5 potential opponents for Samoa Joe

images via sportskeeda.com It has been some time since these two stepped into the ring with one another. Could WWE audiences be invited a rekindled rivalry being played out?
It has been some time since these two stepped into the ring with one another. Could WWE audiences be invited a rekindled rivalry being played out?

He is The Destroyer and the Samoan Submission Machine. When he joined NXT in 2015, he was an immediate contender for the NXT championship. He was initially booked as a face, but after turning on his partner Finn Balor, he put friendships aside in order to become champion. Eventually, he captured the title and took part in a feud for the title with Shinsuke Nakamura, with each man gaining a victory over the other.

After leaving NXT, he was immediately thrust into the middle of the Triple H/Seth Rollins feud. Following that, Joe was moved into a program with Brock Lesnar over the WWE Universal championship.

As it appears that feud has come to an end, we are left to ponder: what lays ahead? What is next for him? Who does he have a program with next? Here are five possibilities of what is next for Samoa Joe.


#5 Roman Reigns

images via sportskeeda.com Could one off matches against one another lead to a feud over the Intercontinental championship?
Could one-off matches against one another lead to a feud over the Intercontinental championship?

He says it's 'his yard', so for Roman Reigns, no challenge should be too big or small. And what if one of those challenges was Samoa Joe?

When Joe first joined the Raw roster he was placed against Seth Rollins, and the result was Joe came away as the victor overall. He came in, nearly stopped Rollins from competing at Wrestlemania, and when they worked a program post-Wrestlemania, he ultimately choked him out.

When he and Reigns have faced each other in singles action, Joe has gotten the better of his fellow Samoan. A program between the two is something fans would certainly look forward to, whether they like Reigns or not. These two talented workers would present something all fans would have a keen interest in.

#4 Kurt Angle via Jason Jordan

image via flickeringmyth.com A renewal of their TNA rivalry could be very interesting in the WWE.
A renewal of their TNA rivalry could be very interesting in the WWE.

Samoa Joe first joined the WWE Raw roster when he was brought in by Triple H, his addition later received the support of HHH's wife, Stephanie McMahon. While Mick Foley, as Raw General Manager at the time, was glad to have Joe on the roster, he took issue with how he came in and what he did to first garner attention.

So a Samoa Joe feud with the current Raw General Manager Kurt Angle could work very well.

The two had incredible chemistry with one another during their time in TNA. During that long-standing rivalry, each man got the better of the other at different times. We could see Joe facing Jason Jordan, with Angle's ‘son' being thoroughly beaten down by Joe.

This could be the motivation that Jordan's ‘dad' needs to step in the ring. This could have a great build and lead to a major pay-per-view, such as Royal Rumble or Wrestlemania.

#3 John Cena

images via flicker.com Could a rivalry ensue between two men that knew each before both became successful?
Could a rivalry ensue between the two men that had a history with one another?

One of the most talked about potential programs is between the Destroyer, the Samoan submission machine, and the leader of the Cenation and former sixteen-time world champion.

When these men were getting their start in wrestling, they trained together in UPW. Without question, they have a history with one another which could build an easy story to tell.

The notion could be planted that Cena used backstage politics to prevent Joe from coming to WWE and essentially ‘robbed' him of opportunities.

With Cena and Joe both nearly forty years of age, the window for having a feud with one another appears to be closing. There is little time to waste. Given Cena's demands outside the ring, the time for a feud between them should be sooner rather than later.

#2 Braun Strowman

images via wwe.com Could these two massive men be in line for a major feud?
Could these two massive men be in line for a major feud?

These two men have crossed paths before, having faced one another as part of the fatal four-way for the WWE Universal championship. The booking of a heel versus heel feud is often tricky, as it can be hard to convince fans.

However, in a feud like this, we could see Braun in the role of face, as he is jumped from behind or hit unsuspectingly at various times. Braun continues to move up the ranks towards the Universal championship and could be primed to become the champion at some point.

We could see a jealous Joe attack The Monster Among Men at any given moment. The booking wouldn't make Braun appear weak, he would simply need to be aware that the Samoan Submission Machine could be anywhere and could strike at any time.

We don't necessarily see this being a long program, but it would certainly be one that could help Strowman, and provide Joe another meaningful feud.

#1 Bray Wyatt

images via pinterest.com They have worked together, could they challenge one another somewhere down the line?
They have worked together, could they challenge one another somewhere down the line?

And here we have the Eater of Worlds against The Destroyer. During a five man match to determine the number one challenger for Brock Lesnar's WWE Universal title, Bray and Joe tried to work together to eliminate the rest of the competitors in the match.

For a time, the two men appeared to work together as a cohesive unit to beat down Roman Reigns, Finn Balor, and Seth Rollins. However, without any warning, Wyatt decked Joe, proving he isn't someone to be trusted.

In this instance, we aren't talking about a heel versus heel feud here; instead, it could actually be an instance where Samoa Joe becomes a face and works to thwart Bray. Perhaps we could have a scenario where Wyatt cheats Joe out of a title opportunity and Joe becomes vengeful.

Both men are terrific on the mic and can deliver compelling promos, so we could anticipate a well-scripted exchange between the two of them.

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