A new report has shed more light on the rumours of Samoa Joe making a stunning return to NXT just a short few months after he was released by WWE.
Joe came to WWE via the NXT brand in 2015 after a long and successful career that spanned both Ring Of Honor and TNA. Joe became the first two-time NXT Champion in the brand’s history after besting Finn Balor and then Shinsuke Nakamura for the gold.
More championships followed as Samoa Joe was called up to the main WWE roster where he captured the WWE United States Championship. Latterly, due to injuries, Joe was found at the Raw announce desk alongside Byron Saxton and Tom Phillips. That all changed after WrestleMania 37 when Phillips was replaced by Adnan Virk and Joe was sensationally let go alongside a slew of other talents.
Now Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer stated on the recent edition of Wrestling Observer Radio that the rumours about Joe’s return could have something to do with William Regal’s message at the end of NXT TakeOver: In Your House. The NXT General Manager ominously said that perhaps “it’s time for a change.”
Meltzer said:
“So, I think that’s the cue for Samoa Joe. I don’t know that 100%. I was told today that Samoa Joe was gonna be in a Regal-like role, then all of a sudden Regal’s talking like he’s stepping down, so maybe the Regal-like role is Regal’s role. But if he’s leaving, based on what I was told, Samoa Joe was definitely the favorite to be the new Commissioner. But Joe is in, and he’s in as a non-wrestler, so I think that tells you that he’s not cleared.”
“He’s taken a job in NXT and he’s doing something there, and he may be the new authority figure on television, or he may not be. But he’s gonna be behind the scenes.”