In one of the more unexpected twists from WWE Extreme Rules 2017 – the second Monday Night Raw exclusive pay per view after Wrestlemania 33 – Samoa Joe won the Extreme Rules Fatal Fiveway match to earn the right to face Brock Lesnar at Great Balls of Fire with the WWE Universal Championship on the line.
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I say unexpected because the odds on favourites to become Number 1 Contender going into the pay-per-view were Finn Balor and Seth Rollins. Instead, we were treated to Joe picking up the victory after sleeping Finn with his dreaded Coquina Clutch.
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A lot of people were surprised by the decision, but on the whole, it has been very well received. After all, who doesn’t want to see Samoa Joe get the kind of push he deserves after all of his hard work since joining up with the WWE?
But, was it the right decision? Well, we certainly think so.
So, without any further ado, here is a list of 5 reasons why Samoa Joe becoming the Number 1 Contender at Extreme Rules was the right decision:
#5 He needs the push
Samoa Joe made an explosive start to life on the main roster when he assaulted Seth Rollins on an episode of Monday Night Raw and he has very much looked like a big threat since that moment. The only thing lacking in his glittering start to life on Monday nights is that he hasn’t challenged for any major honours.
He missed out on Wrestlemania 33 owing to a lack of storylines and the only notable feud he has had on the main roster has been the one against Rollins and that is very much past its expiry date at this point.
The Destroyer needs a major push and the WWE have made the right decision by giving it to him now. A victory in the main event at Extreme Rules is just what the doctor ordered and this feud against Lesnar should now make his star in the WWE.
#4 He is a fresh challenger
Brock Lesnar has had a number of high-profile feuds since his return to the WWE. Being the big draw that he is, it is inevitable that The Beast Incarnate will only be confined to these big matches rather than mid-card affairs.
He has faced off against the biggest names in the company including the likes of John Cena, Triple H, CM Punk, The Undertaker, Bray Wyatt, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns. Those last three names are specifically important for this point.
They made up three out of the five participants in the Extreme Rules Fatal Five-way match. A victory for one of them would have just been a repeat of a feud that has already happened. Instead, we need a fresh challenger to step up against Lesnar, and that fresh challenger is Samoa Joe.
Why not Finn Balor, you ask? That brings me nicely to my next point...
#3 He can match up against Brock Lesnar
While Paul Heyman did a great job of hyping Finn Balor up a few weeks ago on Monday Night Raw, it just isn’t very believable that the 190-pound Irishman can hang with the 280-pound Beast Incarnate. The difference in size and strength is just too much. Not to mention the whole MMA thing Brock has going on.
Which is what makes Samoa Joe the perfect opponent for someone like Lesnar. Joe can match up against Brock in size, skill, speed, athleticism, submissions, and more. Hell, he even has an MMA background to match up against the former UFC Heavyweight Champion.
Having Joe step up to challenge Lesnar is much more believable than having Finn do the same thing. Balor’s time will come soon.
#2 He can take the loss
Ever since he debuted on the main roster, Samoa Joe has very much lived up to his moniker of The Destroyer – having destroyed everything and everyone in his path. Even his loss to Seth Rollins did not damage his reputation very much because of the manner in which he lost.
Simply put, he has looked unstoppable. And to take on Brock Lesnar, you need someone unstoppable. Because he not only matches up against The Beast Incarnate, but the Samoan Submission Machine can eat the loss with little damage to his reputation if it comes to that.
If the WWE decides to keep the belt on Lesnar, then Joe walks away from the encounter not looking weak. No one else from the Fatal Five-way can claim the same thing.
#1 Samoa Joe vs Brock Lesnar is a dream match
Samoa Joe vs Brock Lesnar is pretty much a dream match for all fans of professional wrestling. It just makes perfect sense in terms of booking to have the two of them go to war and promote the event to milk every single cent out of it.
A dream match doesn’t come along too often and the company has very much made the right decision in booking it for their next big Monday Night Raw pay-per-view – Great Balls of Fire. As simple as that.
