Samoa Joe In-ring Return, Why Lashley Lost His Ladies On RAW

We’ve long been wondering about a Samoa Joe in-ring return, and now we wonder if it is imminent. Plus, why Lashley lost his ladies on RAW this week.

Samoa Joe In-ring Return

It’s one of the bigger questions we hear a lot: will we see a Samoa Joe in-ring return?

And, if so…when?

If you caught the July 13th edition of NXT, you may believe that we are closer than ever to a Samoa Joe in-ring return.

source: custom, WWE NXT Twitter screenshot

For those who somehow have not watched that show…this is your last chance warning. Spoilers ahead.

With that said…Samoa Joe recently returned to NXT. This move followed his main roster release earlier in the year.

Back in NXT, his story line explanation for existence? William Regal’s muscle, for the most part.

Right away, Samoa Joe ruffled feathers, and was not popular with one NXT Superstar in particular: Karrion Kross.

From the moment Joe returned, the two were heading for something.

On Tuesday, we may have seen that Samoa Joe in-ring return set in motion.

During the main event-Kross defending his title against Johnny Gargano-things got interesting.

Samoa Joe was the special referee, and in typical WWE fashion, this was not done just because.

Throughout the match, with Joe “calling things down the middle”, the GM’s bodyguard got a bit under the NXT Champion’s skin.

As the two talked trash, Joe echoed one of his rules of engagement. He dared the champ to engage him, as Regal made it clear.

Samoa Joe could not get physical with an NXT Superstar…unless they did so first.

Well, to close the show…Karrion Kross did indeed make the first move.

source: custom, WWE NXT Twitter screenshot

As Samoa Joe walked out of the ring, Kross attacked. The champion locked in his submission finisher and put the former champion down.

Karrion Kross chokes out Samoa Joe!

Uh-oh… #NXT pic.twitter.com/SVQCFKxkKj

— Alex McCarthy (@AlexM_talkSPORT) July 14, 2021

So now, we wait to see the fallout. But…is this what gives us that long-desired Samoa Joe in-ring return?

Why Lashley Lost His Ladies On RAW

RAW might not have gone the best for the WWE Champion, and it left us with questions. For one, why Lashley lost his ladies on RAW.

If you’ve been paying attention to Lashley and MVP and their ThunderDome moves, the champion was often surrounded by a handful of women on a weekly basis.

At the end of this week’s RAW, Lashley dismissed the women.

source: custom, YouTube TV screenshot

On one hand, it seemed more focused on the here and now. Meaning, they weren’t needed there this week, as Lashley needed to destroy the set of the VIP Lounge.

On the other, according to the Wrestling Observer, there is more to it.

Turns out the reason is quite obvious, and largely driven by logistics.

If, for some reason, you missed it…WWE returns to the road this Friday with SmackDown. RAW follows suit on Monday.

WWE did not want to fly the Florida-based women out to RAW next week, or to any subsequent stops.

Further, the company apparently did not want to go through all of the logistics of arranging for a handful of local talents to join Lashley in the VIP Lounge each week.

In the grand scheme, ditching them is likely a smart move…not even worrying about the logistics.

I am actually semi-surprised that anyone in WWE thought it was a good idea in the first place.

While the company has done it in the past for others (like The Godfather), it was a different time.

So, if for no other reason than being on the road again, that is why Lashey lost his ladies on RAW.