WWE superstar Samoa Joe, real name Nuufolau Seanoa, has had a rough go of it in recent months with injuries seeing him ping-pong from the sidelines to active competition and back again. Now, the former top independent and TNA star has been suspended for 30 days by WWE for his first violation of the company's wellness policy.
WWE announced on Tuesday that Joe's suspension became effective as of Monday, Feb. 24. That timeline does allow for Joe to return to action before WrestleMania 36 on Sunday, April 5 in Tampa, though it would certainly be up in the air whether WWE would bring him back into the storyline fold basically a week before the biggest show of the entire year.
"WWE has suspended Nuufolau Seanoa (Samoa Joe) for 30 days effective Monday, February 24, for his first violation of the company's talent wellness policy," the brief statement read.
Joe joins Robert Roode and current WWE United States champion Andrade as notable WWE superstars who have been suspended by the promotion for violations of the wellness policy dating back to December. Roode was suspended just before the new year began and returned to a prominent role on SmackDown, while Andrade's suspension began on Jan. 27. Primo Colon was also suspended for a wellness policy violation in December, though he has not been a prominently featured member of the roster in recent years.
Recently on TV, Joe has sided with Kevin Owens and The Viking Raiders in a major storyline feud on Raw with Seth Rollins, Murphy and AOP. The angle saw Joe return to the ring in December after a broken thumb in September which relegated him to a role as a commentator on WWE's weekly flagship show.
