Ahead of NXT TakeOver 36, Samoa Joe opens up about his return to the ring.
It is confirmed that at NXT TakeOver 36 on August 22nd, Samoa Joe will challenge Karrion Kross for the NXT Championship. It has been well over a year since Joe wrestled. This past April, he was released from his WWE contract and then brought back as a member of NXT.
Joe was appointed as William Regal’s enforcer but after a series of verbal and physical exchanges with Kross, Joe is getting back into the ring for the first time since February 2020. He joined Corey Graves and Vic Joseph on WWE After The Bell and said coming back to NXT and fighting for the title feels right.
Obviously it’s good to be back, it’s good to be [an] active competitor again and you know, I like the circumstances. Coming back into NXT and fighting for the championship, I mean it just kind of feels right, seems right and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to get back in the ring in front of the WWE universe.
In past media interviews, Joe discussed the concussion issues he dealt with. He explained that it was a matter of him wanting to be 100 percent before he wrestled again so he could do his best for the fans.
It was a much worse type of injury than I think I had dealt with before. It scared me, scared a lot of people that care about me too and they were very, very concerned. So, I mean, it became very easy to make that the focus as far as what I wanna do when I wanted to come back so, yeah, it just — inevitably it all was just kind of hinged on that. Just making sure I was alright, making sure I was feeling good and then when I came back to the ring, I didn’t wanna kind of come back in a 70 percent, 60 percent capacity. I wanted to make sure I could come back and then give the best that I could to the fans.
On top of being a talent for NXT, the former two-time NXT Champion is also working as a talent scout. He linked his role to something of William Regal’s. Joe added that there are a lot of exciting opportunities ahead and he’s excited to be a part of everything.
I mean yeah, listen, there’s only one William Regal. I think we can all agree on that. He’s a very — he’s a one of a kind individual. But yeah, kind of in the future developmental of WWE and where it goes from superstars to international expansion. There are a lot of really exciting opportunities that hopefully will come to fruition soon and I’m very, very happy to be a part of it.
Kross versus Joe is the first match announced for TakeOver 36. On this week’s NXT, Dakota Kai ambushed her former partner, NXT Women’s Champion Raquel Gonzalez. To hear an audio recap of that show, click here.
If the quotes in this article are used, please credit WWE After The Bell with an H/T to POST Wrestling for the transcriptions.
