Not only is he back, he’s better than ever! We’re of course talking about Samoa Joe in the X-Division. Two weeks ago, the Samoan Submission Machine came to terms with Kurt Angle to return to the X-Division, competing in the series of 3-way matches to determine contenders for the vacated X-Division title. On his quest to return TNA to its roots, it only made sense to bring back the former catchphrase of the X-Division: “It’s not about weight limits, it’s about no limits!”
Joe’s last reign with the X-Division Championship came in 2009, when he defeated Homicide at Hard Justice. In his return to the division, it was clear that the intensity and speed that led him to 4 previous reigns with the title were ever present and, indeed, even more impressive!
This past Thursday on IMPACT, Joe faced off against two former champions, Low Ki and Sanada with X-Division gold on the line. In stunning fashion, Samoa Joe flew around the ring, hit breathtaking moves with ease and then cemented his Samoan Submission Machine nickname, locking in a Rear Naked Choke on Sanada and forcing him to tap out. Just like that, Samoa Joe became the new X-Division Champion.
Samoe Joe returns to the division at a time when competition is fierce. With Low Ki and Homicide returning to IMPACT and an already impressive list of competitors such as Austin Aries, Manik, Sanada, DJ Z and more, it looks as if now may be the most challenging reign of Samoa Joe’s career.
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