WWE NXT: Samoa Joe returns, brutalises Adam Cole and confronts Karrion Kross weeks after release

Samoa Joe is back in WWE – and the NXT roster has been put on notice.

The Samoan Submission Machine was released by the company in April alongside the likes of Chelsea Green, Mickie James and the IIconics, but just two months later he’s back on the black and gold brand.

Tuesday’s show opened with William Regal making an announcement after the cryptic end to TakeOver: In Your House over the weekend, and he insisted with all the chaos he was no longer the right man to be general manager.

Karrion Kross came out first, calling for the Blackpudlian legend to step aside and give him the power – but Joe wasn’t ready to let that happen as he made his highly anticipated comeback.

Regal wanted to make him the new GM, but the former NXT Champion refused and instead suggested he’d be one hand as his muscle to make sure he gets the respect he deserved.

The offer was changed slightly by Regal, who insisted Joe couldn’t be an active competitor under his new role, while he also couldn’t attack someone – unless provoked.

Joe got in the face of Kross and told the champ to get out of the ring, which he did.

Later in the show, former Undisputed Era teammates Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly continued to give Regal a headache as a wild brawl erupted backstage with staff breaking it up.

The GM revealed they will face off at the Great American Bash in three weeks, and next week they’ll get to pick their own opponents.

The brawl was reignited, only for Joe to get physical as he locked in the Coquina Clutch on Cole – suggested he will certainly be hands on in his role.

Not surprisingly, the wrestling world was abuzz after the decorated star’s epic return two months after he looked to be moving on.

Shinsuke Nakamura, Pat McAfee and Drake Maverick all simply tweeted his name, while Santos Escobar said: ‘Welcome back @SamoaJoe’.

Isaiah ‘Swerve’ Scott teased: ‘So it was @SamoaJoe that parked in #hitrow parking spot huh??? (sic)’

Finn Balor shared a photo of them backstage throwing up the ‘Too Sweet’ sign, and Karrion Kross added: ‘Tick tock indeed.’

WWE legend Shawn Michaels responded to the same segment at the top of the show, commented: ‘Who would want to provoke @SamoaJoe?!? Man, I love this place!!!! (sic)’

*WWE NXT airs every Tuesday night at 1am on BT Sport.

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