page_title: Samoa Joe
section_title: World championship pursuits (2017–2019)
hierarchical_section_title: Samoa Joe / Professional wrestling career / WWE / World championship pursuits (2017–2019)
caption_attribution_description: English: Roman Reigns &amp; Seth Rollins defeat Bray Wyatt &amp; Samoa Joe ( Le vendredi 12 mai, la WWE Live Tour fera escale au Country Hall a Liege pour le spectacle de catch de l'annee! Au programme: des duels impitoyables et des rencontres captivantes entre les meilleures equipes et les plus grands rivaux. )
context_page_description: Nuufolau Joel Seanoa, is an American professional wrestler and a color commentator, better known by the ring name Samoa Joe. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand.
  Joe was previously known for his time with promotions Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and Ring of Honor. He established himself in ROH from the promotion's beginning in 2002, holding the ROH World Championship for a record 21 months from March 2003 to December 2004. Upon joining TNA in June 2005, he embarked on a 19-month-long undefeated streak, and went on to hold the TNA World Heavyweight Championship once, the TNA X Division Championship five times, the TNA World Tag Team Championship twice, and the TNA Television Championship once; completing the TNA Triple Crown and the TNA Grand Slam. He also wrestled internationally and on the independent circuit for various promotions, winning several titles, including the GHC Tag Team Championship with Magnus in Pro Wrestling Noah, and he was an inaugural NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Champion with Keiji Sakoda in Pro Wrestling Zero1. He left TNA in February 2015, briefly competing again in ROH and the independent circuit.
context_section_description: On the January 30, 2017 episode of Raw, Joe made his official main roster debut, as part of the Raw brand, attacking Seth Rollins from behind and aligning himself with Triple H. The following week on Raw, he defeated Roman Reigns in his main roster in-ring debut after a distraction by Braun Strowman. The same week, in an interview with Michael Cole, Cole attempted to warn Joe that Triple H turned on prior cohorts. Joe claimed that he was not his heavy, and hurt people only because he has done so for all of his career. He then went on to attack Sami Zayn, who took offense to Joe's remarks concerning him. On March 5, at Fastlane, Joe defeated Zayn by technical submission. Joe then faced Rollins at Payback, in a losing effort, giving Joe his first singles loss on the main roster. Joe retaliated by costing Rollins an Intercontinental Championship opportunity on Raw the following night against Finn Bálor and The Miz, which also saw Bray Wyatt interfere.
  On June 4, Joe defeated Bàlor, Rollins, Reigns, and Wyatt in an Extreme Rules match at Extreme Rules to become the number one contender to Universal Championship. The following night on Raw, Joe would confront Paul Heyman, where he would choke him out with the Coquina Clutch as a message to Brock Lesnar. At Great Balls of Fire, Joe would unsuccessfully challenge Lesnar for the Universal Championship. On the July 17 episode of Raw, Joe faced Reigns to determine the next number one contender for the Universal Championship, however, the match would end in a no contest after Braun Strowman interfered and attacked both men. At SummerSlam, Joe, Reigns and Strowman all challenged Lesnar for the title in a fatal-four-way match, in which Lesnar pinned Reigns.
  After suffering a knee injury in August at a house show, Joe would return on the October 30 episode of Raw, defeating Apollo Crews. At Survivor Series, Joe would team with Finn Bálor, Braun Strowman, Triple H and Kurt Angle as part of Team Raw in a Men's 5-on-5 traditional Survivor Series tag team elimination match against Team SmackDown, which Team Raw won. Joe would then enter a feud with The Shield, where he would cost Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose a Raw Tag Team Championship match against Cesaro and Sheamus on the December 4 episode of Raw. On the December 25 episode of Raw, Joe would challenge Roman Reigns for the Intercontinental Championship, where Joe would win the match by disqualification, however, Reigns would retain the title. On the January 1, 2018, episode of Raw, Joe would get a rematch for the title against Reigns in a losing effort. Next week, Joe suffered a foot injury during a match with Titus O'Neil rendering him out of action for 3–4 months. Joe returned to the Raw after WrestleMania 34, challenging Roman Reigns to a match at Backlash.
  On April 17, Joe was traded to the SmackDown brand in the 2018 Superstar Shake-up. Despite the trade, Joe faced Seth Rollins for Raw's Intercontinental Championship at the Greatest Royal Rumble event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in a Ladder Match also involving The Miz and Finn Balor but did not win the title. At Backlash, Joe was defeated by Roman Reigns. At SummerSlam, Joe defeated WWE Champion AJ Styles by disqualification but lost to Styles at Hell in a Cell in controversial fashion. On October 6, Joe received another match for the title at WWE Super Show-Down in a no disqualification, no count-out match, where he was defeated by Styles via submission. At Crown Jewel, Joe again lost to Styles in a title match. Joe was a part of Team SmackDown against Team Raw at Survivor Series in a 5-on-5 tag team elimination match but was quickly eliminated by Drew McIntyre. On the November 27 episode of SmackDown, Joe attacked Jeff Hardy during the latter's 20th Anniversary celebration. Joe entered the 2019 Royal Rumble match but was eliminated by Mustafa Ali. Joe failed to capture the WWE Championship inside the Elimination Chamber at the namesake event after being pinned by Styles.
caption: Joe made his debut for WWE's main roster in January 2017 and began pursuing the WWE Universal Championship
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