Samoa Joe has reportedly permanently replaced WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler on the RAW announce team.
Joe has not returned to the ring because he’s still waiting to be medically cleared to compete from the concussion he suffered during the RAW commercial shoot back in February. He was brought back to RAW commentary in late April, filling in for Lawler, and now the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that Joe is considered to be Lawler’s permanent replacement on the red brand announce team.
There’s no word yet on what this means for when Joe is medically cleared for in-ring action, but the Observer noted that Joe may have a role where he announces and then they shoot angles for him to wrestle using the other role. Things could change down the road if WWE runs into depth issues with the RAW roster, or if they feel they need Joe as a full-time wrestler, but they could also have Joe work both roles.
It was originally believed that Joe was filling in for Lawler due to concerns over Lawler being at a higher risk to work TV tapings during the coronavirus pandemic. It remains to be seen if WWE will bring Lawler back to the announce table once regular tapings resume.
Stay tuned for updates on Joe and Lawler.
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