Samoa Joe is one of the biggest missed opportunities in the WWE. Injuries at the wrong time stopped him from getting a big push, despite impressing in everything he did.
His feuds with Finn Balor, Brock Lesnar and AJ Styles, in particular, showcased how he was a top, top talent in the WWE.
His promos against Brock Lesnar remain some of the all-time greats, showing how he could hang and be a threat to The Beast in the WWE.
One reason Samoa Joe might not have made it as a main eventer was because he lost his famous finisher, early on in his career.
In TNA and NXT, he used the Muscle Buster to win his matches, using it to win two NXT Championships.
Sadly, WWE banned Samoa Joe’s Muscle Buster on the main roster, and in this article we’ll tell you just why they did that.
Why Did WWE Ban Samoa Joe’s Muscle Buster?
WWE banned Samoa Joe from using the Muscle Buster on the main roster because he ended Tyson Kidd’s career with the move.
During a dark match against Tyson Kidd on June 1st, 2015, Samoa Joe hit his Muscle Buster finisher on Kidd, after grabbing him from the top rope.
He hit the move as normal, and then went to pin the former WWE Tag Team Champion to win the match, as he would have in any regular circumstance.
However, this was not any regular circumstance.
As he came crashing to the ground, Tyson Kidd suffered a broken neck and a spinal concussion, paralysing him briefly in the ring.
Kidd has said that he was immobile for five seconds, and that he saw a blinding white light immediately after the injury.
He was quickly removed from the ring and taken to a local hospital, and given the best medical care as possible.
He spent some months in a neck brace, but thankfully Tyson Kidd did not suffer any paralysis at all. It was a miracle he even survived (only 5% of people with the injury survive), let alone walked out of the hospital.
Sadly, Tyson Kidd was forced to retire after the injury, wrestling his last match ever on June 1st, 2015.
When he was asked by Chris Van Vliet about training to return to the ring, Tyson Kidd revealed that he always says “never say never”, but is happy with his current role as a backstage producer in the WWE.
“When I get asked this, I always say, ‘Never say ever,’ but I’m happy with my job right now.
I enjoy it, I actually love it. It took a little bit and sometimes those early morning meetings to try to get my workout in and I’m racing around.
We have this thing called hard time that efficiently run on, where we’re late, but you got to try to get there on time, especially before the boss. Besides that, I don’t know man, it’s hard to say because I do feel fulfilment out of what I’m doing right now, so it’s hard.
After being temporarily paralyzed, it puts a lot of things in perspective, so I don’t know.
I keep saying never say never because who knows down the road, but at the moment, I’m more than content doing what I’m doing.”
Samoa Joe Said The Muscle Buster Wasn’t Banned
Despite reports to the contrary, the Muscle Buster was not banned by the WWE, according to Samoa Joe.
The three-time NXT Champion never used the move on the main roster, despite teasing it on multiple occasions
Speaking to City Pages about the Muscle Buster being banned, Samoa Joe claimed that he could use the move whenever he wants, but simply chooses to keep it in his back pocket for later on.
“The Muscle Buster is something I use at my pleasure when I choose to. Trust me, when the opportunity arises and the conditions are right, you never know what I’ll pull out. Maybe I’m not ready to pull it out of my arsenal yet.”
