Why Samoa Joe on Raw Makes Sense

Samoa Joe appearing on the January 30th edition of Raw to take out Seth Rollins in the final segment was the emphatic debut fans were hoping for when the Samoan Submission Machine signed a WWE deal. Instead of coming in and destroying jobbers and mid-carders on his way to the top he was fast-tracked to the main-event scene as the enforcer for the authority and the hired gun for Triple H in his ongoing feud with Seth Rollins. Two weeks into Joe’s WWE career it is clear that there are big plans for the former TNA and NXT heavyweight champion going forward after he defeated Roman Reigns (with an assist from Braun Strowman) in the show’s main event.

Many fans are left to wonder why he was chosen to go to Raw instead of Smackdown however. While Joe has already crossed paths with Raw’s top two faces, the thought of him mixing it up with former TNA rival AJ Styles and current WWE champion John Cena has always intrigued the most devout members of the WWE Universe. So why did WWE decide to send Joe to a crowded Monday Night Raw roster where he risks being lost in the shuffle during Wrestlemania season with part-timers like Goldberg, Brock Lesnar, Triple H and Undertaker back in the fold?

For one, Joe was given a clear purpose and character when he debuted with the red brand. In attacking Seth Rollins and protecting Triple Hit became clear to fans who he was. And as Dave Meltzer reported, Samoa Joe uncharacteristically wore a suit this past Monday to come off as the hitman for the Authority. As Seth Rollins’ ascension showed us, being “the guy” in the Authority likely means success and perhaps a run as the top guy on Raw. Samoa Joe’s role in the WWE Universe is clear and it could mean big things for the 18 year veteran.

Another reason Raw makes more sense for Joe is the competition Raw offers. With Raw having a bigger roster than Smackdown (by virtue of receiving 3 picks to Smackdown’s 2 during the WWE Draft last year) there is simply more competition on Raw for Joe. In the coming months he could run through guys like Cesaro, Sheamus and Sami Zayn to build momentum and establish himself. Smackdown’s roster features few babyfaces in the mid-card with Dean Ambrose as the only viable opponent after poor booking has weakened Appolo Crews and Kalisto since being drafted. Yes, John Cena and AJ Styles are the two biggest dream matches fans would love to see and a showdown with Bray Wyatt or Randy Orton offers intrigue. But those matches would be better with Joe having already been established as a credible main-eventer.

When it comes to dream matches fans want to see though, Raw offers perhaps the biggest potential showdown: a match against the Beast Incarnate Brock Lesnar. Samoa Joe himself has mentioned a desire to face the Beast and with the possibility of Lesnar walking out of Wrestlemania with the Universal title after a match with Goldberg, 2017 could see a hard-hitting, physical feud between the Authority’s Hitman and the most destructive force in the WWE.

If Samoa Joe is going to leave the kind of mark that AJ Styles has in his first year in WWE, it makes sense for it to happen on Raw. With Smackdown largely outperforming Raw since the draft, Joe’s arrival could be the kind of spark that Raw needs to regain its spot as the A-show in the WWE. WWE absolutely made the right call sending Samoa Joe to Raw.