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Samoa Joe is one of the most established wrestling stars from the last two decades. In his almost 20-year-long career, Joe has given many unforgettable moments to the wrestling industry.
Whether it would be choking the life out of Brock Lesnar, or squashing Rey Mysterio at WrestleMania, Joe has always stepped up against his opponents without showing any signs of fear.
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However, Samoa Joe is not a WWE-specific Superstar and has enjoyed success worldwide. He has had many memorable stints across various wrestling promotions around the world. From TNA to ROH, Samoa Joe has been an integral part of the legacies of many different wrestling companies.
Due to his remarkable success in various such promotions, WWE decided to sign "The Samoan Submission Machine" in 2015. After a dominant run in NXT, Joe was called up to the main roster in 2017.
Joe quickly became an important member of the WWE roster. He was a part of many interesting matchups on the main roster and contended for both world titles several times.
Samoa Joe's main roster tenure has only lasted four years so far. However, Joe has faced most of the active Superstars on the roster. From well-established Superstars like AJ Styles, to fresh faces like Mustafa Ali, Samoa Joe has shared the ring with almost every current WWE performer.
There are many entertaining matches involving Samoa Joe that might have been forgotten by most fans though. So, in this list, let's take a look at five of Samoa Joe's WWE matches that you might not remember.
#5 Samoa Joe vs. Chris Jericho (RAW, 2017)
Just like Samoa Joe, Chris Jericho is another veteran Superstar that has dominated the wrestling industry for the last two decades. He has played a very crucial role in the evolution of both WWE and AEW. Despite being in the industry for so long, the paths of the "Le'Champion" and the "Destroyer" never crossed until 2017.
Jericho got to wrestle Samoa Joe for the first time in March 2017, during his last stint as a full-time WWE Superstar. They met while the former was a part of a very intense feud with Kevin Owens.
In the weeks building up to the Showcase of Immortals, WWE booked Chris Jericho to go one-on-one with Samoa Joe, who had made his RAW debut just recently.
The match was quite entertaining, with Samoa Joe picking up a count-out victory over Chris Jericho to conclude the dream contest. It established Joe as a dangerous force in the eyes of the WWE Universe. The mini-feud didn't end there, as the duo took part in two more matches over the following two months.
Joe has recently taken up the role of commentator on WWE RAW, while Jericho is one of the leading performers at All Elite Wrestling.
During one of his Saturday Night Streams, Jericho expressed his desire to have Samoa Joe wrestle in AEW. However, Samoa Joe looks to be very satisfied with his current position and doesn't seem to be thinking of switching companies anytime soon.
#4 Samoa Joe vs. Big Cass vs. Daniel Bryan (SmackDown, 2018)
The buildup to the 2018 Money in the Bank Ladder match was very explosive. With only four spots available on each brand, the road to MITB became very tough for all of the WWE Superstars involved. After a series of qualifying matches, there was only one spot left on SmackDown, which was taken up by Samoa Joe.
Daniel Bryan was booked to battle Samoa Joe for the last remaining spot in the ladder match. However, Big Cass' last-minute insertion made the contest a Triple Threat.
Neither of the three Superstars disappointed the WWE Universe, as they put on a solid contest. After a series of back and forth blows, Joe trapped Bryan in the Coquina Clutch.
Bryan couldn't escape Joe's hold and passed out, handing the latter a big win. The chemistry between Joe and Bryan was totally off the charts, and Big Cass also played his role to perfection.
Surprisingly, WWE hasn't ever pulled the trigger on a feud between Samoa Joe and Daniel Bryan. It would be an exciting encounter if the two Superstars battle once again in the future.
#3 Samoa Joe vs. Cesaro (RAW, 2017)
Samoa Joe started to make waves after his WWE debut in early 2017.
He led a path of destruction and laid out Superstars like Sami Zayn and Seth Rollins. Joe even defeated Roman Reigns in his debut match on RAW. The victory came as a big surprise, as Reigns has been among the most protected Superstars in WWE history.
The next Superstar who felt the wrath of The Destroyer was the Swiss Cyborg, Cesaro. Things became personal between the two men when Joe mocked Cesaro during a backstage segment. After trading heated words with each other, both Superstars decided to settle their scores in a singles match.
The match consisted of hard-hitting action, with both Superstars scoring many near falls. Cesaro showed his superhuman strength once again and pushed the submission specialist to his limits. However, Cesaro's efforts went in vain as he failed to put down a red-hot Samoa Joe.
The two stars became a part of numerous tag team matches in the span of the next three years. They didn't collide in singles action once more until 2019, when Joe defeated Cesaro again to advance into the next round of the King of the Ring tournament.
#2 Samoa Joe vs. Rusev (SmackDown, 2018)
As mentioned before, the buildup to Money in the Bank 2018 provided the WWE Universe with many never-before-seen matchups. One of such matches included a first time ever contest between the "Bulgarian Brute" Rusev (currently Miro) and Samoa Joe.
The match between the two Superstars was given a twist when the Miz became Special Guest Referee. All three men had already qualified for the MITB Ladder match and wanted to make an impact before the PPV.
The match also had an unpredictability element, as Rusev was heavily over with the WWE Universe, all thanks to his Rusev Day gimmick. Samoa Joe, at the same time, had gained a lot of momentum by beating Superstars like Big Cass and Daniel Bryan. It was not easy to predict the winner of this intriguing battle.
The mega clash between these super athletes ended abruptly, as Miz made the fast count to allow Rusev to pick up the victory. The huge win gave him much-needed momentum before MITB, while the controversial finish also protected Samoa Joe from losing his credibility.
After the match, The Miz attacked both Superstars and grabbed the MITB briefcase, making a strong statement before the PPV.
#1 Samoa Joe vs. Dean Ambrose (RAW, 2017)
Samoa Joe was a part of a very high-profile feud with The Shield in 2017. He got the support of Sheamus and Cesaro, who looked to bring an end to the Hounds of Justice.
At the same time, Jason Jordan was also having beef with the Samoan Submission Machine. On the December 11th episode of WWE RAW in 2017, Joe was booked to lock horns with the Lunatic Fringe, Dean Ambrose.
A year ago, this match would have easily been a dream encounter. However, Dean Ambrose's fall from grace made him an afterthought on the roster. That's why this match got treated like just another grudge match and didn't go for too long, as Joe easily defeated the Lunatic Fringe.
Jason Jordan's presence at ringside distracted Dean Ambrose, which allowed Joe to trap the former Shield member into the Coquina Clutch. Samoa Joe bested the former WWE Champion then, but that might not be the case in 2020.
Dean Ambrose has completely reinvented himself with his Jon Moxley persona and is currently one of the hottest acts in all professional wrestling.
He has put down everybody who seems to be standing in his path as AEW World Champion, and would surely like to settle his scores with Samoa Joe if the two ever cross paths again.
