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Before I start off this article, let me make it known that I absolutely adore Kofi Kingston. In fact, when it was confirmed that he would be taking Ali’s place at Elimination Chamber earlier this year, I rallied for him to win the match and become the WWE Champion.
Ultimately, Kingston got his glory at WrestleMania 35 and became the WWE Champion for the first time in his career. Since then, he has had a strong title reign as he has beaten everyone who wanted to take the title away from him.
In fact, Kingston didn’t lose a single match on RAW or SmackDown since becoming champion… until he faced Samoa Joe.
The Samoan Submission Machine put Kingston to sleep using the Coquina Clutch and made himself a viable candidate for the WWE Championship. Among the Superstars that have challenged Kingston, Joe looks the strongest to successfully take the title off him.
Once again, nothing against Kingston – his reign has been great – but it is perhaps time for the title to go to someone else, and Samoa Joe is the perfect man for that. And here are 5 reasons why…
#5 Kofi Kingston was reportedly injured
Kingston wasn’t seen fighting on RAW or SmackDown last week. According to rumors, he is injured but will face Samoa Joe at Extreme Rules. This means it is safe to admit that his injury is not serious enough to keep him out of action instantly.
However, he might need some time off to recover from it after his match against Joe. If that’s the case, then WWE could make Joe win instead of having Kingston hand down the title without losing it.
On the other side of the coin, even if Kingston is fully fit and can continue without having to recuperate, it would be wise to let Joe have the title for the following reasons…
#4 He looks the part
Samoa Joe might not be the tallest of Superstars in WWE. However, he well-built and looks like a menacing figure in the ring. He has the face of a proper heel and makes it even better with a tormenting look.
Over the last few years, the WWE Championship has been held by Superstars who weren’t really the biggest in the business. The likes of Daniel Bryan, AJ Styles, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose and current champion Kofi Kingston fall in that category.
The only exceptions since Reigns lost the title to Rollins were John Cena and Jinder Mahal. So, in terms of physical stature, Joe ticks most of the boxes.
Combine that with his monstrous in-ring ability – that has been honed after years of working in promotions like ROH and Impact (formerly TNA) – and he is the perfect specimen for the most prestigious title WWE has to offer.
#3 He talks the part
Name another WWE Superstar who has the savageness of the Samoan Submission Machine on the mic… I shall wait. The truth is, there is perhaps no-one that spews venom like Joe does on a microphone.
During his feud against Jeff Hardy, he won the war even before stepping foot in the ring, thanks to his ability of making promos (the above video serves as an example). Some of his best works also came against AJ Styles during their feud for the same title last year.
As a WWE Champion, he will have to cut a lot of promos to keep himself interesting and relevant. For a heel persona like him, his mic skills are what would keep his title reign most engaging.
If his in-ring ability alone wasn’t enough, then his strength with a ‘pipebomb’ in his hand certainly makes him worthy of holding the WWE Title.
#2 A long heel reign
It has been a while since WWE had a ruthless heel holding the WWE Championship in a long reign. Yes, Daniel Bryan turned heel in the process of becoming the champion late last year but his reign wasn’t as compelling due to the fact that his gimmick was of someone caring for the earth, which somewhat compensated for the ruthlessness that could have been.
However, when it comes to Samoa Joe, there is nothing he won’t do in order to establish himself a fighting champion. It is for this reason that maniacal heels holding the title makes it even more interesting.
Characters like Samoa Joe and Drew McIntyre, they don’t have morals or codes getting in the way of their reign. With Joe, WWE would have a monster villain that could use any means to keep hold of the title.
Since the company is slowly moving towards a more non-PG approach, having Joe as the champion and letting him do his thing to defend his title is something that could get the ratings up because the former United States Champion is an incredibly engaging character.
#1 It is about time
Samoa Joe has been in the WWE since 2015, initially performing in the NXT roster. He won the NXT Championship twice before being moved to the main roster in 2017.
Since then, he has had some good feud and even came close to winning the WWE Universal Title and then the WWE Championship in 2017 and 2018 respectively. However, on both occasions, he failed to lay his hands on the title.
So, for two years running, Joe has been denied the top titles. If he is to lose his chance for the third time, the damage that would be inflicted upon his character would be irreversible.
He would then be known as a serial failure and thus, the fans wouldn’t take him seriously anymore. After years of hard work in the wrestling business, it is about time he is rewarded for it.
