Samoa Joe is being earmarked for the main roster after WrestleMania. He might actually start on the Raw after WrestleMania. I’d say that the day after Mania is the best time to debut him because that would ensure that he will get a monster reaction from the hardcore fans in town.
Everything depends on creative so his debut could be delayed but the wheels are in motion for the move to happen. There has been talk of having Joe defeat Finn Balor for the title at NXT Takeover: Dallas and if that happens then that would delay the main roster move.
This story is significant because the original plans for Joe were for him to stay in NXT and he would be allowed to work indies, similar to Rhyno. The idea was that they could use him to headline shows since he’s a credible star and he could help draw hardcore fans at live events. However, his performance was impressive enough that the decision was made to give him a main roster spot.
There was talk of debuting Balor after WrestleMania but that doesn’t look to be the case anymore because they still want him to be the flagship star for the NXT brand past March.
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