Why WWE Fired Samoa Joe (Then Re-Hired Him Two Months Later)

WWE fired Samoa Joe on April 15, 2021, then brought him back to the NXT brand on June 15, 2021, and here’s a look at why they made that move.

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WWE fired Samoa Joe on April 15, 2021, then brought him back to the NXT brand on June 15, 2021, and here’s a look at why they made that move. Dubbed the Samoan Submission Machine due to his skills making other competitors tap out, Joe first got widespread notice in the early 2000s during his time in Ring of Honor, before making the move to TNA and becoming a mainstay in the “no limits” X-Division. Joe would later defeat Kurt Angle to become TNA World Champion.

Joe remained with TNA up until 2015, and before long had signed up with WWE’s NXT. NXT had at one point been strictly a developmental brand for up and coming talents, but by 2015, had also become a sanctuary for former darlings of the independent scene as they transitioned into WWE. Joe was immediately booked as a star, and ended up defeating Finn Balor for the NXT Championship in early 2016. He would go on to become the first ever two-time NXT champion, then make the move to the main WWE roster in 2017.

Joe would never win the big belt on the main roster, but he did win plenty of other titles, and did main event several pay-per-views. In the last year or two, Joe has been dealing with injury issues that have kept him mostly out of the ring, and behind the announce desk as a color commentator, a job he ended up being very good at. Surprisingly, Joe was fired by WWE in April 2021 just days after calling WrestleMania 37. Now, just as unexpectedly, Joe returned to WWE on the June 15, 2021 edition of NXT, serving as the new enforcer for general manager William Regal.

Unsurprisingly, WWE hasn’t offered up an official reasoning behind their decision to fire and re-hire Samoa Joe, but some educated guesses can be made. WWE has fired dozens of people so far in 2021, from wrestlers to office staff, with rumors suggesting owner Vince McMahon may be thinking of selling the company to TV partner NBC Universal. Whether or not the sale rumors are true, it does seem clear that WWE is attempting some type of financial restructuring, especially with the firing of Braun Strowman, a top-level star who just signed a big money contract in 2019.

With Joe having spent so long out of the ring and behind the announce desk, but already being under a wrestling performer’s deal, it’s quite possible he had become quite the expensive commentator. By releasing Joe from his existing contract, then hiring him back for a non-wrestling role on NXT, WWE was likely able to secure his services for considerably less. On the other hand, it’s entirely likely that a clause has been built in allowing Joe’s contract to be upgraded if and when he’s medically cleared to return to action.

As for what Joe gets out of the deal, he’ll now not have to travel as often as part of NXT, which mostly runs in Florida, saving him expenses in that department. Plus, he gets to remain under the WWE umbrella, as he’s in his 40s, and it’s possible he wants to finish his career on the biggest stage possible. Joe is also a great fit for NXT as his career winds down, and may be preparing to end up in a player/coach type role on the developmental brand. On top of everything else though, for WWE, signing Joe back keeps him out of the hands of chief rival AEW, who recently signed former WWE stalwarts like The Big Show, Mark Henry, and Christian Cage.

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