you can't help but marvel.

He's been a top-notch performer for years. Waiting to sign him in a few years will be too late. Before he creeps any closer to 40, WWE needs to bring him aboard. 

The roster has suffered many a loss in the last year-plus. CM Punk is training for his UFC debut. Alberto Del Rio is wrestling for the competition. Rob Van Dam hasn't been around, and Chris Jericho won't do anything close to full time anymore.

Lesnar is a huge asset—but one that isn't around much. 

This is an excellent time to welcome Joe, whether he strengthens the midcard or makes for a fresh face to plug higher on the card. While WWE awaits for NXT's best to develop, it can lean on Joe or use him to further boost those prospects.

Adding Joe to the mix deepens the roster, gives WWE more opportunities to have emerging stars feud with a veteran between the ropes and adds another stellar performer to its stable of talent.

WWE cannot have too much talent. Wrestling is not like a pride of lions. Having more than one alpha male is a good thing. 

That's exactly what Joe is. 

As the negotiations continue between WWE and Joe, the company needs to pop in a copy of ROH In Your Face, where The Samoan Submission Machine took on Bryan and Hideo Itami in a thriller. It needs to feel his presence emanate from the screen during his TNA days. 

Officials should soak all that up and proclaim, "We need that man working for us."