WWE SummerSlam 2017: 5 Reasons Samoa Joe Should Win

RAW. Photo by WWE.com

3. Samoa Joe Was a Proven Draw in NXT

Samoa Joe was an excellent main-event level heel in NXT and an excellent champion. They sold his martial arts skills as legitimate and dangerous, and he carried himself as a major threat both as a challenger and as a champion. When he defeated Shinsuke Nakamura for the first time, it was a shocking moment because Joe managed to defeat the man that was arguably the most ‘legit’ wrestler on the roster. Joe winning that title and then regaining it for a second time proved that he had the credibility to be a top draw for a brand, and that he could bring legitimacy, excitement and unpredictability to a main-event match.

That’s a key point here: if anyone else were to win the belt, people would find their win and any subsequent wins predictable (example: Reigns winning because he’s Vince’s favorite, Strowman winning because of his physique, Lesnar winning because of who he is).

Joe has proven himself a draw once, and whenever he wrestled, he didn’t bring with him an air of predictability. That’s critical in making a title match exciting, which unfortunately isn’t the case as often with the other men in that match.