Triple H Opens Up About Rehiring Samoa Joe After Release

Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque has spoken about rehiring Samoa Joe for NXT after he was released by WWE this past April.

Joe is back in NXT as the on-screen enforcer for General Manager William Regal, but also has a new backstage role in talent development and scouting.

Speaking with the New York Times, Triple H said:

“It was something that we were already talking about anyways. And what people tend to focus on, because it’s the visual, is the in front of the camera, the character side of it. But what Joe and I have been talking about for a long period of time, before COVID, probably from the time he started in WWE in general (is) that he’s a very smart guy that’s very business-oriented, has a level head, and all those things. And (we discussed), ‘What is the future like and how can he help build the future’, and he was enamored with the other side of the business and what we do.

“There was an opportunity for him to leave one realm and come into the other, but in coming into the other it sort of connected the dots for him to still do something in-ring from a preference standpoint – no different than I do, (or) other performers who have other jobs as well. It’s a piece of it, but the bigger component is the talent-development component that he’ll be a big part of. I’m, really, really excited about that because again, at this stage of my career, it’s all about developing the next generations of superstars.”

Triple H also specifically addressed the fact he had rehired Joe after he was released from the main roster, saying:

“It wasn’t like he got let go from one part of the company and the other part of the company (hired him). It’s all one big company. Everybody knows what everybody’s doing. There was an opportunity for him to transition, no different than you would say, ‘Well, he was released from this pitching contract and started managing the team and became a coach’. It’s a similar situation.”

Joe has said he’s going to continue trying to get cleared for an in-ring return and has already teased many matches with current NXT stars on TV.

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• Triple H
• Samoa Joe
• Release
• nxt

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