Samoa Joe Makes WWE Main Roster Debut, Attacks Seth Rollins On ‘RAW’

There were plenty of WWE fans who hoped Samoa Joe would be a surprise entrant in WWE’s Royal Rumble. Those fans were disappointed Sunday night, but they only had to wait about 24 hours to see the pro wrestling star debut on the big stage.

Samoa Joe didn’t make his main roster debut at the Rumble, but the two-time NXT champion did show up at “Monday Night RAW,” where he made a surprise appearance at the end of the show to attack former WWE champion (and the first-ever NXT champion) Seth Rollins, presumably under the guidance of Triple H.

The 37-year-old finally appeared on the WWE’s flagship program, nearly 20 years after breaking into the business. Joe spent the first part of his career working the indie scene, eventually ascending to the Ring Of Honor and then really emerging as a star with TNA. He signed with WWE in 2015, making his debut at NXT — WWE’s developmental brand — in May of that year.

Samoa Joe’s debut comes just as WWE kicks its “Road to WrestleMania” into gear. It’s long been suspected Rollins will wrestle Triple H at WrestleMania, although it’s unclear at this point how Samoa Joe’s debut might affect those plans.