For the many differences that these men have, Rollins and Joe are quite similar. Both have competed for promotions such as Ring of Honor or Pro Wrestling Guerilla, and both are former NXT champions.
Seth Rollins and Samoa Joe's respective journeys to get to where they are didn't come without hard work and determination. These men have battled injury and adversity, and through it all, have achieved success because of their continued hard work and determination.
Their feud began with Triple H having Joe attack an unsuspecting Seth Rollins, in the process creating the foundation for what we see today. Joe's fury and animosity towards Rollins appear to be very personal, and he is just as concerned with ending Rollins career as he is with capturing a championship.
For Rollins, this may be the feud that pushes him to another level. All the signs point to both men being highly successful on Raw. What lengths will they go to in order to get the better of the other? With that said, here are five reasons why Samoa Joe and Seth Rollins could have a long and fruitful program with one another.
#5 The build for their feud hasn't been rushed
It began the day after the Royal Rumble, and as Extreme Rules approaches their ongoing issues aren't the focal point of the match but still continue to arise through it. The built-in disdain they have for one another suggest there is a great deal to build upon. There was the retribution that Rollins wanted, as it was Joe that nearly caused him to miss this year's WrestleMania.
The roll-up pin in their first pay per view match certainly wasn't going to please Joe or satisfy Rollins and leads to continued animosity between the two men. Rollins knows until things are finally settled with Joe, he can't move forward.
They have used the professional element of wanting to be better than the other, but other, very personal qualities could present themselves. Everywhere one man has been, the other has gone, and that professional jealousy is enough to push them to the limit.
Joe wants to be the best and he may not feel that is the case if he is consistently being one-upped by Rollins. This rivalry has run the gamut of interference, and each man needs to be at their best because of the jeopardy their opposition poses.
#4 Former champion vs. hungry aspiring champion
Having to struggle to once again achieve his previous level of popularity and success is something that Rollins continues to deal with. Samoa Joe, meanwhile, crossed paths with John Cena before Cena went to OVW and Joe went to ROH, and Joe's long road to WWE could be used as motivation to want the Universal Championship.
The brand exclusive title is something that both men are contending for, as they are part of the fatal five-way to determine the number one contender to face Brock Lesnar. Rollins was in the match to determine the inaugural WWE universal champion and came up short against Finn Balor.
However, Balor's injury put Rollins in immediate contention to determine the champion, but after losing out to Kevin Owens, Rollins has yet to claim the Universal Championship (given this is Raw's primary championship, and
#3 They have cross paths well before their time in the WWE.
As it stands right now, there has been a clear vision as to how they were developing the Joe/Rollins rivalry. On the outset, we saw Joe brought in by Triple H to attack and beat down an unsuspecting Rollins, protecting the Game.
However, now that Triple H is primarily off-screen, they are highlighting other potential motivations that Joe could have for attacking Rollins. Other than both being in NXT before being a part of the main roster, and both holding the NXT Championship, they could tap into how both men previously competed as part of Ring of Honor.
During the recent ‘Who is Roderick Strong' videos, he discussed what ROH meant to him and how it helped him. Both Rollins and Joe rose up through the ranks during their time in ROH and acknowledging that would be no different from pointing out how other talent has competed in Japan.
#2 There are other Superstars that could play a part in this feud
While we are discussing the rivalry between Joe and Rollins, the scope of the story shouldn't be confined to those men. Other characters have been involved previously, with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon being antagonists to Rollins’ protagonist, affecting his hope to reclaim his main event status.
So others that have had issues with Rollins or Joe in the past could provide backup, and in the process, all are elevated. For example, Finn Balor has had his share of issues with Joe during their time in NXT.
After months of defeating Joe, Balor eventually lost the NXT championship to him, never to regain it. Joe hasn't had many foes since being on Raw, but involving Balor could lead to Bray Wyatt being added.
In the past, Rollins has had his share of issues with his former Shield colleagues, but this could be a time where he doesn't have to fight alone, and as a result, those around will also receive attention.
#1 The match quality will be superb
We have only seen one true match between these two, at this year's Payback. Both Rollins and Joe have a story to tell, and the best way these men can do it is in the ring. Fans have seen Rollins work hard just to get in strong enough condition to compete against Triple H at WrestleMania 34.
Joe has been deemed the Destroyer, and his desire to take out Rollins at all costs seems to be the story that is going to be told. These two could truly run the gamut of high-profile matches, which will help both men's causes.
To see Rollins and Joe face each other in a cage match or ladder match, while it may be gimmicky to some extent, would show how badly these two want a piece of each other. Between Joe's highly intense striking ability and Rollins' incredible athletic ability, which incorporating a variety of kicks as well, it would be hard to argue the intensity level could be raised another notch.
However, they surely will if they continue to be pitted against one another.
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