S amoa Joe's suspension can see him being replaced by someone else on the roster

5 Superstars who can replace Samoa Joe on RAW after his suspension

Modified Feb 27, 2020 13:31 IST

A few hours ago, WWE announced via their social media handle that Samoa Joe has been handed a one-month suspension from the company for violating the wellness policy. This ban will keep Joe out of action for the next few weeks. His absence from the Red brand will have a major impact on one of the best storylines that are unfolding currently in WWE.

The Samoan Submission Machine played a major role partnering Kevin Owens in the latter’s ongoing feud with Seth Rollins, Buddy Murphy, and the Authors of Pain. Although KO has the Viking Raiders on his side, he still needs one more Superstar to even the odds against his rivals.

In this article, we will take a look at five babyfaces who could replace Joe in the above-mentioned feud.

Also Read: 5 Things that shouldn't happen at WWE Super ShowDown 2020 and 5 things that should

#5 Drew McIntyre

Drew McIntyre can build up more credibility as a babyface

Drew McIntyre kick-started the new decade with an impressive win in the Royal Rumble that also saw him eliminate Brock Lesnar from the match. This marked the beginning of their feud and the two Superstars are now set to lock horns for the WWE Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 36, unless Richochet defeats Lesnar in their title match at Super ShowDown on Thursday, although that is highly unlikely.

However, WWE’s biggest show of the year is more than a month away. If we know anything about Lesnar’s championship reign, he will start making his appearances closer to the show in order to build up his feud with The Scottish Psychopath. As a result, McIntyre will have very little on his hands until the Elimination Chamber, which is scheduled to take place next month.

Therefore, it would be great if WWE decides to have Kevin Owens find an ally in McIntyre in the absence of Samoa Joe. Feuding against the likes of Seth Rollins and co. will help establish the challenger as a bigger babyface and he will gain a fantastic momentum ahead of his WrestleMania clash. Moreover, it would make for a good storyline as he is expected to feud with the ‘Monday Night Messiah’ after winning the WWE Championship.

#4 Ricochet

WWE's 'Resident Superhero' is in a desperate need for a new mission

Ricochet is widely considered as one of the most promising Superstars on the entire roster. He is currently involved in a feud with Brock Lesnar, as his low blow allowed McIntyre to eliminate the ‘Beast Incarnate’ from the Royal Rumble match. However, this rivalry is expected to end at WWE Super ShowDown where the two Superstars will lock horns in a title match that will surely not end in his favor.

Following that, Ricochet could make for a good replacement for Samoa Joe. He is a good competitor and can help Kevin Owens and the Viking Raiders against Seth Rollins, Buddy Murphy, and the Authors of Pain.

WWE’s resident Superhero has not been involved in good storylines for a while. But that can change if he is involved in this rivalry between Rollins and Owens as both Superstars can work wonders when it comes to putting over other talents. Moreover, KO will have someone reliable to watch his back when he is dealing with the disciples of the Monday Night Messiah.

#3 Rey Mysterio

Rey Mysterio has an old score to settle with Seth Rollins!

When Seth Rollins first turned heel, he called out several Superstars for their ‘questionable’ work in recent times. That list also included WWE veteran Rey Mysterio, who was visibly agitated with the arrogance of the former Universal Champion. At one point, Mysterio even gave his Kendal stick to Kevin Owens so that the latter could beat up Rollins.

Not to forget, both Mysterio and the Architect were involved in a few encounters before the Creative decided to move on from that story. Now that Samoa Joe will no longer be there to help Owens in his ongoing rivalry with Rollins, it only makes sense that the latter would turn to someone who has already backed him in this narration.

Allowing Mysterio to replace Joe will be a smart decision as he can easily make way for the former when he returns after his 30-day suspension. His exit for the feud won’t hurt his character and it will allow the creatives to keep room for Joe’s safe return to the storyline when he will be back in action after a few weeks.

#2 Rusev

Rusev deserves to be involved in better storylines

After spending a long time away from the limelight, Rusev managed to gain the attention of the entire WWE Universe with the controversial storyline involving Lana and Bobby Lashley. Now that he has defeated Bobby Lashley and divorced the ‘Ravishing Russian’, that feud is buried in the grave (thankfully).

Naturally, the Bulgarian Brute is keen on finding a new challenge for himself, and what could be better than teaming up with KO to take on the biggest heels of the Red brand. He is a force to reckon with which will be instrumental if Owens wants to even things out while facing his nemesis. But more than KO, it is Rusev who will reap greater benefits from replacing Samoa Joe.

His last feud may have put him over with the crowd once again, but let’s be honest, it did close to nothing when it comes to strengthening Rusev’s character. At least teaming up with Owens will allow him to be a part of good storylines and gain attention without involving any aspect of his personal life.

#1 Aleister Black

WWE can revisit this rivalry!

Aleister Black spent a long time looking for opponents and finally found a worthy rival in Buddy Murphy. Their feud helped both Superstars in drawing attention from the creatives which ultimately saw Murphy being teamed up with Seth Rollins. To top it all, they went on to win the RAW Tag Team titles by defeating the Viking Raiders, which was a surprise since the Authors of Pain were there all along.

Coming back to Black, he continued to dominate on RAW and even picked a victory against Erick Rowan. Ahead of the match, however, he was attacked by The OC which prompted him to challenge AJ Styles for a dream match on next week’s RAW. The recent rumors suggest that the ‘Phenomenal One’ will face The Undertaker at WrestleMania, which means Black potentially will only have a one-off encounter with Styles.

He is one of the most talented Superstars on RAW and already shares a history with one-half of the RAW tag team champions. It is fair to assume that Black will be the best choice to replace Samoa Joe as Kevin Owens’ ally in the latter’s feud with Rollins and his disciples. Moreover, it will lay the groundwork for a huge push that he deserves and could work wonders with the opportunity that he will receive by being involved as the babyface against a group of hated heels.

Also Read: 5 reasons why Charlotte Flair challenged Rhea Ripley for a title match at WrestleMania

Edited by
Atharva Papnoi