Hello everyone, I'm Matt, and this is my second column here on OWW. My first column did have a few mistakes, and I appreciate folks for pointing those out for me. I'm taking a turn in a different direction for this column, straying away from the pure-WWE material. For my second column I'd like to talk about one of my favorite wrestlers at the moment, Samoa Joe. As many of us know, Samoa Joe is the longest reigning ROH Champion in history. He won the title on March 22nd, 2003 by defeating Xavier. He then held onto the title until December 26th, 2004, where he was defeated by Austin Aries. He had a collection of over 20(sorry, don't remember the exact number) title defenses, in which he successfully defended the title. That's not only the longest ROH title run, that's one of the most impressive title runs in any promotion in the last decade!

ROH is full of great talent, with the likes of Danielson, Low Ki, Homicide, CM Punk, and so many others, but Joe is the only one that, in my opinion, could carry that title for so long. He was not only a dominating champion inside the ring, but he truly looked unstoppable. He's no steroid-freak looking wrestler, which is quite obvious, but the build that he does have can definitely get him over as a strong competitor.

There's no doubt about his work inside the ring. He is truly one of the greatest workers today. You don't have to look any further than his bitter rivalry with Homicide, his series of amazing matches with CM Punk, his hard-hitting feud with Low Ki, or his more recent matches with Austin Aries. His array of moves, along with his hard-hitting style make Samoa Joe a must-see. But, he's definitely no hoss, as he has unbelievable agility for a man his size. Just watching him hit his CCS Enziguri is incredible.

Samoa Joe can get it done in the ring, and he has the intensity of a true champion, but what about his charisma" For charisma, all you have to think about is his Ole Kick. He can get the crowd going instantly with it, and as soon as he sets his opponent up in the corner of the outside, the chants of "Ole, ole, ole, ole!" fill-up the whole arena. He definitely is a fan favorite, and he has absolutely no problem getting over with the fans.

So this brings me to something. Samoa Joe has all the ingredients to become the future of wrestling. He has the moves, the agility, the size, the charisma, the intensity, and the essential 'IT' factor. So what keeps the WWE from signing him" What keeps the WWE from signing Samoa Joe, and possibly adding the future of wrestling from their roster" Well, the reasons are quite simple. The reasons are also quite stupid.

The WWE doesn't want to sign Samoa Joe because they believe he won't get over with the fans. Right away, that makes me believe they've NEVER watched one of his matches from ROH. Joe is over huge with the fans there. Why do they believe Joe won't get over with the fans" Because he's flabby, and he works stiff. Now, these are just my opinions and theory, and I'm not saying this is official.

Just take a look at Joe. Surely he isn't doesn't look like he's chiselled out of stone, and he doesn't look like most of the WWE's current roster. But is that really a bad thing" The WWE needs to add variety to their roster. I can't be the only one who's tired of seeing muscle-bound freaks all over the place. Samoa Joe would add a different flavor to the roster, instead of these 'hosses' that the WWE is so fond of. He also has a bit of an urban-flavor, which would make him a perfect candidate for the SmackDown roster.

He's a stiff worker, which means he hits hard. Not signing him for that reason is just plain stupid. The WWE signed Vader, who has a good amount of similarities to Samoa Joe, and they taught him to tone his wrestling down. Of course, he didn't get very far in the WWE. The WWE signed Tazz, who has similarities to Joe as well. Tazz isn't exactly the best example either, because just look where he is now.

What I'm trying to say is this; since when did these things become more important to the WWE than putting on 4-star and 5-star matches" Since when did having six-pack abs become more important than entertaining the crowd" The WWE needs someone like Joe. Joe can do everything, in and out of the ring, and he could very well fill in a void that the WWE is missing. He could be the next Rock for all we know, but yet the WWE won't even give him a chance.

Well, that about wraps up this column. I'd be happy to hear what some of you have to say about Joe, my opinions, and this column.

by Matt. P ..