When WWE released Samoa Joe, no one could really figure out what the company was thinking. While he had been sidelined for a considerable amount of time due to concussion issues, Joe did an incredible job as part of the RAW commentary team and seemed like a natural fit to remain in that role.
Instead, he was gone as a result of budget cuts, though we'd later learn that Triple H reached out to Joe in order to bring him back to NXT. Originally serving as an enforcer for NXT General Manager William Regal, Joe has gotten physical in recent weeks, but last night's NXT TV tapings have really shaken things up.
While Regal was about to fire Karrion Kross, Joe made it clear that he's resigning from his enforcer position, and with that, he was booked into an NXT Championship match against Kross at NXT TakeOver: 36. At the end of the show, Kross took Regal out backstage before Joe arrived to chase him away.
His in-ring return is going to get fans seriously excited, and it's hard to escape the feeling Samoa Joe will win the title seeing as Kross made his RAW debut this past Monday.
It's been a while since Joe has wrestled given his concussion issues, but this bodes well for his future, and we're definitely excited to see him hopefully become a regular competitor on the show.
Keep checking back here for updates on Samoa Joe's latest NXT run!