#1.) Wasn’t supposed to be a part of the WWE main roster
When Samoa Joe was done with Impact Wrestling, he had a “free agent” tag for the first time in ages. Triple H gave Samoa Joe a direct call and laid out the terms to him right away. He told Joe that there’s a spot for him on NXT, but they couldn’t promise him a main roster call-up since Vince McMahon likely wouldn’t be interested in someone in their late 30s.
Joe was hired, not to train in the Performance Center but to be a part of NXT and help elevate the brand. He was successful in doing this, capturing two NXT Championships in the process. During his time in NXT, he proved to be a valuable asset and in early 2017, was called up to the main roster as Triple H’s hired gun.
He’s been in several main events since, facing the cream of the crop in WWE. It seems inevitable that Joe will be a part of the elite list of world champions in WWE.
