Should Samoa Joe Retire For Good In WWE?
Most wrestlers who leave NXT don't return to the brand ever, but Samoa Joe was one of the few who did. The Samoan Submission Machine returned to NXT in June this year. He got fired by WWE after WrestleMania 37 but the company re-signed him shortly after.
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Joe then got into a rivalry with NXT Champion Karrion Kross and eventually beat him for the title at NXT TakeOver 36. Fans were happy for him but just weeks later, they were upset to find out that Joe has relinquished his NXT Championship due to an injury. Joe has had issues with injuries for years now and this might be the time for him to consider retiring too.
Samoa Joe Has Gotten Injured Numerous Times In WWE
While there's no doubt Samoa Joe is one of the greatest wrestlers in history, he's very prone to injuries. Fans always complained that WWE should give more chances to Joe but they don't realize that every time the company tried to raise his stocks, he got injured.
After his main roster debut in 2017, Joe got injured during a house show and missed a few weeks' worth of in-ring action. Some months later he got injured that stayed on the sidelines until WrestleMania 34. In 2020, he got injured again during a commercial shoot for WWE, which kept him out of action for over a year. And he thought that his wrestling career was over.
During his absence from the ring, Joe became a color commentator for WWE. But the company released him shortly after WrestleMania. Triple H was unhappy with the decision so he offered him a contract. Finally, Joe returned to NXT and later to the ring as well.
It Might Be Time For Samoa Joe To Retire
Joe has been in the wrestling business for a long time now. He made his debut in 1999, which means he has over 20 years of wrestling experience. Most wrestlers never stay in the business for this long because a lot of the time they develop issues with their body that restrict any in-ring action as they grow older.
RELATED: 10 Backstage Stories About Samoa Joe We Can't BelieveJoe has put his body on the line on many occasions and this has impacted him a ton. If he gets injured again and again, he'll have to deal with these issues for the rest of his life. Fans have seen many examples of wrestlers who just didn't know when to quit and they reached a point where they couldn't even do day-to-day tasks properly.
Joe has talent but he has also gotten injured numerous times over the years, some of which kept him away from the ring for months. Perhaps, it's time for him to retire for good. He's already 42 and his body can only take so much damage. If he does choose to tie up his boots, WWE will probably offer him another contract as a trainer, agent or some other role to use his experience to train young talents.
Samoa Joe's Future Remains Unknown
It's been a few weeks since Samoa Joe relinquished his title. The last time he got injured, he was away from the ring for months. But that was a concussion-related injury and while his current injury may not be as severe as his previous ones, it's still not worth risking his body more. And WWE probably understands that.
Now that NXT is being managed by Vince McMahon and Co., Joe probably won't get opportunities even if he gets cleared to wrestle again. It's a known fact that McMahon quickly loses interest in those who are injury-prone.
