2017 Ongoing MOTY List: Samoa Joe v. A Samoan Named Joe

5. Roman Reigns v. Samoa Joe WWE Raw 2/6

ER: Strong debut TV match for this young rookie upstart. They made Joe look really strong and really allowed him to show off anything he wanted to show off. Crazy to think I've been seeing Joe since 2000, when he would work APW shows near me. Time flies, man. Now he's on Raw and you can hear the children screaming every time he kicks a seated Roman, or splats him with a senton. I'm surprised Roman took a beating for so long, but I liked how Roman started to come back as Joe started to tire. No strategy for Roman, just weathered a beating and tried to land a shot. I liked how Joe rolled to the floor when Roman did his silly little shotgun setup, and loved how that put him in position for the drive-by. The Strowman run-in was a guarantee, I was just hoping things ran long enough to make the match worthy. They did, Roman hits two punches on Braun, leaving himself open for a kick and a wicked uranage. Joe really carried himself great here, and this might actually be my favorite look for him. His body has filled out enough that he doesn't look lumpy, just looks like a solid block of asskicker. And he's finally come to terms with the fact he's a big guy, so no longer feels the need to hike up his shorts every few seconds. Joe felt like a presence.

PAS: Totally badass debut for Joe, probably the best he has been used since the early days of his TNA run. Roman will totally take a beating to put someone over, and this reminded me of his awesome selling performance in the Brock Wrestlemania match. Like that Joe has simplified his offense and really works as a bulldozer. I loved how he kept cutting off Roman with jabs, and the sneering look he had on his face the whole time. Run in was what it was, but I am excited about both Roman v. Strowman and any future Joe v. Roman rematch.


2017 MOTY MASTER LIST