Tag: jacob fatu

John Cena, other WWE stars appear on Netflix MLB opening night broadcast

Posted on by Josh Nason

John Cena thankfully found some work to do post-WWE retirement, appearing during Netflix’s inaugural Major League Baseball broadcast Wednesday.

Cena wasn’t live in San Francisco for the Giants vs. New York Yankees but appeared in a two-minute video, explaining the new automated balls and strikes (ABS) challenge system being rolled out this season (seen below). Clips of Cena doing wrestling moves were intertwined with his presentation.

Cena is currently involved with six projects at various stages of production with the first two — Acme vs. Coyote and Matchbox The Movie — set to be released this year.

WWE World Tag Team Champion Jey Uso and Jacob Fatu were also in attendance, sitting in the stands. The two were interviewed by NFL quarterback Jameis Winston with Winston doing a Rock promo line (seen below) when telling a story about people booing him not giving a ball to a kid.

Jimmy Uso did not appear as advertised, replaced by Fatu. It’s unclear what the reason was for the change.

WWE and Netflix are in year two of a five-year rights contract with MLB’s Netflix contract kicking off this season.

Jacob Fatu praises Jelly Roll’s WWE work ethic

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Jacob Fatu had high praise for Jelly Roll’s backstage enthusiasm and work ethic when training for his WWE in-ring debut.

Speaking in an interview with Bootleg Kev, Fatu reflected on the musician’s eagerness and passion for the industry while training. He detailed an instance when Jelly Roll cleaned the ring after practice wrapped up.

“You see cats come in all the time and just get it in. You seen the transformation in him. But it was more than that,” Fatu said.

“When I got out the ring with this guy from training, and it wasn’t just me, shout out to [NXT wrestler] Stacks and the other homie. But it was what he did after. It’s what he did afterward. I already knew, bro. I knew the background. It’s the sh*t that he did afterwards. When you get done training, you gotta clean the ring, sweep it, spray it down. We all sweaty up in there.

“And I seen this man, he went up to the homie and said, ‘Nah, nah, nah, nah, let me clean it. Tell me what I gotta do.’ And he’s not making a scene about it. I’m tucked off with the other homies. But I’m watching. Bro just cleaned up the whole ring. Did what he had to do, wiped his feet, but also seen the love and the passion.”

Fatu added that his own fondness for the industry doesn’t stem from his family’s legacy but because it unites people from different backgrounds and walks of life. 

“Professional wrestling, that’s what I love about this, not only ‘cause my family’s in it. Not only ‘cause we are one of the dopest families up in it,” Fatu said. “But what I’ve seen, what I love about it is professional wrestling brings different colors, different cultures, different background. Professional wrestling brings us all together.”

Last year, Jelly Roll teamed up with Randy Orton against Drew McIntyre and Logan Paul at SummerSlam, taking part in his first-ever pro wrestling match. The musician was trained by The Undertaker, Kevin Owens, Michelle McCool, and Fatu. 

On the March 13 edition of SmackDown this year, Jelly Roll returned to feature as a special guest on Miz TV. Kit Wilson interrupted the segment to mock the musician. A week later, Wilson had another showdown with Jelly Roll in slam poetry which backfired. A match between Jelly Roll and Wilson is now set to take place on SmackDown this Friday.

Meanwhile, Fatu has been locked into his own rivalry with Drew McIntyre that looks set to culminate at WrestleMania 42.

Drew McIntyre drops update on WWE SmackDown status

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Drew McIntyre has shared a message addressing his frustrations ahead of tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown.

A matchup between McIntyre and Fatu is set to take place on SmackDown this Friday night. In a social media promo, McIntyre expressed his discontent over not walking into WrestleMania 42 as Undisputed WWE Champion. He voiced disappointment for his family, including his nephew who will attend the event without seeing McIntyre walk down the aisle as champion. 

“Came for a check-in. Been a rough few weeks, right? Yeah. Same old story for Drew McIntyre,” he said. “Difference this time is that so many people are opening their eyes to the truth that I’ve been preaching and realizing it’s not whining, it’s not complaining. It’s just been fact this whole time. I don’t care how many of you are trying to jump on the bandwagon. It doesn’t make me champion, does it? I’m not gonna shy away from the fact that I should be walking into Mania as champion either. Family are all coming to America. Nephew, should be seeing his uncle walk down that aisle as champion but he’s not. I’m not gonna focus on how it all went down. I’ve done this dance so many times. I gotta keep fighting, I gotta keep pushing forward. But this time, I’m doing it my way.”

McIntyre then shifted focus to Fatu. He praised Fatu’s athleticism in the ring while mocking his past physique. McIntyre then dove deeper into his own WWE tenure where he was once on the same roster with the likes of Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, and Umaga.

“There’s a bunch of stuff I’ve got to focus on, but right now let’s just focus specifically on Jacob. You cannot move around WWE without bumping into a nepo baby or a fraud — Jacob happens to be both. I’ll say this about him, he’s an animal. Freakishly athletic for a guy that used to resemble a bumblebee and move like one. But [he’s] a pretty jacked bumblebee these days, I’ll give him that. He’s quick and he’s strong, he’s legitimately a bad man. He’s a man in a world full of boys. This used to be a man’s business. And as a bad man, I like that. But I’m quicker, I’m stronger, I’ve got the experience fighting the best this industry has to offer for a long time, hell I was in the same roster as Triple H at one point and Shawn Michaels. And that same day when I was looking around at those two, I went ‘My God, there’s Ric Flair in the corner.’ 

“I was in the ring with one of the best members of The Bloodline. I didn’t need anyone to fight my battles. I fought Umaga in WWE. That’s how long I’ve been around and yet I’m still one of the youngest grizzled young veterans. This point I should be way more grizzled [with] all the crap I’ve been through. But I am the original athletic freak in this game.”

Lastly, McIntyre said that he was not intimidated by Fatu’s criminal past and prison time. McIntyre proceeded to confirm his appearance for SmackDown despite claiming last week that he was “quitting” the show.

“Just cause you did time Jacob, means nothing to me. Nobody knows my whole story, they don’t know anything about me. They know what I put out there. Everyone says they’re a gangster until the real gangster walks in the room, right?”  

“What does my future hold? I really don’t know. I really don’t know at this point. But what I do know is I’ll see you this Friday on SmackDown, Jacob.”

The road to WrestleMania 42 saw McIntyre drop the Undisputed WWE Championship to Cody Rhodes after Fatu got involved in the match. Rhodes will now defend the title against Randy Orton at Mania.

Though McIntyre and Fatu are facing off on SmackDown tonight, it’s expected that their rivalry will continue into WrestleMania.

Jacob Fatu on navigating WWE, feuding with Cody Rhodes & Drew McIntyre

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

In a new interview with TV Insider, Jacob Fatu reflected on his WWE journey and how he’s adapted to the company’s environment.

Fatu opened up about moving on from his troubled past where he spent time in jail for armed robbery. He never thought this kind of success was possible and hopes his story can inspire others to realize that they’re capable of doing anything they put their mind to. Despite already having extensive experience on the indies, Fatu is still learning in pro wrestling, particularly from his family members.

“It would be learning,” Fatu responded when asked what the biggest part of getting acclimated to WWE has been. “Learning from family. Learning a lot from Solo [Sikoa]. Learning a lot from ‘Big’ Jim. A lot from Jey Uso, Roman [Reigns]. It’s really about learning a lot from others. I think Rey Mysterio said this on a podcast after tagging with John Cena and Sheamus. He learned a lot. You’re never been in the game long enough to act like you know it all. So, I think learning the game, structure, all of that.”

Fatu addressed the growth in his mic-skills while revealing that WWE permits him to be his authentic self in promos.

“Nah, the improv…yeah, you know they can hang with that. They are still trusting with the process, but it’s also something I love about WWE. They are letting me be who I am,” he said. “They ain’t here to change me. I’m going to say it again. They ain’t here to change me. They ain’t doing none of that. They are letting me be me and tapping into what people like me. Just to let them know anything [is] possible. It has been going good.”

Fatu also discussed his rivalries with Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre and what it’s been like to work with each of them.

“I enjoy working with both. They each bring something different to the game,” he said. “It just seems like my career is always elevating and elevating. I was just speaking with Tyler Breeze in the back, you have to treat people good  because you’ll see the same people up and the same people on the way bad. Make sure everyone’s good, even when you’re bad.” 

Fatu, Rhodes, and McIntyre were intertwined in a feud ahead of WrestleMania 42. That ultimately led to Rhodes winning the Undisputed WWE Championship back from McIntyre. He’s now set for a title defense against Randy Orton at WrestleMania. A singles match between Fatu and McIntyre is scheduled for SmackDown this Friday, and we’ll see if that results in their program extending into Mania.

Drew McIntyre vs. Jacob Fatu, Jelly Roll call-out set for next WWE SmackDown

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Jacob Fatu and Drew McIntyre will meet while Jelly Roll will be called out on next week’s SmackDown.

McIntyre, upset about his loss and being confronted by Jacob Fatu once again, declared he had quit in the opening segment of Friday’s SmackDown. But later in the show as Fatu wrestled Trick Williams, McIntyre revealed it was yet another ruse by jumping Fatu and throwing him into the turnbuckle, which eventually led to his defeat. In the next segment, Aldis responded to McIntyre’s latest attack by booking a match between the two for next week in Raleigh, North Carolina.

It also seems that Jelly Roll will be in attendance once again when Kit Wilson calls out the famed music star after a confrontation on Miz TV. Jelly Roll rejected an offer by The Miz to mentor him and Wilson responded by coming out and calling him toxic, leading to a shove. Jelly went to punch Wilson but wound up striking The Miz as Wilson fled.

The Women’s Tag Team titles will also be on the line when Nia Jax and Lash Legend defend against The Bella Twins who made their return to SmackDown on Friday to challenge whoever emerged as the winners between the champions and Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss. After Nia Jax laid out the twins, Brie retaliated by attacking Jax, costing Flair & Bliss the titles. The segment ended with Lash & Jax laying out both teams.

Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley will be in action next week against Fraxiom. Dissension has been teased between the group with Sabin resenting the idea of Shelley helping a depressed Johnny Gargano.

WWE SmackDown (March 20)

  • Jacob Fatu vs. Drew McIntyre
  • Kit Wilson calls out Jelly Roll
  • Women’s Tag Team titles: Nia Jax & Lash Legend defend against The Bella Twins
  • Motor City Machine Guns vs. Fraxiom

Jacob Fatu shares how AJ Styles inspired WWE gear change

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Encouragement from AJ Styles helped Jacob Fatu make a recent change to his WWE ring gear.

Since the last few months of 2025, Fatu has made it a point to prioritize his physique and getting in shape. That has paid dividends with Fatu losing a noticeable amount of weight and improving his conditioning. Before making this lifestyle change, he was ashamed to wrestle without a shirt on. But Fatu has now ditched the shirt after Styles told him he should show off his new physique.

“I want to shout out AJ Styles,” Fatu told Busted Open Radio. “He seen me at Saturday Night’s Main [Event] and he seen the transformation and he was just like, ‘Dude, are you freaking finna wear a shirt out there?’ I was just like, ‘Yeah.’ He was like, ‘Dude, you freaking got abs. I’d go out there with no shirt. What are you doing?’

“So shout out to AJ, baby. Y’all know what I mean? Congratulations on the retirement. But it was cause of him, man, why I took it. I was ashamed to take it off… And, man, when the Phenomenal One says, ‘Hey man, I would do this,’ then okay, I’m gonna listen.”

Fatu has been involved in the WWE Championship picture heading into WrestleMania 42, though it’s unknown if he’ll be getting a title shot at the PLE. One possibility appears to be Drew McIntyre defending against Fatu and Cody Rhodes in a triple threat match.

Dedicating himself to fitness was a decision Fatu made after feeling like he needed to regroup both mentally and physically. He was out of action with a dental injury late last year, and spending time at home with his kids helped inspire Fatu to address his weight. He now can’t wait to go to the gym and feels stressed out when he doesn’t.

“Let’s keep it real, somebody like me coming in, seven kids, man, getting this type of dough, I’m not saying I’m rich, but you know, man, it’s a little different, you know?,” Fatu said. “I’m at Waffle House every day, like, I’m going crazy. But I feel like I believe, and I know it was God’s timing on what happened. I missed out on a lot of opportunities, but then again, I had to double back when I came back.”

WOL: AEW on a hot streak heading into Grand Slam Australia, a WrestleMania wish for Jacob Fatu

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: AEW

On a Super Bowl Sunday edition of Wrestling Observer Live, Josh Nason fills in for Andrew Zarian who is still dealing with frozen pipes somewhere in the still freezing Northeast U.S.

He recaps Saturday’s AEW Collision which capped off a hot week for the company going into next weekend’s Grand Slam Australia.

A big reason for the surge is new wrestler Tommaso Ciampa who has made a great impression and a more impactful one that Josh figured. But does AEW really need The IInspiration and even more new talent coming in as reports stated this week?

He also looks at the WWE title picture from SmackDown and a few ideas for who should challenge Drew McIntyre for the secondary-ish title. (Hint: it’s not Cody Rhodes.)

That and more await you on a new and ad-free WOL, available here, Spotify or Apple Podcasts in the Wrestling Observer feeds.

Click here to listen (no sub needed)

Updated list of WWE Royal Rumble participants

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Jacob Fatu is heading to the Royal Rumble.

It was confirmed during the opening segment of Saturday Night’s Main Event that Fatu has been confirmed for the upcoming match that will take place next weekend. This follows a wild brawl between Cody Rhodes and Fatu on Saturday that failed to settle any of their issues, as the match never officially took place.

As Rhodes was making his entrance, Fatu jumped him and the two proceeded to fight all over the arena, brawling into the crowd and into the concession area inside the Bell Centre. They eventually found their way to ringside once again and fought on a platform near some tables. It was there that Drew McIntyre emerged, taking out Fatu and low blowing Rhodes. He then sent Rhodes into one of the nearby tables as the segment ended with the new WWE Champion standing tall.

Here is the updated list for the WWE Royal Rumble:

Men:

  • Cody Rhodes
  • Gunther
  • Jey Uso
  • Rey Mysterio
  • Dragon Lee
  • Penta
  • Solo Sikoa
  • Roman Reigns
  • Jacob Fatu

Women:

  • Rhea Ripley
  • IYO SKY
  • Liv Morgan
  • Roxanne Perez
  • Raquel Rodriguez
  • Asuka
  • Bayley
  • Lyra Valkyria
  • Jordynne Grace
  • Chelsea Green
  • Alexa Bliss
  • Charlotte Flair
  • Lash Legend
  • Nia Jax
  • Giulia

WOL: AMC doesn’t need TNA to be another zombie show

Posted on by Jim Valley

Image: TNA

It’s the Saturday Wrestling Observer Live with Jim Valley.

The TNA on AMC debut sputtered at times like an AMC Pacer. It’s been almost 25 years. It doesn’t matter who’s in charge, TNA management always seems to let talent down on the production and organization side. Thursday was no different.

Plus, something TNA on AMC didn’t tell you: what the main event is for tonight’s Genesis PPV. That came later.

WWE SmackDown built towards both the Royal Rumble and Saturday Night’s Main Event with some new faces getting opportunities.

Also, if you check out this show on our YouTube channel, you can see some of the Japanese wrestling merch I got while I was in Tokyo for Wrestle Kingdom 20. Or don’t go to YouTube and just listen to me describe it poorly. Your choice. You have options.

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Two matches official for WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Two matches are now set for next week’s Saturday Night’s Main Event.

Next Saturday’s show in Montreal will see Trick Williams, Sami Zayn, Randy Orton, and Damian Priest battle it out to determine the next number one contender for Drew McIntyre’s WWE Championship. Orton defeated The Miz to advance, while Williams defeated Matt Cardona and Priest pinned Solo Sikoa.

The end of Friday’s show saw Sami Zayn win his slot in the four-way that will take place in his hometown, defeating Ilja Dragunov. The show didn’t end with a happy ending, however, as Williams emerged and jumped Zayn from behind, laying him out with the Trick shot to end the show.

Another match was made official when it was confirmed on Friday that Cody Rhodes would meet Jacob Fatu, who inadvertently cost Rhodes the WWE Championship on last week’s SmackDown. Fatu had set his sights on Drew McIntyre, jumping him inside the steel cage. When Rhodes tried to intervene, Fatu responded by attacking Rhodes instead. McIntyre used the distraction to escape and win the match.

On SmackDown, Fatu told Rhodes to come out and face him if he had a problem. The two ended up getting into a brawl that had to be separated by security.

WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event (January 24)

  • Cody Rhodes vs. Jacob Fatu
  • Number one contender’s match for WWE Championship: Damian Priest vs. Randy Orton vs. Sami Zayn vs. Trick Williams

WWE updates plans for WrestleMania 42 main event

Posted on by Ian Carey

WWE has changed course for its WrestleMania 42 main event.

The plan had been for a third Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns match to headline the show. However, Dave Meltzer wrote in today’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Paul “Triple H” Levesque soured on the idea of running a third Rhodes vs. Reigns match in four years.

Meltzer wrote:

“The way it was explained is that Paul Levesque took another look at the Rumble-to-Mania planned direction and decided that doing a Rhodes vs. Reigns match for the third time in four years and spending months building the direction would lead to audience fatigue.”

The change in WrestleMania plans and the decision to have Drew McIntyre win the WWE Championship were made within 48 hours of the title change taking place.

There are now two potential WrestleMania main events under consideration: Rhodes vs. McIntyre, or a three-way with Rhodes vs. McIntyre vs. Jacob Fatu.

Meltzer continued:

“We were told that Reigns will be the odd man out of the WWE title picture. He is scheduled to return at the Rumble and one would expect his direction to be clearer there.”

“The two ideas for Mania at this point are a three-way for the title with Rhodes, Fatu and McIntyre, or just McIntyre vs. Rhodes.”

Meltzer also noted that both McIntyre and Rhodes pushed for McIntyre to win the WWE Championship, with the idea that Rhodes going into WrestleMania chasing the title rather than defending it would be a fresher story.

New WWE Champion Drew McIntyre is set to appear on today’s episode of WWE SmackDown in London, where his angle with Fatu and Rhodes is expected to continue.

The full edition of this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter is available here.

Drew McIntyre wins WWE title on SmackDown after returning wrestler interferes

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Drew McIntyre is the WWE Champion.

The shock conclusion to the end of Friday’s SmackDown saw McIntyre and Cody Rhodes tied 1-1 in the Three Stages of Hell match. McIntyre was looking to crawl out of the steel cage door when he saw a hooded figure standing in his path. They eventually revealed themselves to be Jacob Fatu, returning from injury. McIntyre attempted to flee but was taken out quickly. But suddenly, as Rhodes attempted to intervene, Fatu attacked him as well. The two battled in the corner as McItnyre recovered and slowly crawled out the door, landing on the ground to win his third WWE Championship.

After the match, Cody recovered and threw Fatu into the steel cage in anger. But all he could do from there was stare at the new champion recovering on the entrance ramp as SmackDown went off the air.

Following his WWE title win, Drew McIntyre posted a simple message on social media: “No longer bored at work.” The post is a play on two other posts McIntyre wrote during matches he was wrestling in.

McIntyre and Rhodes had spent most of the fall and winter feuding over the WWE Championship, with Rhodes emerging victorious each time. After McIntyre was suspended for attacking a WWE referee, Rhodes insisted he be brought back, even resorting to brawling with McIntyre at his own house. McIntyre agreed to the stipulations in order to return to the active roster and get his championship rematch but continued to go the personal route, wearing Cody’s gold watch his father gave him prior to their match on Friday.

Report: WWE SmackDown star could return soon

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

Jacob Fatu has not been seen on WWE TV since he was laid out in a backstage attack in October. Current reports, however, suggest that his sabbatical may soon be coming to an end. 

According to PWInsider, backstage chatter at Survivor Series suggests that Fatu could return imminently. Though no specific date was given, sources indicated that Fatu may be back on the road within the next few weeks. 

Fatu took time off to get dental surgery, interrupting his feud with Solo Sikoa and the MFTs. The WWE made his legitimate issues part of their story, as he was found backstage under heavy equipment bleeding badly from the mouth with what appeared to be several teeth scattered on the ground.

Fatu debuted with WWE in June of 2024, attacking Randy Orton, Kevin Owens, and Cody Rhodes, aligning himself with his cousin Sikoa in the faction known as the Bloodline. Following Sikoa’s loss to Roman Reigns in January of this year, Fatu went on to win the US title from LA Knight in April. He then turned on Sikoa at Money in the Bank, and subsequently lost the US title to Sikoa following interference from the group now known as the MFTs.

WWE Shop lists top merch sellers of 2025

Posted on by Joseph Currier

WWE Shop has put out a list naming the company’s top merchandise sellers of 2025.

The 10-person list is ranked in alphabetical order and does not disclose how each competitor ranked inside of the top 10. It includes seven male wrestlers and three female wrestlers:

  • Alexa Bliss
  • AJ Lee
  • CM Punk
  • Cody Rhodes
  • Jacob Fatu
  • Jey Uso
  • John Cena
  • Penta
  • Rhea Ripley
  • Roman Reigns

AJ Lee ranks on the list despite only having returned to WWE in September. She was also a highly ranked merchandise seller during her first run with the company, which ended with her retiring from the ring in 2015. She made her long-awaited return by teaming with her husband Punk to defeat Becky Lynch & Seth Rollins at WWE Wrestlepalooza.

In a graphic posted by WWE on social media promoting the top-sellers list, Cena, Reigns, Rhodes, Punk, and Ripley were the five wrestlers featured. Cena — who has been on his retirement tour all year with city-specific merchandise released for some of the stops — is front and center.

WWE Shop is run by sports merchandise company Fanatics. WWE and Fanatics have been partners since 2022, and the relationship has expanded into several different areas including podcasts and online casino games.

Update on Jacob Fatu’s timeline for WWE return

Posted on by Bryan Rose

An update on Jacob Fatu’s return.

On Friday’s SmackDown, Fatu was seen laid out, preventing him from competing against Drew McIntyre in a number one contender’s match that night for Cody Rhodes’ WWE title. This comes after reports indicated Fatu could be gone for a long period of time due to injury. However, Bryan Alvarez is now reporting that Fatu is likely be back sooner than later.

“It’s now looking likely Fatu will be back by Survivor Series weekend,” he writes.

Fatu hasn’t wrestled since September, dealing with a non-wrestling related injury. PWInsider reported earlier this week that a dental procedure is keeping Fatu from being cleared.

The show-long storyline on Friday had SmackDown GM Nick Aldis declare that the previously announced main event would now be a number one contender’s match. Fatu was seen on television exchanging words with Rhodes prior to the bout. But when his music played, Fatu was nowhere to be seen. Cameras backstage then caught Fatu on the floor, pinned under a steel truss. Blood could be seen coming from his mouth and what appeared to be teeth could be seen on the floor as well.

When McIntyre arrived for the match, he seemed to be pleased with what had happened but denied any involvment in the attack. Cody Rhodes came out and the two ended up having an impromptu match for the WWE title, ending in a DQ after Rhodes hit McIntyre with the WWE title.