2017 Ongoing MOTY List: Samoa Joe v. Still Another Samoan Named Joe

16. Samoa Joe v. Roman Reigns WWE Raw 7/17/17

ER: These two can basically do no wrong at this point. With the Brock match and this one I'm loving Joe's new tactic of swarming guys in the corner with punches and knees, and soon Roman's ear is getting introduced unpleasantly to his shoulder. Roman gets a nice comeback and hits some of the best standing corner clotheslines, just swinging right at Joe's neck. Joe bails to the floor, Roman chases, and - in one of my favorite spots of the year - Joe crushes Reigns with a lariat as he goes for the drive-by. Roman bumps it on the apron, which is ironically a safer bump than if he had taken a lariat bump on the floor, but it looked far more devastating on the apron. Back in the ring and the pace keeps up, Reigns drops a Samoan with a Samoan drop, Joe lands more big knees, Reigns hits a killer superman punch that is made even better by Joe, bumping it off to the side like a car flipping over due to overcorrecting. At this point, if you were getting sick of huge dudes beating on each other (you weren't), Braun comes out and then we get THREE dudes beating on each other. Braun hits spinebusters and powerslams and you KNOW you're excited for the 4 way. For a match you knew wasn't going to get a clean finish, having a bunch of huge dudes throw each other around while a giant bearded man screams is about the best non-finish we could have hoped for. Awesome stuff all around.

PAS: I really like this match-up and I am hoping they get to do a big PPV main event at some point. I am shocked at how well Joe is being used and is performing in the WWE. This is pretty close to what Michrome and GregH would have fantasy booked for Joe in 2005. He isn't the third member of 3 Minute Warning he is being presented like a dominant bad ass who refuses to back down and seems to be close to prime in ring form (especially now he isn't being saddled with twinks like Balor and Rollins). This was big boy stuff, lots of thudding forearms, sharp kicks and big punches.I loved the drive-by cutoff, one of the cooler spots of the year and totally fitting with both guys. You knew that there was going to be a BS finish, but what an awesome BS finish, any combo of these 4 guys is great, and I honestly can't remember the last time any fed had four great big heavyweights like this matching up (Dr. Death, One Man Gang, Gordy and DiBiase? DiBiase wasn't that big)


2017 MOTY MASTER LIST