Zachary FenellBest of the Decade: Samoa Joe
January 29th 2010 20:07
While I have not seen much of Samoa Joe in Ring of Honor, his work in TNA Wrestling alone, places him, at least in my mind, as “Best of the Decade” worthy. Joe debuted in TNA at Slammiversary 2005 and for three years remained at the top of the company. Samoa Joe’s time in the X-Division occurred when the X-Division was at its best and I don’t think that is any coincidence. . Wrestling fans talk a lot about Joe’s matches with AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels but Joe also had entertaining matches with Chris Sabin and many others in the X-Division.
His transition into the heavyweight division started great. Joe’s matches with Sabu (Lockdown 2006) and Scott Steiner (Slammiversary 2006) were very enjoyable. Personally, I think Samoa Joe should have won the TNA Heavyweight Title at Bound for Glory 2006, but hey, it wasn’t my call. Samoa Joe enjoyed a good six month title reign in 2008 anyways. In between late 2006 and 2008 Samoa Joe delivered entertaining matches, especially with Christian Cage and Kurt Angle.
Joe’s career started taking a wrong turn after joining the Main Event Mafia in 2009. Initially the move was okay, but by the end of 2009 Joe became lost in the shuffle. I know he main evented the November PPV and won the “Feast or Fired” Heavyweight Title shot, but overall his presence doesn’t seem that important in TNA anymore. I’ve read comments by fans in forums getting on Joe about how he has let himself go but I bet Joe is still more athletic than most of those fans. Hopefully, Joe and TNA will get their acts together, so in another 10 years I can talk about how Joe proved to be the “Best of the Decade” from 2010-2019.
His transition into the heavyweight division started great. Joe’s matches with Sabu (Lockdown 2006) and Scott Steiner (Slammiversary 2006) were very enjoyable. Personally, I think Samoa Joe should have won the TNA Heavyweight Title at Bound for Glory 2006, but hey, it wasn’t my call. Samoa Joe enjoyed a good six month title reign in 2008 anyways. In between late 2006 and 2008 Samoa Joe delivered entertaining matches, especially with Christian Cage and Kurt Angle.
Joe’s career started taking a wrong turn after joining the Main Event Mafia in 2009. Initially the move was okay, but by the end of 2009 Joe became lost in the shuffle. I know he main evented the November PPV and won the “Feast or Fired” Heavyweight Title shot, but overall his presence doesn’t seem that important in TNA anymore. I’ve read comments by fans in forums getting on Joe about how he has let himself go but I bet Joe is still more athletic than most of those fans. Hopefully, Joe and TNA will get their acts together, so in another 10 years I can talk about how Joe proved to be the “Best of the Decade” from 2010-2019.
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