Will Samoa Joe leave TNA for WWE RAW?

Word is that the 28-year-old California native known in many circles as the Samoan Submission Machine has turned down a contract extension with TNA even as he holds the company’s X-Division title for the third time and is in the meat of the world title hunt against nemesis Kurt Angle.

Samoa Joe, real name Nuffolau Joel Seanoa, has been with TNA since 2005, at one point having an 18-month undefeated streak until Angle made him tap out in the Olympic Hero’s initial PPV appearance with TNA in what was a classic feud between the two. Prior to TNA, Joe was known for his long reign as Ring of Honor (RoH) champ and for his prowess in mixed martial arts and judo.

The fact the 6-foot-2, 280-pound Joe declined the TNA offer, even as TNA is catching on to some degree, has raised eyebrows with some saying Joe may be aspiring to go higher than what TNA can take him, both in the area of fame and money.

Granted, he may tell Vince McMahon to get lost and then sign a new TNA contract tomorrow, but there could be issues weighing on his mind.

First, the changing face of TNA where he used to be the top of the heap, now has a number of contenders to the throne given defections from WWE and changing story lines. Just look at the main package in TNA, where I should point out Joe has never been given a world title reign. You have Kurt Angle, Christian Cage, Sting, Jeff Jarrett, Abyss, Rhino and likely will soon have Rob Van Dam, all competing for main event status. Joe is no longer the main face of TNA, even though he remains a fan favorite.

In addition to the cramped title picture, you also have word TNA wants to do more traveling, planning all of its PPVs to be held outside Orlando where the Impact tapings are held. The settled nature of TNA is one of the things which has attracted wrestlers weary of 150 day-a-year travel schedules.

While all this is going on, you have the WWE undergoing problems with injuries and a need for new talent. Someone like Joe would fit perfectly into the RAW show, with him invading similar to the way Scott Hall and Kevin Nash did on WCW Nitro years ago, perhaps showing up to attack John Cena to chants of ‘Joe’s going to kill you’ as Cena fades to Joe’s famed choke hold. Actually, Joe has already worked with WWE Champ John Cena, feuding with him when they both worked for Ultimate Pro Wrestling.

In addition to injury shortages which has caused the WWE to basically rob its ECW and Smackdown brands to feed the RAW machine, word is now that USA Network is putting pressure on McMahon to expand Monday Night RAW to three hours. To do this, without further cleaning out the other shows, WWE will need some top name folks who can step right in to main event angles.

As for money concerns, McMahon can pay a lot more than TNA if he desires. At this point, when TNA is trying to make a move to compete with WWE and is rumored to be going to a two-hour Impact show in the not so distant future, acquiring one of TNA’s biggest stars in Samoa Joe could be a very good business decision. This is doubly true when McMahon has been losing wrestlers hand over fist to TNA like Angle, Rhino, Christian and the Dudleys.

I suppose before signing any contract, Joe will have to consider what direction the companies are going. Will there be room for Joe in the main event section of TNA? Will WWE immediately use Joe in one of it’s main programs? But, the bottom line, as the business is right now, for Joe to climb any higher both in the area of fame and money, he will have to jump brands.