Samoa Joe has finally emerged as a legitimate threat in the WWE, becoming the No. 1 contender at Extreme Rules after choking Finn Balor out. 

Joe, Balor, Seth Rollins, Bray Wyatt and Roman Reigns put on a phenomenal main event for the pay-per-view, hitting spot after spot to the delight of fans in attendance in Baltimore, Maryland. Joe, definitely an underdog in the fatal five-way, shocked the WWE Universe with his victory. 

Joe's now next in line to battle with Brock Lesnar at Great Balls of Fire in July, a chance to capture the WWE Universal championship. It's been a long journey for The Destroyer, who had an extended tenure at NXT as the WWE's development brand leaned on him to carry shows. 

Now, he's finally risen to the top of the mountain, awarded for his efforts and patience. The matchup is an intriguing one, with The Destroyer looking like stiff competition for Lesnar. It should be a physical match between two heavy strikers. 

"My glorious victory tonight has made me feel a little bit better about myself. It's made me feel better about my situation, it makes me feel better about my immediate future. And my immediate future, most people wouldn't look forward to it but I thrive in this, and I've never felt better in my life," Joe said on Raw Talk immediately following Extreme Rules.

"Me versus Brock Lesnar is what people really want. It's when you wake up in the morning and you look for conflict, you look for two gentleman who will do whatever it takes to beat the other man into submission. You think about me, and you think about Brock Lesnar. 

"And I'm more than prepared to take myself to that very very deep, dark and violent place to get the job done. And I'm just very happy that I have this opportunity to do so," Joe said. 

It was a solid promo from Joe, who stunned the WWE Universe when he walked away victorious at Extreme Rules cleanly. He has a huge opportunity in front of him after failing to cement his place at the top of RAW despite playing a key part in many of the driving storylines on the show. 

Great Balls of Fire will be a huge moment for RAW, with Lesnar finally putting the title he won on April 2 at WrestleMania 33 over Goldberg on the line. Joe sounds focused on the match and has some serious momentum behind him until then.