Samoa Joe Notes Triple H's Vision For WWE NXT As A Big Reason For Return

Samoa Joe has said Triple H's desire to continue to give new talent 'a platform and a voice' on WWE NXT is a big reason for why he was happy to return to the black-and-gold brand.

Joe was released by WWE in April but returned to NXT earlier this month in a new enforcer role for general manager William Regal.

He has now admitted that NXT boss Triple H was back in contact with him just a few hours after the announcement to discuss coming back to NXT.

The Samoan Submission Machine says Triple H had wanted him back in NXT for a little while and it was his passion for the black-and-gold brand that helped convince Joe to move back to the show.

Speaking to Sports Illustrated: "A younger me would have handled this much, much differently. I know when I got the call, and it’s hard to explain, but I really was nonplussed about the whole thing. Johnny called me and gave me the token speech, and it’s hard for Johnny because he has to make a lot of calls.

"At the same time, there were already discussions between myself and Hunter from a while ago. This is something Hunter had wanted. So essentially, when I got released, I understood their logic and reasoning. For me, I didn’t miss a beat. I was ready to take on whatever came next, and that’s what I was ready to do.

"I was sending a number of farewell texts, expressing my thanks and gratitude. Hunter texted me right back, asking if I had a few minutes. We had a brief phone call, and he asked for a few weeks to put something together.

"Throughout all my dealings with Paul during my tenure with WWE, they’ve been nothing but positive, and they’ve also been nothing but honest. So when he asked me to give him a few weeks to get something together, it went without saying I would.

"And it’s even more than that. I like a lot of what he’s done at NXT, the talent he’s given a platform and a voice, and being able to help continue that tradition is a big reason why I came back."