WWE Raw Power Rankings: The Miz Is Back And Just As Awesome

8. Samoa Joe

Although Samoa Joe defeated Elias and Jason Jordan in a poll determining Bayley’s partner at WWE’s Mixed Match Challenge tournament, Kurt Angle announced that Joe had to be pulled from the competition due to an injury he suffered on Raw. Some assumed that this injury was a work, since it didn’t seem like any harm came to Joe during his easy victory over Rhyno. Others wondered if the WWE was “copping out” and wanted Elias to partner with Bayley instead of Joe.

PWInsider.com’s Mike Johnson reports that Joe’s injury is legitimate, and he added that he is working to receive more details regarding his status.

The news that Joe’s injury is legitimate is devastating, pending the severity of his latest issue, because he’s been putting in some fantastic work. Not only is he amazing at brutalizing his opponents and choking them out with the devastating Coquina Clutch, but his expansive vocabulary and menacing delivery make him one of the most intense promos in all of professional wrestling.

Joe already missed time last year due to an injury, so we can only hope this latest injury doesn’t impede his progress. He called out John Cena on Raw and seems poised to win the Intercontinental Championship in the near future.