WWE signing Samoa Joe set a huge precedent that the top names from other promotions would receive a fair chance to thrive. Joe instantly became a hit in NXT by entering the main event scene. The eventual call-up to the main roster would see him find more success on the biggest stage. Joe became one of the upper-level performers for WWE with impressive matches and outstanding character work.
We will look back at the best overall matches to come from Joe during his time in WWE. The matches here showcase just how well Joe has fit into the WWE landscape after years of fans wondering if he would ever get there. Find out just which bouts are worth seeking out for the best of his run. These are the top WWE matches of Samoa Joe’s career so far.
10 Samoa Joe vs. Seth Rollins (Payback 2017)
Samoa Joe’s involvement in the Triple H vs. Seth Rollins feud saw him unofficially representing Triple H. The call-up of Joe came as Triple H’s hire to attack Rollins. Their match at the Fastlane was postponed due to a Rollins injury, but it was saved for the first PPV after WrestleMania.
Rollins and Joe had a fun match at Payback 2017 to help establish Joe as an upper-level heel. The match would end in a Rollins victory to continue his momentum after defeating Triple H. Joe still showcased why he was good enough for the main roster in a losing effort.
9 Samoa Joe vs. Ricochet (Stomping Grounds 2019)
One of the better recent matches for Samoa Joe came at the Stomping Grounds 2019 event. Joe defended the United States Championship against rising star Ricochet representing the Raw brand. Both men had impressive chemistry in this singles bout.
Ricochet pulled off one of the biggest wins of his career by ending Joe’s reign and winning his first main roster singles title. They stole the show with the rest of the card disappointing. Joe’s United States Championship reign was quite impressive and ended in a great fashion.
8 Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles (Summerslam 2018)
Samoa Joe and AJ Styles had a legendary rivalry in TNA’s history that found its way to WWE in 2018. Both men were involved in a personal feud for the WWE Championship to see things come full circle. Their big match at Summerslam 2018 provided much excitement.
Fans loved the action of Joe vs. Styles until the ending of a disqualification. Joe’s disrespectful comments towards Styles’ wife and young daughter caused AJ to snap and cause the match's early ending. If it had a real finish, this match would have ranked significantly higher on the list.
7 Samoa Joe vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (NXT TakeOver: Toronto 2016)
The NXT run of Samoa Joe would see him have two NXT World Championship reigns and a long run in the main event picture. Joe turned heel ahead of his feud with rising star Shinsuke Nakamura. The two had a few matches with one, especially standing out.
Nakamura and Joe had a classic at TakeOver: Toronto 2016 during Survivor Series weekend. Joe ended Nakamura’s NXT Championship reign to start his second run as the champ, and it was one of the best overall performances from Joe’s time in NXT.
6 Samoa Joe vs. Daniel Bryan vs. AJ Styles vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton (Elimination Chamber 2019)
The Elimination Chamber match can be hard to make work due to six different wrestlers trying to get their best work in. Samoa Joe was a strong part of the 2019 match for the WWE Championship involving Daniel Bryan, Kofi Kingston, AJ Styles, Randy Orton, and Jeff Hardy.
Everyone shined in the outstanding match that ended with Bryan and Kingston creating magic. Joe was the first man eliminated, but he helped set a base for the match by lasting 15 minutes. The underrated work of Joe created momentum for the match to become great.
5 Samoa Joe vs. Brock Lesnar (Great Balls of Fire 2017)
The biggest match of Samoa Joe’s run in WWE came in a PPV main event against Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship. Joe was selected by WWE as the ideal person to have a fun singles match against Lesnar on the uniquely named Great Balls of Fire event.
This was a dream match for wrestling fans, and the build added a lot to it. Joe came off strong against Brock with the rare instance of Lesnar having to survive a match rather than dominate. The shift in the story gave us one of the few great Brock matches of that title reign.
4 Samoa Joe vs. Andrade vs. R-Truth vs. Rey Mysterio (Fastlane 2019)
The United States Championship picture was one of the bright spots of WWE during the early months of 2019. Samoa Joe, Rey Mysterio, Andrade, and R-Truth were the main four wrestlers involved in the title picture with a couple of fatal four-way matches.
The Fastlane 2019 match saw them have a tremendous match on PPV. All four men had strong performances to add to the momentum of the United States Championship. Joe retained to continue his title reign in a show-stealing match.
3 Samoa Joe vs. Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman (Summerslam 2017)
Samoa Joe received the honor of main eventing the second biggest show of the year at Summerslam 2017. Brock Lesnar defended the Universal Championship against Joe, Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns in a highly exciting match.
The demolition derby attraction of the four biggest hoss wrestlers beating the hell out of each other took place in front of a red-hot crowd. Joe came close to winning the title on a few occasions before Lesnar retained by pinning Reigns. We can only hope this wasn’t the last time Joe main events a major PPV.
2 Samoa Joe vs. Finn Balor (NXT TakeOver: London)
The TakeOver: London event was one of the best shows in NXT history. This card was fun from top to bottom, but the main event ended the night on the highest note. Finn Balor had a themed entrance for the Demon King to defend the title against Joe.
The win for Balor would further cement him as the most dominant champion in NXT. Joe had a strong performance as well, proving he could succeed in the main event heel role. There were a few fun matches between Joe and Balor, but this was by far the best of them all.
1 Samoa Joe vs. Bray Wyatt vs. Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor vs. Roman Reigns (Extreme Rules 2017)
Extreme Rules 2017 featured a #1 contender’s match between five of the biggest stars on the Raw brand. They managed to deliver a Match of the Year contender to make up for the absence of Universal Champion Brock Lesnar from the show.
Samoa Joe scored a huge victory by defeating Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Bray Wyatt, and Finn Balor. Fans were enthralled in the action from start to finish with no lull periods. Joe wasn’t the favorite by any means, but the win cemented him as a main event level performer.