44-year-old star "deserved to be a WWE Champion," and "WWE could have done more with him," according to Kurt Angle
Fans have seen many big names come into WWE and make it big. However, Samoa Joe is one of the few who couldn’t reach the top even though he had the fans behind him. Kurt Angle believes the company did not do justice to Joe during his tenure.
Samoa Joe had a good stint in TNA (IMPACT Wrestling) and other wrestling promotions before he joined WWE in 2015. While he had a good run in NXT upon arrival, his time on the main roster wasn’t as great as he could not become a world champion.
The Samoan Submission Machine had all the tools to become a main event player and worked several big rivalries, but the company never gave him the final push. During his podcast, Kurt Angle recently spoke about Joe’s possible mistreatment by the largest wrestling promotion.
The Hall of Famer said that TNA utilized Joe properly at the beginning. However, his value dropped dramatically after his undefeated streak ended.
"Joe, he got utilized properly in TNA at the beginning. Until he lost his undefeated streak against me, his value dropped dramatically. They’ve never really picked back up and brought Joe back to the level he was when he was undefeated," said Kurt Angle.
Angle added that WWE had the chance to do a lot more with The Samoan Submission Machine. He looked different than the rest of the roster and had the potential to become a world champion, according to the veteran.
"I think that WWE could have done more with him. They did do some, they did a lot, but I know they could have done more. He was that talented. I’m not sure if it had to do with his look. I love his look. I think that everybody should be different; big, tall, short, [and] wide. Doesn’t matter. I don’t know if it had to do with his look, but Samoa Joe was so talented. He deserved to be a WWE Champion, he really did. Probably and that’s not me blowing smoke, that’s me being honest." [H/T Ringside News]
Samoa Joe was released by the company in April 2021 while he was out injured. He returned for a short run, where he won the NXT Championship again. He relinquished the title without making a single defense before he was released by the company again.
WWE may be going down a similar path with LA Knight
Kurt Angle made some good comments during his show about Samoa Joe, highlighting how the latter had the looks and skills to become a massive star and carry the company forward.
Like the 44-year-old star, LA Knight is also struggling to get the final push in the company. While Knight is still new to WWE, he is 40 years old, and time is running out for the former Million Dollar Champion.
Knight has discussed how the creative team may be holding him back due to his age. However, Damian Priest, who is slightly older than him, recently won the Money in the Bank briefcase.
LA Knight has the fans behind him and could have been a great pick to win the Money in the Bank contract. Surprisingly, the company has been holding him back, subjecting him to mixed bookings even though he has managed to get over with the audience on his own.
Do you think LA Knight is getting the same treatment as Samoa Joe? Sound off in the comments section below.