What if Samoa Joe wins the WWE Championship at Super Show-Down?

This Saturday, Samoa Joe challenges AJ Styles for the WWE Championship at Super Show-Down, a live show broadcasted from Australia. It’s the third WWE Network match between the two, and after their previous efforts ended inconclusively, there’s a better chance that we’ll see a decisive finish here, if not the end of this rivalry.

For as good as Samoa Joe has been his promo work and his preceding matches with Styles, most pundits seem to peg Styles as the favorite in this match. If nothing else, the Phenomenal one has more potential challengers readily lined up like The Miz, Randy Orton, and Andrade Cien Almas. Additionally, while WWE has entrusted Joe with some high profile matches, the jury is still very much out on whether the company sees him as world champion material.

But what if Joe were to win in Australia? That prospect opens up some interesting possibilities, and this article looks at five of them.

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#5. The AJ Styles feud isn’t over

Even if Joe does beat Styles, the feud may not be over.

It’s possible that the match between AJ Styles and Samoa Joe at Super Show-Down will mark the end of their months' long rivalry. However, if their previous PPV encounters have proven anything, it’s to not assume that a big match will be a conclusion. Moreover, of Joe were to win the WWE Championship, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll carry the title for a long time moving forward.

Indeed, it’s possible WWE will let Joe get this title win as a reward for his hard work and exceeding expectations at every turn of his WWE tenure. He could still drop the title right back to Styles at the next PPV, though, or even on an episode of SmackDown by way of further extending the rivalry and adding the new dimension of Styles giving chase, rather than being the inveterate champ—a status many fans seem to agree feels stale at this point, as Styles closes in on a year with the title.

#4. Samoa Joe vs. Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan could be lined up to challenge Samoa Joe.

Daniel Bryan and Samoa Joe have had their wars in Ring of Honor, and not unlike Joe vs. Styles, the idea of a title feud between the two in WWE feels like a mind blower for long time indie fans. This would be one of the most natural places for WWE to go, though. Both Joe and Bryan may well each be coming out of long-term feuds toward the top of the card, and especially given that Bryan is one of the very few full time faces from SmackDown really positioned to be an immediate world title threat.

A number of critics suggest that, conversely, Styles will retain the WWE Championship and Miz will win his way into a title shot on Saturday, to set up Bryan to chase for the title in the longer term. There’s certainly logic to that scenario, but it’s tough to deny the appeal of Bryan and Joe carrying on the world-class level of wrestling Styles and Joe have broached, solidifying the WWE Championship’s current status as the great match title, as opposed to the Universal Championship that’s more sizzle than steak.

#3. Samoa Joe vs. Big E

Big E could be promoted to the main event picture.

As stated earlier in this article, one of the knocks on Samoa Joe winning the WWE Championship is that there are relatively few credible face challengers lined up to face him. There’s always the possibility of WWE establishing new main eventers in this interest, though, and one of the more intriguing possibilities would be Big E.

Rumors swirled that New Day’s powerhouse was in line for a big push this past summer, and may have been in consideration for a Money in the Bank briefcase run. That particular push didn’t materialize, but the fact remains that he represents a unique combination of power, agility, and charisma, not to mention popularity stemming from his work with the team.

Perhaps most importantly of all, he adds to these attributes that he’s never had a singles push as a world title contender. Joe vs. Big E may not be the best matchup available to WWE, but it is a fresh and intriguing pairing.

#2. Joe is one of the most decorated champions in the world

Samoa Joe has won a wide array of titles.

A part of why Samoa Joe got signed with WWE as a veteran, well past the point in his life and career when WWE typically considers prospects, is just how well traveled and universally respected Joe was. Joe has worked around the world, and in particular starred for Ring of Honor and Impact Wrestling to become one of the best-known wrestlers to have never been under contract to WWE.

Fast forward to 2018, and Joe is the only man to have won the ROH, Impact, and NXT Championships. Should he go one step further and win a WWE main roster world title, he’d become a truly uniquely decorated champion, having reached the top of all of these top tier US promotions, not to mention quite a few other indies. It would be a fine feather in his cap as Joe has made a late-career push—well timed to synch up with WWE’s interest in pushing indie-bred stars—to become a true superstar of the sport.

#1. Samoa Joe vs. John Cena

John Cena vs. Samoa Joe could be an intriguing story.

If Samoa Joe were to launch a lengthy new reign as WWE champion, WWE would have its work cut out for it to setup fitting challengers for his bully heel character, and ideally find talents who could hang with him in the ring. Building up newer stars would certainly be one way of approaching this situation. Another would be to turn to a familiar face.

John Cena transitioned from his decade or so as the face of WWE to more of a Babe Ruth, legend figure in recent years. He’s the kind of star WWE can readily plug into a world title picture or a featured match for the biggest shows of the year, because regardless of wins, losses, or whether he’s been on TV lately, he’s instantly credible and more of then than not delivers.

Joe vs. Cena would represent an intriguing throwback to the early days of each man’s career when they trained together, besides having the appeal of being something of a dream match on the WWE stage. For all the time Joe was starring for ROH and Impact, Cena was headlining for WWE, and most fans never thought we’d get this matchup. Seeing them square off for the WWE Championship could be something special.

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