Report: Samoa Joe Is Back With WWE, Will Work ‘Exclusively’ With NXT
Photo Credit: WWE
It looks like Samoa Joe is coming back to NXT.
According to a new report from PWInsider.com, Samoa Joe is back with WWE and will be working exclusively for the NXT brand moving forward. Fightful Select reported Triple H wanted him back almost immediately after learning of Joe’s release, and PWInsider added that Triple H “snatched him back” as soon as possible and wanted him back in NXT instead of losing him to another promotion.
Joe was released by WWE in April, but had been seen in recent weeks at the WWE Performance Center. It was said that Triple H was not happy about Joe being released and as soon as the decision was made to bring him back in, he moved to make Joe part of the NXT brand.
Despite Samoa Joe not wrestling since February 2020 due to concussion-related issues, there is still speculation in regards to his in-ring future. It was noted that the general belief is Joe could wrestle at one point in the future, this new role is expected to focus on “non-wrestling duties.”
F4WOnline‘s Dave Meltzer is also reporting Joe is back with NXT, and he is being looked at for a “[William] Regal-like role” as an on-air authority character. Fightful added that plans are in place for Joe’s return with NXT, and that role could be expanded “if all parties agree” to it.
Read More: Triple H On William Regal: He’ll Always Be A Part Of NXT, No Matter Where We Go On Tuesday
On a related note, Triple H and Shawn Michaels also addressed William Regal’s status (and the cliffhanger ending to NXT TakeOver: In Your House) during a post-show media call on Sunday. Regal ended the show by teasing a change in NXT, and WrestleZone’s Bill Pritchard asked how Regal could still contribute to the NXT brand regardless of where people think the story is headed.
“William Regal is just imperative, he’s been such an integral part of this since day one. There are certain people that have and there’s people that have come in along the way, and it’s hard to envision it in any sort of way without them. Regal’s definitely one of those people,” Triple H explained, “and I don’t think that we will ever do it without him. He will be part of this until the day that he tells me he doesn’t want to be part of it anymore.”
Both men also talked about how Regal is a coach through and through and he’ll always be part of NXT whether he’s on TV or not. Check out full results from In Your house at this link, and the complete post-show media call with Triple H and Shawn Michaels below: