The feud between Samoa Joe and Brock Lesnar won’t last long, and it could span just one Pay-Per-View. However, after Joe loses, which is the safe bet at this point, it is imperative that he remains in the Universal Title picture.
When Samoa Joe first debuted on the WWE main roster, he looked like a monster. The man injured Seth Rollins, and he defeated Roman Reigns. Although the company never gave Joe anything to do at WrestleMania 33, he managed to keep making himself seem like a big deal with his tough demeanor and eloquent promos.
Joe has a way of coming across like a monster while simultaneously being a well-spoken heel who presents logical reasoning for all of his decisions. When he attacked Rollins incessantly, Joe explained that he was repaying Triple H for showing faith in him. And when he sent a message to Paul Heyman by using the Coquina Clutch, he did so because he felt disrespected by Brock Lesnar’s decision to no-show that episode of Raw.
It’s hard to envision Samoa Joe defeating Lesnar at the Great Balls of Fire Pay Per View, so if he does lose to “The Beast Incarnate”, the WWE needs to make sure that he remains in the Universal Title picture.
To this point since the “Superstar Shakeup”, nobody outside of Braun Strowman has been able to captivate an audience like Joe. His “something very bad is about to happen to you” comment before choking out Heyman sent chills down my spine, and the way he values winning above everything else is exactly how a menacing heel should behave. Joe plays his role to perfection, and the main event scene needs believable characters.
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That last point is especially important, because there are a few superstars on Raw who have no clear direction. Beyond reclaiming his spot following his injury, it’s hard to tell what Finn Balor is doing right now, and we haven’t received enough insight into his emotions. Seth Rollins and Bray Wyatt are tangled in an utterly meaningless feud, and I would love to find someone who can properly explain to me why they are fighting. Heck, Rollins’s overall motives are unclear as a face now that he’s done complaining about Triple H.
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On the other hand, we know what Joe is about. He’s a bad man who kicks ass unapologetically, and he will eviscerate his opponents (and those interviewing him) verbally if they question his motives or don’t show him the level of respect he deserves.
Joe’s work this year has made him one of Raw‘s most valuable performers, and the excitement surrounding his upcoming match with Lesnar is an example of that. There’s something authentic about Joe as a worker, and there’s something to be said about heels who seem disgusted and ticked off 24/7.
The smart money is on Roman Reigns taking the Universal Title from Lesnar at SummerSlam, and while the WWE could decide to keep the title on Lesnar for longer or swerve the fans, we’ve seen the writing on the wall when it comes to Roman vs. Lesnar ever since WrestleMania 33. The two have been on a collision course, and the WWE might as well get their dream match over with sooner rather than later.
No matter what they do, they can keep Joe in the mix. If he loses to Lesnar at Great Balls of Fire, he could work his way into receiving another opportunity in some way. If Roman wins the title at SummerSlam, that’s an easy feud for Joe to give involved in. Roman has already besmirched Joe’s name (like literally) in promos and doesn’t seem to take “The Samoan Submission Machine” seriously despite Joe’s victories over “The Big Dog”.
In fact, Joe has a reason to feud with every single one of the other superstars in the main event scene. He’s already feuded with Rollins and Balor before, but both of them have history and Joe did steal a couple of wins from “The Demon King” in order to become the No. 1 contender.
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Lately, it seems like Joe has been the most exciting person in Raw’s main event scene, and he’s dastardly enough to keep that up. Joe is the kind of guy who should always be lurking in the main card picture, because he can put together an excellent match and cut promos that make you suspend disbelief. The psychology of all of his matches have been the best of any heel on the Raw roster this year, and that alone should be enough for him to stay in the Universal Title picture for a long time.