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A new report indicates that former TNA world champion Samoa Joe will not be accepting any independent wrestling bookings after a specific time. With reports of WWE negotiations underway, this would be a high indicator that a deal has been reached.

Let the speculation begin! Keep in mind that this is all speculation and nothing has been announced officially regarding Samoa Joe’s status. Dave Meltzer on his recent F4WOnline.com podcast reported that indy promoters have been told that Joe will not accept bookings past a certain date. Joe has been in talks with both New Japan Pro Wrestling and the WWE. Meltzer assumes that a deal has been reached with one, and a deal with NJPW wouldn’t take him out of the indy game.

This is huge news and again this is all speculation. I have to admit that Joe going to the WWE is a huge shocker to me. I never expected that to happen, especially at this stage in the game. The WWE has invested millions into its performance center in an effort to produce young stars. Joe at 35 hardly fits that bill and yet it would appear that the WWE have signed up the big man.

I wrote a blog recently about why I didn’t think either were a fit for each other. My line of thinking was that Joe would have to go through NXT and at this point in his career, he is better off cashing in somewhere else where he could make an immediate impact (no pun intended). I also felt that Joe couldn’t have the kind of matches he’d want to have in the WWE which sours the deal on both sides.

Fortunately one thing Joe does have going for him is that Triple H is reportedly a fan. Hunter is a huge ally to have on your side and if that is true, Joe may be coming in under unique circumstances. It is easy to say “shoot Joe to the main roster immediately.” However, how do you keep guys like Kenta and Prince Devitt down there while Joe gets immediately promoted? Even Sami Zayn and Charlotte have put their time in down there and deserve spots on the main roster. Keep this in mind. Joe coming in is nice but he is taking someone’s spot. That spot could be Zayn’s, Devitt’s, Steen’s, or Kenta’s.

I think there is a realization that the WWE needs some new work horses on the main roster. That isn’t a slight on the current roster because Ambrose, Rollins, Bryan, and Ziggler are all fantastic,. But the reality is that over the last year or more the company has lost CM Punk, Rey Mysterio, Alberto Del Rio, and most likely Brock Lesnar. Those are some great workers right there. Whether Joe comes in as a utility guy or a headliner, the shows could use a motivated Joe to help tear the house down.

The next question is an obvious one. How confident are we that the WWE will use Joe correctly? It isn’t very hard to book Samoa Joe. However, you could also say the same thing about Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns and look how well that is working out. There were rumors that Vince McMahon once wanted to sign Joe in an Umaga-type role. Hunter may be a fan but even Hunter has said that at the end of the day Vince has the final say. Joe is not necessarily a Vince guy. That could hurt him, especially if Vince has a self-fulfilling prophecy when it comes to Joe failing.

Regardless, this news should get a lot of fans excited. The CM Punk and Daniel Bryan fans are becoming disinterested in the WWE and need a hero to rally behind. Joe is that guy and the timing couldn’t be better for the former ROH and TNA champion to break the mold and set the WWE on fire.

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