Samoa Joe took to Twitter earlier this evening to announce that he’s been told by WWE’s medical staff that he needs to step away from the ring for the time being. Due to this, he has relinquished the WWE NXT Championship.
While Joe didn’t reveal how long he’d be out of action, he said that WWE’s medical staff has deemed him unable to compete due to “undisclosed injuries.” Joe went on to say that the new era of NXT needs a “fighting champion” and said this was a “very difficult decision” that he has been forced to make.
You can check out a transcript from Joe’s promo below:
“Hello. I’m NXT Champion Samoa Joe. Upon my recent return, my goals were very simple. I sought to ensure the respect and integrity due to both NXT and it’s Championship. I sought to ensure that everybody understood that the needs of one individual will never outstrip the sum of the brand. Today, I find myself having to stand on those principles. Recently WWE medical has informed me that due to certain injuries, they’d like to have me step away from the ring for a brief, yet still indeterminate, amount of time. I realize that this week we are on the cusp of a new. Wwe are on the brink of a new era in our history. And I realize that that era deserves a fighting champion. That’s why it makes this difficult decision very easy to make. Effective immediately, I relinquish the NXT Championship. Best of luck to those who will vie for it. My sincerest condolences to whoever wins, because I will be along shortly to recollect what is mine.”
Also, the official statement from WWE reads as follows,
NXT Champion Samoa Joe revealed Sunday night on Twitter that he has sustained an injury, and is not able to compete at this time. As a result, he is relinquishing the NXT Championship.
Stick with WWE Digital for more on this story as it develops, and be sure to tune into NXT, live this Tuesday at 8/7 C for more on the future of the NXT Championship.
Samoa Joe defeated Karrion Kross to win the WWE NXT World Championship at NXT TakeOver 36.
You can check out a video of Samoa Joe’s promo below:
— Samoa Joe (@SamoaJoe) September 12, 2021
#WWENXT Champion @SamoaJoe revealed that he has sustained an injury and is relinquishing his @WWENXT Championship. https://t.co/lUpOLcKAnd
— WWE (@WWE) September 12, 2021
Story developing …… and we will update this post as more information becomes available.
