Samoa Joe Needs Seth Rollins to Jump-Start Sluggish Start to WWE Main Roster
Samoa Joe survived WWE's Superstar Shake-up on April 10 and remained part of the Monday Night Raw roster. The former NXT champion could easily have been sent to SmackDown Live to wage war with any number of great babyfaces.
But none of them would have been Seth Rollins, and he's the one man who can get Joe moving in the right direction.
There was plenty of reason for WWE fans to be excited about Joe's debut on the main roster. Everywhere he's worked; he's been a top guy. He has all the tools necessary to succeed on a high level, and he's one of the most popular talents in the business today.
He also happens to be a battle-tested veteran in the ring.
Joe is perhaps the best ambassador for The New Era, due to his mix of experience and intensity. He may be a veteran, but he's also a fresh face on the company's flagship program, which makes him one of the WWE's most valuable workers.
No matter what he does, it feels new, and that's a good thing.
But even though fans were excited for his arrival on Raw, there's no denying that Joe has been in somewhat of a limbo since then. He's not floundering, but he's also not moving up either. He's just kind of there, which may not seem like a negative to many fans.
At least he's there, instead of in another company.
However, a combination of impatience and anticipation among the WWE faithful has likely led to many questions. When will Samoa Joe get started? What will be his first feud? How far will he go on the main roster?
Rollins, who is also still part of Monday Night Raw, could answer all of those questions. Rollins has the most reason to feud with Joe, thanks to Joe's association with Triple H. Rollins may have moved past The Game at WrestleMania 33, but he may not have moved past The Authority itself.
Though the gimmick doesn't exist on TV anymore, The Authority can be resurrected at a moment's notice.
If it is, then Joe would be a huge part of the faction. He's the hired muscle who carries out Triple H's wishes, and he does so with great malice. Joe's aggressiveness makes him dangerous, and his anger makes him destructive.
That's the man who should come after Rollins now that they're both anchored to the same program.
The feud is perfect for both men, though no titles are involved. This rivalry wouldn't be about championship gold, it would be about bragging rights. Who's better? Who's tougher? Rollins vs. Joe would be a fight every time the two stepped inside the ring, and it would always give fans their money's worth.
Best of all, it would ignite Joe's career like nothing has since NXT.
Joe needs Rollins because Rollins has been there. He's experienced the highs and lows of the main roster spotlight. He knows what it takes to thrive under intense pressure, and he's been able to turn all of fans' expectations into a reality.
He's also one of the hottest stars in the WWE right now.
As is often the case, one talent is need of a rub from another talent that's higher on the food chain. Joe and Rollins may be equal in the eyes of fans that have followed their careers for years, but when it comes to the WWE, The Man is much more important.
Rollins took down Triple H, and now he's going to take that momentum and pay it forward.
That means Rollins can lose and he won't be affected that much. He's reached a point that he doesn't need a major title to get over, and he doesn't need to win every match to get over either. Rollins can help Joe get where he needs to be, while also helping himself to some great high-profile matches.
This would be about getting in the ring and bringing the house down, and that's something Rollins knows all about. Now its Samoa Joe's turn to do some work and show fans that he not only deserves to be on Raw; he belongs there as well.
Joe's career may have gotten off to a slow start on Monday Night Raw, but that will not last long. Rollins is the key to getting Joe on top, which is exactly where he needs to be.
Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Bleacher Report. His podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online here
