What’s the story?
Samoa Joe is scheduled to face Brock Lesnar for the WWE Universal Championship at the next RAW pay-per-view, Great Balls of Fire after winning the Fatal 5-Way Extreme Rules match.
Joe is considered to be a major underdog for that match, but if the Samoan Submission Machine is able to defeat The Beast Incarnate for the title, Joe would become the first man in wrestling history to achieve a very unique feat.
In case you didn’t know...
Going into WWE Extreme Rules, Samoa Joe was considered something of an outsider to win the Fatal 5-Way number one contender’s main event. Joe shocked the world by pulling out the win, however, choking the life out of Finn Bálor when it seemed like the leader of Bálor Club was on his way to victory.
Joe had his hand raised at the end of the match, and now he goes on to face Brock Lesnar for the WWE Universal Championship at WWE Great Balls of Fire.
The heart of the matter
If Samoa Joe somehow manages to vanquish The Beast Incarnate at Great Balls of Fire, Joe will become the first man in wrestling history to win world championships in WWE, TNA and ROH, the three biggest American pro wrestling promotions of the 21st century. Joe is currently one of a long list of people to win top-tier gold in two of the three promotions, but no individual has yet managed to scale all three mountains.
Joe began his journey on March 22, 2003, when he defeated Xavier to become only the third Ring of Honor Champion in company history. Joe held the title for almost two years before dropping it to Austin Aries, with Joe soon moving on to TNA.
The next piece of the puzzle was achieved on April 13, 2008, when Joe defeated Kurt Angle inside a steel cage for what was then the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.
Great Balls of Fire will be Joe’s first chance at top tier gold in WWE. The Samoan Submission Machine is on the cusp of history.
What’s next?
Great Balls of Fire is scheduled to take place on July 9 inside the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
The show will be headlined by Joe vs. Lesnar, a dream match that many expected to take place at one of the bigger WWE pay-per-views. Will Joe make history on July 9?
Author’s take
If Joe is able to achieve this feat his place in history will be assured, if it isn’t already. Austin Aries is the only other man under contract with WWE who could achieve this triple feat, so even if he is unsuccessful at Great Balls of Fire, Joe’s time will come again.
