Just Joe probably did himself no favors in WWE after speaking backstage about how he was sure he could kick the a** of Triple H.
Joe, aka Joe E. Legend, signed with WWE in July 2000 but after sporadic appearances would be released in March of 2001.
On the “Cheap Heat Productions Podcast,” Joe recalled talking about his MMA background with Triple H, which he feels may have hurt his chances in the company. He said,
“He [Triple H] goes, ‘Think you could kick my a**?’ I just patted him on the shoulder, I said, ‘Paul [Levesque], you’d be dead before you hit the ground,’ and I walked away laughing, figuring he’d get a ‘haha’ out of it. Never talked to me again, so that might be another reason I cut my own throat in the business by saying that to the guy who wound up being on top!”
Joe added that earlier in the conversation, Triple H said good character work was based of real-life personalities, which didn’t quite work for the Just Joe persona. He said,
“He’s like, ‘Well, you’ve gotta have a gimmick that’s kinda like your real life,'” Joe said. “I’m like, ‘Yeah, but this Just Joe character, he’s scared to fight everybody. I have four black belts. I’ll fight anybody! I’m not saying I’ll win every fight, but I can handle myself.'”
Joe’s last televised WWE match aired on the December 2, 2000, Jakked, where he and Funaki lost to the Dudley Boyz.
