That’s what’s next. NXT fans got a big shock over the weekend when reigning NXT Champion Samoa Joe announced that he was being forced to step away from the ring and therefore vacate the NXT Title over health issues. This is the kind of thing that can be rather devastating to a career, but it seems that there is already a new plan in mind for him to start soon.

According to Wrestling Observer Radio, Samoa Joe is still a part of NXT but will likely be moving into more of a backstage or coaching role. This was the plan when he was re-signed earlier this year, though he will still be getting into the ring on occasions. Part of the reason for the switch is Samoa Joe is in his 40s and NXT is attempting to focus on younger wrestlers.

He has been a big deal around there. Check out some of Samoa Joe’s time in NXT:

Samoa Joe’s NXT Title reign met with mayhem: WWE NXT, Aug. 24, 2021

Samoa Joe’s most badass moments: WWE Top 10, June 24, 2021

Order is restored under Samoa Joe: WWE NXT, June 22, 2021

Opinion: As sudden as this was, the end result does not feel like the biggest surprise. I don’t think many people were expecting Samoa Joe to be the next big thing in NXT and it makes sense to get the belt off of him fairly quickly. It would have been nice to have him lose the title in a more traditional style, but this might be the best thing that can be done on such short notice.

What did you think of Samoa Joe’s reign? Who would you like to see him face next? Let us know in the comments below.

Thomas Hall has been a wrestling fan for over thirty years and has seen over 60,000 wrestling matches. He has also been a wrestling reviewer since 2009 with over 6,000 full shows covered. You can find his work at kbwrestlingreviews.com, or check out his- Amazon author page with 30 wrestling books.

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