5 Memorable moments from Samoa Joe's WWE career
Samoa Joe is one of the most recognizable names in the wrestling industry. The Samoan Submission Machine was a big deal before ever arriving in WWE.
He made his way into Vince McMahon's company in 2015. It was then Joe made his debut in NXT. After years of working in TNA and the indies, The Samoan Bulldozer looked to make his mark in World Wrestling Entertainment.
He went on to have a great run on the black and gold brand. Joe eventually captured the NXT Championship and won the Dusty Cup alongside Finn Balor. The duo also had one of the most memorable rivalries in the history of NXT.
The man wasn't meant to stay in NXT for long. His persona was too large for the then-developmental brand, and he found himself on the main roster in 2017.
When Samoa Joe debuted on RAW, it was expected he would set the world on fire. It was easy to see why. WWE now had one of the biggest stars from outside their promotion inside their wheelhouse for the first time.
That didn't quite happen. Now Joe has unfortunately been released by WWE. Still, when you're Samoa Joe, you're bound to have plenty of memorable moments. Let's take a look at his best moments in WWE.
#5. Samoa Joe makes a dominant debut on RAW
NXT call-ups don't normally get the celebrity treatment upon their debut. This wasn't the case for the Samoan Submission Machine. He came to the main roster immediately establishing his dominant presence.
When Joe debuted on RAW, he set his eyes on Seth Rollins while aligning himself with Triple H. The big man beat down The Architect in a brutal display of power.
This was certainly a big deal when it happened. The shock of seeing Joe on RAW alone was enough to make this one of the most memorable moments in his WWE career.
It also left room for a lot of interesting stories. What was Joe's beef with Rollins? How was Triple H involved in all of this? Granted, most of these questions were left unanswered. Rollins injured himself during the beat down, so the story was halted right off the bat.
But that doesn't take away from the moment. The sight of Samoa Joe beating up Seth Rollins in a WWE ring will forever be remembered.