Samoa Joe Relinquishes WWE NXT Title

Samoa Joe won the NXT Title from Karrion Kross at TakeOver: 36, but NXT is ushering in a new era on September 14th. Now Joe must step away from the ring and leave the championship behind.

The NXT Champion posted a video online to inform fans that WWE medical informed him that, due to undisclosed injuries, they have asked him to step away from the ring for an undetermined period of time. It is unclear how long he must remain out of action at this point.

Samoa Joe said that NXT’s new era deserves a “fighting champion” and then he announced the “very difficult decision” that he must relinquish the NXT Championship. He followed that up by wishing the next NXT Champion the best.

This is a shocking turn of events, but NXT is changing in a big way. It appears they will not step into their new era without Samoa Joe as the brand’s top champion.

What’s your take on this story? Sound off in the comments!