Samoa Joe's contract with TNA expires

[glanville6]

pwinsider

Former TNA champion Samoa Joe's TNA contract has expired, PWInsider.com has confirmed with multiple sources.

The word making the rounds is that Joe will be working tonight's Final Resolution PPV and this week's Impact tapings as he and the company negotiate the terms of a new deal.

Joe has been with TNA since 2005.


Think he will stick around? The article infers that both sides are negotiating, but I think its time to move on.

Would WWE be interested? The bigger question is would WWE push him?

Typically WWE is notorious for stopping short of pushing former TNA stars, such as Christian and R Truth, but if WWE wants to really stick it to TNA, I'd have a nice monster push for Joe.

I know Joe has been known as lazy in the past, but I think most people who go onto work for WWE will step up their game.

[CSL]

WWE has no interest in 'sticking it to TNA' I wouldn't have thought because TNA are nothing to WWE atm.

I would like to see Joe sign with Vince though, I'd have thought they'd take him. He has some friends in nice spots atm, he's not close to being the 'force' he was in TNA a few years back, they've pretty much run him into the ground with the way he was booked over the last year or two. Probably never been a better time for him to take a chance on the E and see how it works out. Worst case scenario he's released somewhere down the line and goes back to doing what he's doing now.

[Swiss Ultimate]

Maybe we'll see another Umaga gimmick...

[Swiss Ultimate]

or better yet, maybe Joe will come in and make the Usos interesting.

[SOCCER LEGS]

that fat fuck has no place on WWE programming

[CSL]

He's a tubby bitch no doubt but he'd fit nicely into the midcard atm.

[Swiss Ultimate]

In all seriousness, Samoa Joe is 31, out-of-shape (for him) and worse off for his time with TNA. He went from an unstoppable monster to getting pinned by Orlando Jordan cleanly.

I don't imagine he'll surpass the likes of MVP if he goes to the WWE. They could use him as a monster like Umaga but, I have a feeling they'd put him on Tough Enough or NXT instead of pushing him right from the start. At 31, is Joe too experienced and old to pay his dues again?

[SOCCER LEGS]

the problem with someone like joe is he isn't real strong in the personality department. WWE wants all their superstars to be characters, not just wrestlers. what does joe have that makes him stand out from all the other fat samoans that have been in and out of the WWE in the last 10 years

[Swiss Ultimate]

the problem with someone like joe is he isn't real strong in the personality department. WWE wants all their superstars to be characters, not just wrestlers. what does joe have that makes him stand out from all the other fat samoans that have been in and out of the WWE in the last 10 years

He wasn't in 3 Count?

[glanville6]

In all seriousness, Samoa Joe is 31, out-of-shape (for him) and worse off for his time with TNA. He went from an unstoppable monster to getting pinned by Orlando Jordan cleanly.

I don't imagine he'll surpass the likes of MVP if he goes to the WWE. They could use him as a monster like Umaga but, I have a feeling they'd put him on Tough Enough or NXT instead of pushing him right from the start. At 31, is Joe too experienced and old to pay his dues again?



Yeah, if they put him on NXT or Tough Enough, it would be a disappointment.

Pushing him on RAW or Smackdown would maybe not be a slap in the face as I suggested, but it would make TNA's booking look horrible, especially as you mentioned he jobbed to Orlando Jordan cleanly.

A ton of WWE stars who have gone on to TNA have been pushed higher than they were when they were in WWE. Kurt Angle was deserving, Sean Morley not so much. So basically anyone going to TNA is going to be successful.

But I don't think anyone who has gone from TNA to WWE has been more successful in WWE. You can make a case that R Truth and Christian have been- but I don't agree.

I think signing Samoa Joe and using him properly would just make TNA's booking look bad, maybe in turn making TNA's bookers make better decisions.

"If WWE can use one of our guys right, maybe we should use our guys properly, and not always push their stars"

[Triple Naitch]

31 is not old in wrestling.

[Triple Naitch]

Samoa Joe would fit in nicely in the SmackDown midcard right now in place of MVP. Does TNA have any sort of no-compete clause?

[CSL]

But I don't think anyone who has gone from TNA to WWE has been more successful in WWE. You can make a case that R Truth and Christian have been- but I don't agree.

CM Punk, Kennedy, MVP. The latter 2 were never under contract but TNA had the first shot at them and passed and they went on to do 'ok'.

[glanville6]

CM Punk, Kennedy, MVP. The latter 2 were never under contract but TNA had the first shot at them and passed and they went on to do 'ok'.


While true, those three weren't really anything in TNA.

[CSL]

Exactly.

[Innovator]

If Joe was smart, he'd run as fast as he can away from TNA

[glanville6]

Exactly.

Ha, well yeah this was what the thread was about so basically I was a hypocrite. I guess what I meant to say was that those guys were all in TNA pretty much while they were still on PPV every week, and those weren't even really characters, they were still in development and probably not really ready for TV, where as guys like Joe, Christian, Truth, Gail Kim, etc are already well known enough to go wherever without being sent down.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Samoa Joe's run with TNA has not been what people envisioned for him. He has been booked to shit, and the guy doesn't seem like the special deal he once was. TNA is so crowded right now, and after five years with the company, he's done pretty much all he is going to do there. I think it is time for Joe to move on. Even if he goes back to ROH or working in one of Gabe Sapolsky's promotions.

But I do think the WWE would be interested, and I do think that there is potential for Samoa Joe to thrive in the WWE. Personally, I think NXT would be perfect for him. You basically introduce him in matter-of-fact promos, and Michael Cole rips into the guy on commentary -- "Look at this guy! I'm in better shape than him!" Then Joe just unloads his trademark offense on whoever his opponent is, and Cole has to eat his words.

[BizarroKing]

Sheamus was 31 when he won the WWE title and I think Barrett is 30-31 now. Regarding Christian, yes it sucks he has never been (and sadly most likely never will be) a main eventer, but I blame Vince on that. As for R-Truth, well could you actually see him in the main event?

Also, Joe is friends with Cena so that could help.

[Fignuts]

the problem with someone like joe is he isn't real strong in the personality department. WWE wants all their superstars to be characters, not just wrestlers. what does joe have that makes him stand out from all the other fat samoans that have been in and out of the WWE in the last 10 years

This. I've enjoyed a lot of Joe's matches over the years, from a pure wrestling standpoint, but he doesn't really have the skills to be a force in WWE. Midcarder is the best he can hope for.

[Mr. Nerfect]

R-Truth isn't even welcome in Canada. The only way I'd ever buy him as a World Champion in the WWE, is if he turned heel, got a serious personality, and in kayfabe refused to leave the United States as WWE Champion. Give him a heel pro-American gimmick. It was quite entertaining when Mike Kruel did it in the developmentals.

Also, I'm not entirely sure that Christian won't get his moment. The guy can talk, he can work, and he's surely got a lot of friends who think he can do it. Understandably, there was some due-paying to be done when Christian got back -- he was the first guy to really leave the WWE willingly for TNA -- but I cannot actually think of a better WrestleMania storyline on the SmackDown! side of things beyond Edge vs. Christian. All you do is have Christian return by taking to Edge with a steel chair. Done.

[Mr. Nerfect]

This. I've enjoyed a lot of Joe's matches over the years, from a pure wrestling standpoint, but he doesn't really have the skills to be a force in WWE. Midcarder is the best he can hope for.

I don't know about that. I think it all really depends on how the WWE audience receives him. The guy is good at telling a story and pacing his matches, so if he can do that, deliver harsh (but safe) kicks, and use some good submission holds -- it all depends on how over he gets, in my opinion.

[CSL]

If anybody can hide Joe's weaknesses and 'make him a star', it's Vince/WWE.

[Fignuts]

I'm talking about everything besides the actual wrestling. Sure, in the ring he's great. But that doesn't get you to the main event, unless everything lines up perfectly(Benoit)

Just the opposite in fact. Guys like Batista who are pretty shit in the ring get pushed based on everything but ring work. And Joe kinda sucks everywhere out of the ring.

[Mr. Nerfect]

He's got good presence. He will obviously seem smaller in the WWE, but he's got this lovable "Hey, if this guy can live his dream, you can too!" sort of thing that the WWE could exploit. Especially in the PG era, where Edge and Teddy Long are trying to inspire fatherless children by sharing that they weren't close to their daddies.

If anyone could hide Joe's weaknesses, it would be Paul Heyman -- the man knows how to book to people's strengths. But if anyone can make Joe a star, it'll be Vince McMahon.

[Mr. Nerfect]

I could even see the WWE bringing him in as "John Cena's fat friend." He wrestles a few tag team matches with him, saves him from beat-downs -- the guy is instantly over.

[Droford]

Samoa Joe to WWE, tag him with Husky Harris.

[chrisat928]

Joe deserves better than TNA.

Does he realize that? I don't know.

It was like a few months ago, Eric Young was done, but then re-signed. On another forum, I called it beaten wife syndrome.

[XL]

A WWE with Punk, Daniel Bryan, Kaval...and Joe? I'm all for that.