Samoa Joe praises unexpected NXT title changes at live events, citing excitement and brand growth

Samoa Joe’s WWE career was marked by notable achievements and unusual circumstances. He participated in one of the shortest WrestleMania matches against Rey Mysterio, won the NXT Championship three times while only losing it twice, and was fired from the company twice in a single year before joining AEW in 2022.

Joe’s first NXT Championship victory came unexpectedly at a live event in 2016, where he defeated Finn Balor. During a recent Q&A, Joe praised this decision as brilliant, explaining that it added excitement and unpredictability to NXT live events. He believed this strategy helped build the NXT brand by encouraging fans to attend shows, knowing that major title changes could happen at any time.

Interestingly, Joe’s second NXT Championship reign ended in a similar fashion, with him losing the title to Shinsuke Nakamura at a live event in Osaka, Japan. However, unlike his first title win, Nakamura’s victory was broadcast on the WWE Network, giving it wider visibility to fans around the world.

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