7 Days of ‘Mania: The Next Step For Samoa Joe

David Levin continues his week long look at WrestleMania by examining the continual progression for Samoa Joe.

I’m glad WWE finally has seen the light and awarded Samoa Joe his first belt on the main roster. The United States Champion marches into WrestleMania 35 on Sunday with a match against Rey Mysterio. It could be one of the more underrated matches on the card from New Jersey.

Joe is one of my favorite wrestlers on the current company roster – a striker who moves like a cruiserweight with the strength of a giant. His success on the indy circuit, mixed with his time in ROH, TNA and then NXT has served him well. Now, with the United States Title over his shoulder, is this the next step toward a run with the WWE Title?

“It took a while but Joe finally won his first WWE title in early March when he defeated R-Truth, Andrade, and Mysterio to win the U.S. championship,” writes Brian Fritz of Sporting News. “He successfully defended it at Fastlane and Mysterio was named his WrestleMania opponent. If given enough time, this could be one of the better matches of the night.”

WWE has been too quick in the past to take a performer and immediately thrust him into headline status. Alberto Del Rio is a prime example. With Joe, it has been a slow and steady pace that has been interrupted by injuries. Now healthy and ready to take aim at potentially a bigger opportunity this year, does Joe grab the company title and run with it?

His recent work with A.J. Styles last year is a clear indication Joe can be that next top villain in a company that all too often pushes the bad guy to get over with the fanbase.

I am not sure even with setbacks because of injuries, WWE has effectively used the 40-year-old former NXT champion effectively. Now, with a new path set for him following his program with Mysterio, will Joe demand another shot at the top perch on Tuesday nights?

Joe has all the necessary intangibles to become “the man” the blue brand (until things change) can count on to deliver. And with the move of SmackDown Live to Fox upcoming, it would not surprise if Joe would become the top contender for the company belt should Kofi Kingston beats Daniel Bryan on Sunday.

I worry WWE will once again keep Joe in the mid-card after Sunday. It’s a move that for the short term could prove to be the right choice. In the long run, putting the company strap on Joe will be the right move to make.