WWE Stock Watch: Samoa Joe is Actually Scary
Both WWE SmackDown and Raw gave fans noteworthy moments this past week, including Lana’s debut and a chilling beatdown/promo from Samoa Joe. But whose stock is on the rise, and whose stock is falling this week?
Amidst declining ratings, Monday Night Raw put on its best showing in several weeks, but SmackDown Live was up to the challenge on Tuesday, unveiling a crisp Money in the Bank briefcase for the women. Shortly after this, Lana debuted and exceeded expectations in doing so. Yeah, the blue brand’s women’s division is pretty good.
As for Raw, Samoa Joe gloated after winning the fatal five-way match at Extreme Rules to become the No. 1 contender to Brock Lesnar’s Universal title. This means he will square off against Lesnar at the Great Balls of Fire Pay Per View, and if you weren’t already excited about the prospect of this dream match between the two monsters, Joe upped the ante on Monday night.
Joe is unsurprisingly among those whose stock is rising this week, but which other four WWE superstars moved the needle this week?
Must Read: Could Samoa Joe Actually Win The Title?
WWE.com
5. Rising: Samoa Joe
Samoa Joe is mostly known for his powerful move-set and uncanny quickness for his size, but don’t let his in-ring work shadow the fact that he’s one of the best promos in the company. Monsters like Braun Strowman and Lesnar are known for being intimidating in their promos, but there’s something special about Joe whenever he’s on the mic. Everything he says is believable, and it seems like he truly wants nothing more than to destroy someone. Better yet, he speaks in such an eloquent, methodical manner, essentially dissecting his opponent and outlining exactly what he will do to them.
Before Joe used the Coquina Clutch on Paul Heyman, he told Lesnar’s advocate calmly that “something very bad” would happen to him. The way the camera mic picked up the dialogue was a nice touch, and it’s always special when Heyman is willing to take some punishment. In storyline, that was enough to get Lesnar’s attention, and fans should look forward to a showdown between “The Beast Incarnate” and the “Samoan Submission Machine” next Monday.
Even though Joe will almost certainly lose to Lesnar at the PPV, the WWE clearly won’t treat the former NXT champion like he’s an afterthought or mere filler for Strowman, who probably would have been fed to Lesnar at Great Balls of Fire.
Instead, they are giving Samoa Joe a chance to show that in addition to being “The Destroyer”, he’s also capable of delivering menacing promos. It isn’t just about quoting war generals or intimidating opponents. Joe, who is a veteran of the business, adds so many little touches when interacting with the audience. For example, when the fans chanted “We want Brock!” after Joe caused Heyman to pass out, Joe grabbed the mic and exclaimed, “And so do I!”
Now that’s how you drive up interest for a big main event title match at a PPV.