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Samoa Joe returned to the ring after nearly 18 months to take on Karrion Kross for the NXT Championship at TakeOver 36. The massive men had a great match that ended with Joe bringing back the Muscle Buster to put The Herald of Doomsday away. Samoa Joe is now the only three-time NXT Champion in history.
It’s been a great journey for Joe who suffered an injury a couple of years ago and had to stay away from the ring for a long time. Fans expected him to return to action when he made his comeback in NXT, but not many would've imagined he would become the NXT Champion once again after his first match back in the ring.
A number of men will have their eyes on The Samoan Submission Machine and his title. He is currently at the top of the NXT roster and could have some good matches against younger talent in the coming months.
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Let's look at the five challengers for the new NXT Champion, Samoa Joe.
#5. LA Knight could get into an NXT championship rivalry against Samoa Joe
Joe will be looking for some tough competition, and LA Knight fits the bill. He became the first-ever NXT Million Dollar Champion after defeating Cameron Grimes, but lost it at TakeOver 36 to The Technical Savage after a good contest.
The rivalry between Knight and Grimes seems to be over, and NXT could move the former up the ladder. Knight has a knack of making his opponents look better in the ring.
It’s still early days for LA Knight in NXT, which is why he can afford to take some losses in title matches. He can end up giving Joe a good first rivalry for the NXT title without being a massive threat.
This rivalry could help both Joe and Knight grow in the ring and solidify in their roles on the Black & Gold brand.
#4. Ridge Holland and Samoa Joe can have a fantastic rivalry in NXT
Ridge Holland exploded onto WWE NXT not too long ago. He was on a roll as part of The Kings of NXT, but a freak injury halted his rise.
Holland recently returned to NXT and has since gotten into a rivalry with Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher. He will meet Thatcher in the ring soon. Once he is done with Toothless Timothy, NXT could look to move him into the title picture opposite Samoa Joe.
The Bothercauser is one of the most ruthless men in the wrestling ring. He has already shown his freakish strength, and NXT could allow him to take the NXT Champion to the limits.
NXT could look to book a few explosive matches between The Bothercauser and Samoa Joe. Fans will be looking forward to seeing what else Joe can do in the ring after his victory in NXT.
#3. A rivalry between Pete Dunne and Samoa Joe has been on the cards for some time
Samoa Joe and Pete Dunne have already had a few confrontations on WWE NXT. Dunne has unsuccessfully challenged for the NXT Championship a few times, and he remains one of the most prominent heels on the brand.
Dunne is outstanding in the ring. He has taken on superstars nearly twice his size and held his own. He is currently leading a faction comprising of Oney Lorcan and Ridge Holland, and his two henchmen could help him against Joe.
Joe also seems to entertain the idea. During an interview with Ryan Satin, he named Pete Dunne as one of the two men he wants to face in the ring, the other being Karrion Kross.
A rivalry against Samoa Joe could help the superstar climb up the ladder. He has faced most of the recent NXT Champions, and Joe should also face him in the ring sooner rather than later.
The story is already there to be written, and NXT could use their past confrontations to build a proper rivalry between them.
#2. AJ Styles and Samoa Joe can give NXT a big boost
AJ Styles and Samoa Joe go a long way back. The two men have had similar careers outside WWE and have won world championships for nearly every promotion they’ve performed on.
Joe challenged Styles for the top title in WWE not too long ago. The Samoan Submission Machine now holds a title AJ Styles has never held before.
This could make The Phenomenal One jealous, and he could move to NXT for some time to take on Samoa Joe for the title. Joe has spoken about Styles’ interest in performing on the Black & Gold brand.
"I think the never-ending war between me and AJ will always continue," Samoa Joe said. "And he’s always expressed to people that he’d love to do a little stint in NXT, come over and have some fun so, like I said, in this chaotic world, no one knows what the future holds."
A rivalry between these two top superstars for the NXT Championship will be fantastic for NXT. Although Styles is busy on WWE RAW at the moment, the creative team could build-up towards this clash before bringing it to fans at a later date.
#1. Samoa Joe and WALTER can shake up NXT
Samoa Joe will be looking to take on some big men in his current title reign, and they don’t make men mightier than WALTER. The Ring General became the longest-reigning NXT United Kingdom Champion before losing the title to Ilja Dragunov at TakeOver 36.
However, in his two-year reign, he proved that no one can match his brutality in the ring. The Samoan Submission Machine is one individual who has faced big men and punished them in the ring. After all, he became the first man to pin Karrion Kross.
Now WALTER could move into the NXT Championship picture for some time. Samoa Joe has also expressed his desire to face WALTER in the NXT ring in an interview with Ryan Satin.
“A guy like Walter, people have been asking for it, I’m not blind. It’s for good reason. The guy is a powerhouse and people want to see some furniture moving," Joe said.
The Ring General has had some of his best rivalries in NXT against smaller men. However, it will be interesting to see how he performs against a man who can match him in size and strength.
WWE could book WALTER vs. Samoa Joe for a major TakeOver event before moving The Austrian Anomaly back to NXT UK or the main roster.
