Why was former NXT champion Samoa Joe released by WWE twice in less than a year?

Three-time NXT champion Samoa Joe was released from his contract with WWE on Wednesday, for the second time in a year. The mass firing by WWE is one of the most talked-about topics in the pro-wrestling world and fans face such developments every now and then. On Wednesday, January 5, WWE released many big names from NXT including Samoa Joe, William Regal, Road Dogg, Sarah Cummins, Ryan Katz, Dave Kapoor, Scott Armstrong, George Carroll, Christopher Guy, Hachiman, Timothy Thatcher, Danny Burch, Cathy Corino, and Gabe Sapolsky.

What did Samoa Joe say after his exit from WWE?

Samoa Joe took to his official Twitter handle on Saturday and expressed his feelings after his exit from the promotion. He said he feels fortunate and grateful for having worked with young and amazing talents in the past months. “Only saddened at the loss of an “excuse” to see their continued growth & achievement. I am very excited for their future,….. and mine,” Joe added in his tweet. 

Why was Samoa Joe released twice in a year by WWE?

Samoa Joe was earlier released by the wrestling company in April 2021, before Triple H hired him back and he went on to win his third NXT championship title. He had to vacate the title due to an injury and had been out of action ever since. With Triple H recovering from his cardiac event, fans are speculating that WWE’s new managing heads are destroying the NXT plan developed by Triple H. The speculations were sparked by the fact that William Regal and Road Dogg are considered to be close to Triple H.

A look at Samoa Joe's WWE career

Meanwhile, Samoa Joe’s exit put an end to his career with WWE, which began in 2015. He made his NXT debut in 2015. He picked up his first NXT title in August 2016, before losing it and re-earning it in December same year. He made his main roster debut soon after and picked up the WWE United States Championship title twice. After getting released in April 2021, he returned to NXT and picked up his third NXT championship title.

Image: wwe.com