Tag: Samoe Joe

WWE NXT video highlights: Samoa Joe returns

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Image: WWE

Samoa Joe returned to NXT last night and is now working as an authority figure on the brand.

Going into last night’s show, general manager William Regal had teased that change was coming to NXT. Regal opened the show last night and emotionally detailed his history with NXT. Regal said that — with all the chaos that has been going on — he doesn’t think he’s capable of giving the fans, competitors, and staff what they deserve anymore.

Regal was then interrupted by NXT Champion Karrion Kross. Kross called Regal pathetic and wanted him to admit that Kross was right when Kross said Regal had lost control of NXT. Kross said Regal knew that Kross could control NXT through chaos and violence. Kross also wanted Regal to say he’s leaving NXT and never coming back.

Joe then made his return by confronting Kross. Regal revealed that he wanted Joe to take over for him as general manager, but Joe declined the offer. Joe praised Regal’s work as GM and said he wanted to instead work alongside Regal to make sure that Regal receives the respect he deserves.

Regal was open to the idea but had two conditions. The first was that Joe won’t be able to be a competitor in NXT. The second was that Joe can’t put his hands on anyone — unless he’s provoked. Joe accepted the conditions and asked Kross what he was still doing in the ring.

Joe’s first night in his new role also included him helping break up a backstage brawl between Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly. When Cole pushed Joe out of the way and tried to continue the brawl, Joe put Cole in the Coquina Clutch and choked him out.

Regal was interviewed at the end of the episode and was asked how he thought Joe’s first night on the job went. Regal said he thinks things are going to look a little different around here. Joe called it night one of many.

This was Joe’s return to WWE after being released by the company this April. Joe had been a color commentator on Raw prior to his release. Due to concussion issues, Joe hasn’t wrestled since February 2020.

More coverage from last night —

WWE NXT video highlights —

Samoa Joe returns

The Grizzled Young Veterans promise to kick Ciampa & Thatcher’s heads in

Breezango vs. Imperium

Samoa Joe chokes out Adam Cole with the Coquina Clutch

Santos Escobar wants a one-on-one match for the North American Championship

The debuting Trey Baxter answers Kushida’s NXT Cruiserweight title open challenge

The encore performance of Franky Monet’s world premiere will take place next week

Mercedes Martinez responds to Tian Sha

LA Knight attacks Ted DiBiase during Million Dollar Championship coronation

Raquel Gonzalez & Dakota Kai vs. Kayden Carter & Kacy Catanzaro

Zoey Stark saves Io Shirai from Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell

The Diamond Mine is opening next week

Tornado tag match: Tommaso Ciampa & Timothy Thatcher vs. Grizzled Young Veterans

NXT fallout: Io Shirai returns the favor to Zoey Stark

NXT fallout: Cameron Grimes is furious after what LA Knight did to Ted DiBiase

NXT fallout: MSK aren’t scared of Tommaso Ciampa & Timothy Thatcher

WWE Stuttgart, GER, live results: Reigns & Rollins vs. Wyatt & Joe

Posted on by F4W Staff

Submitted by reader Andreas Bausch

– Raw Tag Team Champions The Hardys defeated Cesaro & Sheamus and Enzo Amore & Big Cass to retain their titles

The crowd was really silent even when The Hardys made their entrance. They mostly cheered Cesaro because of his ability to speak German. Amore got cheered as well and Matt Hardy got some reaction later. The finish came after The Hardys hit a Twist of Fate and Swanton Bomb.

– Sasha Banks & Dana Brooke defeated Alicia Fox & Nia Jax

Banks got cheered by the crowd, but Brooke didn’t get much of a reaction. Fox didn’t play heel during her entrance, though she did once she got in the ring and threw her scarf at Banks.

The match was decent, with Banks submitting Fox with the Banks Statement. Jax took a nasty bump into the corner at one point.

– Apollo Crews, Kalisto & Golden Truth defeated Bo Dallas, Curt Hawkins, Titus O’Neil & Curtis Axel

This was a great and funny match. There were many funny spots and the faces got over in the end. The crowd loved it, with the Golden Truth getting maybe the biggest pop of the evening.

– WWE Cruiserweight Champion Neville defeated Austin Aries and Aleister Black to retain his title

This was the best match of the night based on in-ring work. Black was working hard and did many crazy spots. Aries was really over and Neville did a great job as a heel. Neville threw Aries onto the top rope and kicked it to low blow him, then followed up with the pin to retain.

– Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose defeated The Miz (w/ Maryse) to retain his title

The Miz came out first and cut a promo, which was partly in German. He said that he was going to speak very slowly so the dumb audience could understand him, then Maryse repeated his promo in French to loud boos. Miz started to talk in German and said that he’s awesome and the crowd is dumb. The audience was really into it.

Ambrose cut him off an they had a match. It was more of a safe match as they didn’t work risky spots. The crowd loved it anyway, and it ended with Ambrose countering a Skull Crushing Finale into Dirty Deeds.

– Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss defeated Bayley to retain her title

The German audience loves Bayley so she got a decent pop. Bliss continued being a great heel and got many boos. The match was okay, with Bliss retaining while Bayley had her foot on the ropes. Bayley was talking to the ref after the match when Bliss jumped her from behind. After a few punches, Bayley countered and hit a Bayley-to-Belly on Bliss and her music played.

– Finn Balor defeated Karl Anderson (w/ Luke Gallows)

Balor got a huge pop and the heels got a decent one as well. There were many Bullet Club chants. The match was very good. Gallows interfered many times, but Balor hit his dropkick/Coup de Grace combination to get the victory.

– Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins defeated Bray Wyatt & Samoa Joe

Wyatt came out first and got a huge pop as he made his entrance. Joe got some boos and cheers. Rollins got a huge pop and Reigns got booed out of the building when he came out. The reaction was deafening.

The match was really good, with everyone looking strong. Reigns countered a Sister Abigail and speared Wyatt to get the win.

NXT Oklahoma City, OK, live results: Finn Balor & Nakamura vs. Tye Dillinger & Samoa Joe

Posted on by F4W Staff

Submitted by Kevin Ely

The crowd was pretty into everything, and the whole tone of the show was about fun, so a lot of comedy and not a lot of super intense action. All the performers seemed to be having a blast in the ring. Bayley and Nakamura seemed to be the most popular merch, even ahead of Balor (though there were a lot of Bullet Club shirts).

– Bayley def. Alexa Bliss

Bayley won with a Bayley to Belly. Everyone loved Bayley, of course; she got one of the best reactions of the night.

– Manny Andrade def. Chris Girard

Crowd had no idea who either were and chanted “Let’s go rookies” at the start of the match. A few people were giving Girard grief for resembling Cesaro physically. Crowd was into Manny by the end. He teased a few dives but never pulled the trigger, and won with the double knees to the corner.

– Austin Aries def. Murphy

Austin worked an extended headlock sequence that got a “Headlock city” chant. He won with a running dropkick to the corner followed by Last Chance-arie for the submission.

– NXT Tag Champions American Alpha def. Sawyer Fulton and Alexander Wolfe

Alpha was over huge and people were buzzing for Jordan’s hot tag. Fulton and Wolfe’s Mad Max outfits got a brief “You look stupid” chant. The did a lot of contrived double team moves on Gable that kind of dragged the match, but the people went crazy for the ending. Alpha won with Grand Amplitude.

Intermission

– Tyler Breeze def. No Way Jose

Breeze got one of the biggest pops of the night for his surprise entrance. Crowd was super into Jose’s entrance music, and chanted his name to the Ole Ole cadence. Tyler made a brief promo on being one of the people who put NXT on the map, and the people chanted “Thank you Tyler.” This was probably the most fun match of the night.

Crowd treated both like babyfaces, and they did some really clever comedy spots. Biggest pop of the whole night might have been when Tyler did Scotty 2 Hotty’s worm, and Jose was booed when he tried doing the people’s elbow. Finish came when Tyler brought a chair in and tired to get the Eddie Guerrero DQ, then hit Jose with the supermodel kick over the bent-over referee’s back for the pin. Super fun match.

– NXT Women’s Champion Asuka def. Eva Marie

Eva was fine, and did a decent job of playing heel. Asuka won with the choke, which was kind of a flat ending. The event was in a convention center hall with no elevated seating, so for anyone past the first five rows, it was sometimes difficult to see mat level. I think many people couldn’t even see what was going on when they went to the finish.

– Finn Balor & Shinsuke Nakamura def. Tye Dillinger & NXT Champion Samoa Joe

Dillinger came out first and cut a promo on the Thunder, who were losing an NBA playoff game to the Spurs in the arena across the street. Nakamura got a great reception. People definitely see him as top-tier. Balor got a main event pop, and I was completely unprepared for the effect he had on the women in the audience. There were women around me who were nearly breathless seeing Finn in person. Joe came out last. Match was really entertaining but not super exciting, if that makes sense. Mainly, it centered around Tye working most of the match with Finn trying to get at Joe and Joe wanting nothing to do with either of his opponents.  

When Joe and Nak entered the ring to square off, the atmosphere was electric. Of course, Joe immediately tagged out for great heat. Nakamura worked Tye’s fingers of all things, doing a fun snapping move that made it sound like he was breaking Tye’s finger. Each time he’d do it, the crowd would subtract from ten and chant “nine, eight,” and so on. Good action once Joe really got in there. Good guys won when Balor hit Tye with the Bloody Sunday after Nakamura knocked Joe out with the Kinshasa.