Samoa Joe dropped some huge news yesterday when he announced that he would be relinquishing the NXT Champion due to injury. Joe who recently won the title after defeating Karrion Kross at NXT TakeOver 36, didn’t give any more information about the situation at the time.
However, we’ve learned at The Ringside Roster that Samoa Joe was scheduled to appear on RAW tonight to promote the rebranding of NXT which launches tomorrow.
It’s unknown at this time if Samoa Joe will still appear on the show in some capacity, but it seems unlikely given the recent announcement.
There’s currently some speculation that WWE wanted to get the title off of Joe, due to the fact that the NXT revamp is about showcasing younger stars and promoting a fresh new look. With Samoa Joe currently being 42 there’s some talk that he may not fit the new mold of the black and gold brand, however the feud with Karrion Kross was too appealing for the company to miss out on so they capitalized.
Joe is expected to settle into a trainer or producer type role with WWE once his career winds down, but he’s made it clear that the time for that isn’t here just yet.
We’ll have to see what’s next for Joe in WWE, but an appearance on RAW tonight could be in the cards.
How do you feel about Samoa Joe relinquishing the NXT Championship? Let us know in the comments.
