Tag: jacob fatu

Update on Jacob Fatu injury

Posted on by Ian Carey

An injury update is available for Jacob Fatu.

Fatu was scheduled to wrestle Drew McIntyre on WWE SmackDown in San Jose last night but appeared to be written off television with an injury angle. Fatu was shown lying on the ground in a pool of blood backstage just before the main event was set to take place.

Our own Bryan Alvarez is reporting that within WWE the belief is that Fatu will be cleared to return by December.

As for the nature of Fatu’s injury, according to a report from PWInsider, Fatu is not medically cleared to compete because of a recent dental procedure.

Alvarez and PWInsider’s reports conflicts with a report from Bodyslam.net on Friday that stated Fatu is expected to miss an extended period and his absence could extend “well into 2026.”

Dave Meltzer addressed what he’s heard regarding Fatu’s situation in Friday’s edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, mentioning that reports about him being out until 2026 were unconfirmed.

“There are reports that have not been confirmed to us by anyone in WWE of an out of the ring injury to Fatu that could keep him out of action until 2026.“

Jacob Fatu injury angle takes place on WWE SmackDown

Posted on by Ethan Renner

WWE addressed the injury reportedly suffered by Jacob Fatu with an angle on Friday’s SmackDown.

The advertised Drew McIntyre vs. Jacob Fatu number one contender’s match for SmackDown never took place, with Fatu taken out of the match with a mystery backstage attack.

As Fatu’s entrance played, cameras cut to backstage where Fatu was pinned under a steel truss, laying in a pool of blood with what looked to be teeth on the floor.

McIntyre called for an opponent and was answered by Cody Rhodes who put the Undisputed WWE Championship on the line in an impromptu match.

Wrestling in his suit, Rhodes and McIntyre brawled around ringside before Rhodes was disqualified for hitting McIntyre with the title belt. McIntyre won the match, and Rhodes kept the title.

Fatu is dealing with an unspecified injury suffered away from the ring according to reports, and is expected to be sidelined for the remainder of 2025.

Our full report from Friday’s SmackDown is available here.

WWE SmackDown live results: Cody Rhodes addresses Crown Jewel loss

Posted on by Marc Quill

Tonight’s WWE SmackDown in San Jose, California will be the first since Crown Jewel: Perth.

At the PLE, Cody Rhodes lost to Seth Rollins and was unsuccessful in his mission to repeat as men’s Crown Jewel Champion. Rhodes will kick off the show tonight and address that loss, along with what’s next for him in his WWE Championship reign.

Women’s Tag Team Champions Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss have a title defense tonight against NXT’s Zaria & Sol Ruca — who have made it clear they want the gold. The team known as ZaRuca earned their opportunity after proving themselves several weeks ago with a win over Chelsea Green & Alba Fyre.

Drew McIntyre and Jacob Fatu are scheduled to finally settle their score in the ring. The two have been involved in a heated rivalry for the past few weeks after Fatu took exception to McIntyre’s ranting. Reports this week have Fatu out for a considerable amount of time with a non-wrestling related injury, so it’s unclear what will develop tonight.

Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.

**********

– We opened with a recap of the major events that took place at Crown Jewel concerning Seth Rollins’ big win over Cody Rhodes, followed by the shocking betrayal Rollins suffered at the hands of Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed two nights later on Raw. We have Vic Joseph filling in for Michael Cole on commentary, and a returning Corey Graves joining him.

– Inside the ring, SmackDown’s GM Nick Aldis was here to inform us that tonight’s Jacob Fatu vs. Drew McIntyre match will now be a No. 1 Contender’s match, with the winner set to face Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. At this time, Rhodes was introduced by Mr. Aldis.

Cody Rhodes opens SmackDown

Rhodes started by stating that he might not feel that he and Seth Rollins need to be in the ring together again, but that’s not how it worked around here. He said that Rollins had some business of his own with a rogue Vision and Paul Heyman to deal with, and he had business of his own to handle as the top guy of SmackDown.

Rhodes sized up both Jacob Fatu and Drew McIntyre, one of which would be facing him for the Undisputed WWE Title at the next Saturday Night’s Main Event in two weeks time. He concluded that he didn’t know how things would shake out, but Rhodes knew that the road to SNME ran through San Jose.

Standard Cody Rhodes promo to open SmackDown, as the Fatu vs. McIntyre match still appears to be on despite the reported injury that Fatu sustained. We’ll see how that plays out later tonight.

**********

– Solo Sikoa and the M.F.T.s accosted a cameraman who was taking pictures of Rey Fenix, who took exception to Sikoa’s belligerence. Fenix paid for it as the M.F.T.s. laid a beating on him before a vanguard of officials warded them off.

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship: Alexa Bliss & Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Zaria & Sol Ruca

Blake Monroe was shown in the crowd, stated to be watching Sol Ruca ahead of their Women’s North American Championship match at Halloween Havoc.

Ruca and Flair got things going with a test of strength in the ring before the former escaped the grasp of the latter with a somersault. Flair answered by flipping over the turnbuckle so that she could kick Zaria on the apron. Flair then continued to go to work on Ruca as Bliss got the tag. Bliss connected with a hurricanrana on Ruca that sent her back to her home corner as Zaria entered with a tag.

Bliss tried for a charge, but got caught by Zaria, who lifted her. However, Bliss escaped and attempted a Sister Abigail early on. Zaria answered with a huge spinebuster that sent us to the commercial break.

We returned from the break with Zaria having Bliss trapped in the corner with an elevated sleeper hold from the middle rope. Bliss managed to escape the Aussie’s grip as she tried to reach out for a tag to Flair. Zaria, however, managed to cut Bliss off as Ruca entered the match and sent her championship foe spinning with a tilt-a-whirl drop. Zaria and Ruca tried to connect with an assisted diving attack, but Bliss dodged and managed to get to her corner as Flair got the hot tag.

In the ring, Flair blasted both Zaria and Ruca with chops before she connected with her signature somersault clothesline on the former. Flair then dropped Zaria with a northern lights suplex followed by a taunt towards Ruca. Shortly after, Ruca got a tag as she went to work on Flair with a German suplex in the corner followed by an attempted diving dropkick. Flair intercepted and caught her legs to turn that into a Boston Crab. Flair was in position for the Sol Snatcher by Ruca, which hit its target perfectly. One, two… Bliss managed to break it up in the nick of time.

Outside the ring, Bliss tried to dive at Zaria, but she got thrown against the barricade instead. Flair interjected with a boot to the face as Ruca leapt from the apron to take down the Women’s Tag Champions. Ruca then traded some words with Blake Monroe in the front row, which opened her up to Flair clipping her in the back of her legs. Flair threw Ruca into the ring and proceeded to lock the Figure Eight submission hold, with Ruca being forced to tap shortly after.

Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss def. Zaria & Sol Ruca via submission to retain the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships

That was a fun opening tag match, and the Blake Monroe involvement in the finish does continue that story she has with Ruca ahead of their Halloween Havoc match.

**********

– Cody Rhodes was walking backstage as Jacob Fatu had a chat with him. Fatu said that once he was finished dogwalking Drew McIntyre from San Jose to San Francisco, Rhodes would find out that Jacob Fatu is all gas and no brakes. Fatu and Rhodes shared a respectful handshake as the latter walked off.

– We got remarks from Aleister Black regarding what happened last week with Zelina Vega’s arrival to his side. Black said that he had been setting this in motion for months now, and that Vega’s assistance was part of the plan alll along. “We are not the infection, just the mirror that shows it,” said Vega of her alliance with Black. They said that the venom wasn’t poison, but it was salvation.

– Backstage, The Miz was shaking hands with Nick Aldis as Sami Zayn appeared and wondered why the U.S. Title Open Challenge wasn’t happening tonight. Aldis explained that Shinsuke Nakamura was still owed a rematch but he wasn’t here tonight, and the M.F.T.s were still lurking about. Zayn would have none of it as he said he waas ready to hold the Open Challenge and if anyone wanted a shot at the U.S. Title, they knew where they could find him.

U.S. Title Open Challenge: Sami Zayn (c) vs. Ilja Dragunov

As it appeared that The Miz was going to answer Zayn’s Open Challenge, Carmelo Hayes attacked from behind and took him out of the equation as the two brawled out of the stage area.

After a moment, we found out that the returning Ilja Dragunov was Zayn’s opponent for the Open Challenge.

Dragunov and Zayn shared a handshake of respect as the bell rang before the two stood toe-to-toe and slugged one another with strikes. Zayn recovered and lit up Dragunov with a chop as he went for a suplex. Dragunov countered out of the suplex with Zayn fighting back afterwards. Dragunov left Zayn stunned a enzuigiri, as he then threw the U.S. Champion in the corner and absolutely blasted him with a running boot to the face. This took us to a break in the action.

We returned from commercial break with Zayn dropping Dragunov with a clothesline as we got a replay of the action that took place during the break. With both men back up, Zayn and Dragunov once again got into an exchange of strikes that neither man could get an upper hand of. Zayn recovered and delivered a tornado DDT in the corner.

As Dragunov seemed to be stunned in the corner, Zayn ran at him, but ended up eating a jumping kick to the face instead. That only got a near-fall for the returning Dragunov. Zayn valiantly tried to fight out of Dragunov’s grip, but got dropped with a German suplex. Zayn eventually escaped and nearly got the win on a roll-up, as he then responded with some German suplexes of his own on Dragunov.

Dragunov lifted Zayn up and then dropped him with a standing uranage that once again got the two-count. Dragunov tried to go up top, but Zayn avoided it and connected with the Michinoku Driver for a near-fall. The two competitors’ battle reached the apron as Dragunov tried to get Zayn up on his shoulders. Zayn countered and instead got Dragunov with a nasty DDT onto the apron. With both men down, we took another break in the action.

The match returned from break with Zayn and Dragunov duking it out on the top rope, but it was the U.S. Champion who found himself flat on the canvas as Dragunov soared with a senton on Zayn. One, two…. NO! Zayn once again headed up to the top rope, but Dragunov again tried to go after his foe. Even after Zayn took Dragunov down, he just couldn’t keep his foe out cold as he fell victim to a Superplex.

Dragunov had Zayn dead to rights for the H-Bomb, but Zayn got a boot up to stop it. Meanwhile, Zayn’s Helluva Kick attempt was avoided by Dragunov, who then connected with a standing back suplex for the near-fall. Dragunov hit the Constantin Special and nearly had the match won with a Torpedo Moscow. Zayn intercepted at the last second with a Helluva Kick, followed by a Blue Thunder Bomb. One, two… 2.99999999!!!!!

As Zayn had Dragunov targeted for a Helluva Kick, Solo Sikoa appeared on the ramp and provided a distraction. Zayn threw Dragunov in the corner with an Exploder Suplex. However, Sikoa’s distraction seemed to be enough as it inadvertently bought Dragunov time to recover. Dragunov intercepted the Helluva Kick with a Torpedo Moscow. He then finished it off with an H-Bomb to become the new United States Champion.

After the match, the M.F.T.s. rolled up and unleashed an assaualt on Zayn and Dragunov while Sikoa watched on. Rey Fenix ran in but fell victim to the M.F.T.’s numbers game.

Solo Sikoa got on the microphone and promised that the M.F.T.s would run SmackDown as they’d get their championships back again. Before he could continue, he was interrupted by a video from The Wyatt Sicks, as Bo Dallas asked Sikoa if he and his M.F.T.s were ready for what was to come on the other side. As the video ended, the members of The Wyatt Sicks appeared in the darkness and once again stared down Sikoa and the M.F.T.s. Sikoa’s group backed off as the segment ended with the usual Wyatt Sicks static.

Ilja Dragunov def. Sami Zayn via pinfall to become the new United States Champion

Fantastic match. It was great to see Dragunov back in action, as he and Zayn put on a hell of a contest. A shame that it got partially marred by the M.F.T.s stuff at the end. I’m not sure if a feud between Sikoa’s faction and the Wyatt Sicks will be any interesting, I have to admit. Still, it’s nonetheless great to see Dragunov finally become a champion.

**********

– There was an Arby’s-sponsored recap of Stephanie Vaquer’s big victory over Tiffany Stratton at Crown Jewel to become the 2025 Women’s Crown Jewel Champion.

– Stratton was interviewed backstage about her loss and how that’d affect her. Stratton said that one loss would not affect her as she’d be still the WWE Women’s Champion. Kiana James interrupted and badmouthed Stratton for not being a “premium talent” unlike her client, the Women’s U.S. Champion Giulia. Stratton taunted James for not having it in the ring and promptly challenged her to a match for next week’s show.

– We got Earlier Today footage of the Motor City Machine Guns celebrating their one-year anniversary in WWE before Los Garza rudely interrupted the two. Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley pointed out that it was Angel and Berto who lost to them in their debut match and they sought to make it an annual thing, which led to this next match.

The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) vs. Los Garza (Angel & Berto)

Angel and Shelley started off, as Berto provided a brief distraction, which allowed Angel to go on the attack. That advantage for Los Garza was all too fleeting as the MCMGs got the momentum back with a dive outside the ring. As Sabin was trying to get into the ring, Berto grabbed at his leg, which again gave Angel an opening to pounce on his foe with a stomp.

Sabin avoided a corner splash from Angel as Shelley got the tag. Los Garza once again turned it around as they dropped Shelley with an assisted double team boot to the face. Sabin got sent to the floor as we took a break in the action.

We returned from the break with Angel working over Shelley as we got a look at a replay of a double knee/kick combo from Los Garza that left Shelley stunned during the break. Shelley hit a neckbreaker on Angel as Sabin got the hot tag. The tag team veteran unleashed a flurry of offense on both Angel and Berto while Shelley contributed as well. Los Garza turned it around with a Gory Special/jumping neckbreaker combo on Sabin. One, two… Shelley broke it up just in time.

As the action broke down ont he outside, Berto took flight and vaulted over the top rope to take both Shelley and Sabin out. Back in the ring, an attempted double team move by Los Garza was thwarted by Shelley and it came down to a patented Skull and Bones from the Machine Guns on Berto to pick up the victory.

Motor City Machine Guns def. Los Garza via pinfall

A fun tag match yes, but honestly kind of a sad indictment that this is the first time in over a month or so that we’ve seen either team. I understand it’s hard to find time to fit the many tag teams of the tag division of SmackDown into a two-hour show, but it’s kind of unfortunate that the Machine Guns were brought in with much fanfare and seem to just be mostly an afterthought.

**********

– As Fraxiom plotted their next moves for the WWE Tag Titles, the #DIY duo of Tommasso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano rolled up and had some harsh words for the rest of the SmackDown tag division. Axiom took exception to Gargano making fun of his mask as he challenged him to a match

– As Jacob Fatu was scheduled to make his entrance for our main event, we suddenly cut backstage as Fatu was seen crushed underneath a girder with various officials running up to check up on him. After the break, Nick Aldis was checking up on Fatu alongside the officials while McIntyre made his entrance.

The Main Event: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Drew McIntyre

McIntyre entered with a smug smile on his face as he then got into the ring with a microphone in hand. He taunted Fatu as he demanded the referee to award him the match to become the number one contender. Mr. Aldis interrupted and warned McIntyre that if he found out that McIntyre had something to do with this, he’d do something about it. As McIntyre continued to complain about a conspiracy, Cody Rhodes interrupted and angrily said that if McIntyre wanted a shot at the WWE Title, that we should do it right now. We went to a commercial break just as the match was apparently kicking off.

Our main event continued with Rhodes and McIntyre continuing to brawl at ringside before the battle spilled into the ring as it finally kicked off in earnest. McIntyre got the upper hand with a suplex across the ring. Rhodes threw his vest at McIntyre as he punched away at him. The surly Scotsman got the advantage again with another throw across the ring. Rhodes recovered and punched away at McIntyre in the corner, followed by a bite to the forehead.

McIntyre caught Rhodes by surprise with a Future Shock DDT, and nearly had the WWE Title won, but Rhodes kicked out at two. McIntyre continued his attack in the corner as he punched away at Rhodes before the referee got him to back off. McIntyre caught Rhodes by surprise with a headbutt as he then continued away with the chops to the exposed chest.

Rhodes recovered and hit his uppercut followed by a Cody Cutter. As Rhodes tried to go for a suicide dive, McIntyre met him at the ropes with a headbutt. Rhodes was then thrown over the timekeeper area. McIntyre tried to retrieve Rhodes, but he got hit in the face with the WWE Championship title belt to cause the DQ.

The brawl continued after the bell as Rhodes cleared away the announce table and had him set up for a Cross Rhodes over the announce table. At that moment, Nick Aldis and several officials stepped in to stop the chaos. However, Rhodes eluded them and headed to the top rope as he then crushed McIntyre with a dive to the outside.

SmackDown ended with both men separated by the gaggle of officials as Rhodes looked on from the ring at McIntyre with anger.

Drew McIntyre def. Cody Rhodes via DQ (Rhodes retains Undisputed WWE Championship)

**********

Obviously, this whole main event angle with Jacob Fatu being crushed underneath a girder was WWE’s way of writing him off TV and add more heat to McIntyre to build him up as (most likely) the opponent for Cody Rhodes at Saturday Night’s Main Event in two weeks.

That said, this was a strong edition of SmackDown, bolstered by a big main event angle and a shock return that doubled as a shock title win. I’ll admit that I quite enjoyed tonight’s show a fair bit and hopefully we’re in for more episodes like this in the coming weeks.

Report: Main event changed for WWE SmackDown

Posted on by Bryan Rose

A new main event is reportedly set for tonight’s SmackDown.

PWInsider is reporting that Jacob Fatu will no longer be wrestling on tonight’s show, where he is scheduled to face Drew McIntyre. WWE will instead go with Cody Rhodes taking on McIntyre in a WrestlePalooza rematch. Fatu is at tonight’s SmackDown taping, though it isn’t known in what capacity he’ll be used.

According to PWInsider, the decision was made on the new main event “minutes ago.”

It was reported earlier this week by BodySlam.net that Fatu, 33, is dealing with a non-wrestling related injury that will keep him out of action for “an extended period of time,” possibly into 2026. Fatu hasn’t wrestled since the September 12 edition of SmackDown, where he had a dark match street fight with Rusev. 

Fatu resurfaced earlier this month on an edition of SmackDown where he confronted McIntyre, setting up the match for this week. He called out McIntyre for always complaining, which led to McIntyre responding with a headbutt. On this past week’s SmackDown in Australia, the two brawled just one day prior to Crown Jewel in Perth.

Report: Jacob Fatu to miss ‘extended period of time’

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: WWE

Former WWE United States & WWE Tag Team Champion Jacob Fatu will reportedly miss a considerable amount of time, possibly well into 2026.

BodySlam.net was the first to report Thursday that the 33-year-old is dealing with a non-wrestling related injury that will keep him out of the ring for “an extended period of time” that could be considerably into next year.

Fatu hasn’t wrestled since a September 12 dark match street fight with Rusev. He was set to take on Drew McIntyre this Friday on SmackDown in San Jose, California. The match stemmed from a confrontation they had a couple of weeks ago where he called out McIntyre for always complaining about everything and blaming other people for his problems. McIntyre gave Fatu a headbutt and Fatu responded by laying him out. The two then brawled last Friday on SmackDown from Perth, Australia.

Fatu debuted in WWE in the summer of 2024 as part of The Bloodline angle, aligning with Solo Sikoa.

Match announced for WWE SmackDown next week

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Two of SmackDown’s top wrestlers are set to face off next week.

Jacob Fatu vs. Drew McIntyre will take place on the Friday, October 17 edition of SmackDown in San Jose, California. The match stems from a confrontation they had a couple of weeks ago where the returning Fatu called out McIntyre for always complaining about everything and blaming other people for his problems. McIntyre gave Fatu a headbutt — and Fatu responded by laying him out.

The two then brawled on today’s WWE SmackDown in Perth, Australia. On the show, there was a backstage segment where Fatu respectfully told Cody Rhodes that he has his eyes on challenging for the WWE Championship after Crown Jewel. McIntyre then interrupted things with a blindside attack on Fatu.

Later on, Fatu responded to the attack by starting a brawl with McIntyre as SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis was informing him of next week’s match.

McIntyre told Aldis that he’s looking forward to beating some respect into Fatu in front of Fatu’s hometown fans in California.

Also on today’s SmackDown, there was a segment where WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss agreed to defend their belts against the NXT team of Sol Ruca & Zaria. A date for that matchup was not set — and WWE has not announced which brand it will be taking place on.

Paul Heyman names three WWE stars as ‘guaranteed’ WrestleMania main eventers

Posted on by Joseph Currier

During his appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show this week, Paul Heyman named three WWE stars he believes are the future of the company.

Heyman named Bron Breakker, Jacob Fatu, and Rhea Ripley as people who can headline multiple WrestleManias in the future. Breakker is currently paired with Heyman on screen, but Heyman said all three are people he loves working with behind the scenes.

https://twitter.com/arielhelwani/status/1953225359417327645

“Bron Breakker and I are on camera together because I was working so closely with him behind the scenes. Because I truly believe that’s the future of our company, that’s a guaranteed WrestleMania main eventer multiple times in the future,” Heyman said.

“Jacob Fatu, a guaranteed WrestleMania main eventer multiple times in the future. I can say the same thing [about] Rhea Ripley, a guaranteed WrestleMania main eventer multiple times in the future if we find the right story and the right opponent for her in that capacity.”

Breakker is a member of The Vision on WWE Raw, a Heyman-managed faction that also includes Seth Rollins and Bronson Reed.

While Breakker, Fatu, and Ripley are three of the people he collaborates with backstage, Heyman said he gets to work with everyone and never turns anyone down. He loves seeing wrestlers realize that they can put promos in their own words and focus on the connection they have with the audience rather than reading an exact script.

Heyman explained the role he plays in WWE creative, saying he isn’t involved in the week-to-week grind but plays a role in helping form the longterm direction.

Solo Sikoa retains United States title at WWE SummerSlam

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Solo Sikoa is still the United States Champion.

Sikoa escaped the cage at SummerSlam on Sunday thanks to help from the MFT, who frequently interfered on behalf of Sikoa during the steel cage match. Talla Tonga handcuffed Fatu near the top of the cage at one point. Jimmy Uso came out for the save, and Fatu managed to escape and slam the cage door on JC Mateo. But it was Talla Tonga that was the deciding factor, kicking the cage door into Fatu’s face as Sikoa crawled out of the door for the victory.

As Sikoa and Talla headed up the ramp after the match, Fatu set his sights on Mateo and Loa, taking them both out. He then went to the top rope and hit a giant moonsault off the cage, taking out both men.

Fatu has spent most of the summer feuding with his family, officially turning against Solo Sikoa at Money in the Bank. At Night of Champions, help from the debuting Talla helped Sikoa win the United States title. The build to their SummerSlam match had Sikoa name Fatu as a person of interest in a hit and run accident. Fatu, however, was able to convince police that Sikoa was behind it, leading to his arrest.

US title match added to WWE Night of Champions

Posted on by Ethan Renner

The United States Championship will be on the line at WWE Night of Champions.

As revealed during Friday’s SmackDown, United States Champion Jacob Fatu and former Bloodline stablemate Solo Sikoa will go head-to-head for the title at Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, June 28.

The match was confirmed in a backstage promo by Fatu on Friday’s SmackDown following an -ring confrontation between the two earlier in the episode.

Fatu helped cost Sikoa the Money in the Bank contract earlier in this month in retribution for Sikoa belittling Fatu over a period of months.

Five matches are on tap for Night of Champions. The current lineup:

WWE Night of Champions, Saturday, June 28, 1 p.m. Eastern time —

  • Undisputed WWE Champion John Cena defends against CM Punk
  • United States Champion Jacob Fatu defends against Solo Sikoa
  • Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio defends against AJ Styles
  • King of the Ring tournament finals: Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes or Jey Uso
  • Queen of the Ring tournament finals: Asuka vs. Jade Cargill or Roxanne Perez

WWE SmackDown live results: John Cena appears, King & Queen of the Ring matches

Posted on by Marc Quill

After a confrontation that led to a title defense for this month’s Night of Champions, undisputed WWE Champion John Cena will return to WWE SmackDown tonight — the first since last Saturday’s Money in the Bank.

Cena was on this week’s Raw and was challenged by CM Punk for a title match with Cena saying it had to be in Saudi Arabia if it was going to happen.

The King & Queen of the Ring tournaments will also continue with three matches. On the men’s side, it will be Cody Rhodes vs. Andrade vs. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Damian Priest, and Randy Orton vs. Carmelo Hayes vs. LA Knight vs. Aleister Black.

For the women’s tournament, it will be Chelsea Green vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Candice LeRae.

After turning on Solo Sikoa at this past Saturday’s Money in the Bank, reigning United States Champion Jacob Fatu will explain his actions.

Naomi will also be on hand to celebrate her victory in the women’s Money in the Bank ladder match that earned her an anytime, anywhere title shot.

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– After WWE’s signature open, we got the rundown for tonight’s King and Queen of the Ring qualifiers, as well as the arrivals of Jacob Fatu and Naomi to the arena. We then went to Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett at the commentary table as they teed up a recap of Money in the Bank and all that transpired last Saturday night.

John Cena opens SmackDown

The Undisputed WWE Champion entered the scene to the usual gamut of cheers and boos from the crowd. He instructed ring announcer Mark Nash to give him a very enthusiastic announcement before getting started with his promo.

Cena started off by talking about “Wrestling’s Mount Rushmore”, which he said consisted of nothing but him. He said that yes, there have been great wrestlers and great talkers, but that nobody in the past, present, or future is comparable to him. Cena said that he will always outmaneuver people not because he doesn’t give up, but because he’s smarter than us. Cena claimed that he was always a thousand steps ahead of everyone because he had six months to scout out his foes for his retirement tour. He knew that even if he lost the Royal Rumble, he could just use his seniority to guarantee himself a spot in the Elimination Chamber, and his unpredictability led to his WrestleMania victory. Cena suggested that he used the time teaming up with Logan Paul to force CM Punk into a corner by making him admit himself as a “hypocrite” (alluding to Punk’s infamous refusal to wrestle in Saudi Arabia).

Cena said that he wins matches before they even started and that he has cracked every puzzle and crunched every code, and that we wouldn’t appreciate him until three years after he was gone. He said that the math says that there will be nobody worthy to ever hold the WWE Title ever again. Enter Cody Rhodes.

The American Nightmare entered the ring and took a mic, as he started by facetiously asking Cena if everything he claimed he was about being smart “was true”. He said it was distressing that everything Cena said was right about his claims, and that while he had a grand master plan, Cena didn’t account for getting pinned last Saturday. Rhodes said that he wasn’t part of Cena’s plan, but that Cena was part of his own plan. “So, John Rushmore, where does that leave you and I?” asked Rhodes. The theme music of Randy Orton interrupted as the man himself walked down to a great ovation.

Orton said thad everyone who watched Backlash in St. Louis saw that he had Cena beaten and ready to be punted, right up until somebody “saved the day”, and it made him realized that he had to do whatever it takes to get Number 15. He said he loved Cody as a brother, but if it came down to things, he wouldn’t hesitate to put his friend down. Now it was LA Knight’s turn to interrupt proceedings.

Knight said that all week long, he heard the whole world saying “we want L.A. Knight” and that he was looking right at WWE’s “establishment” in the ring. Knight said that Cena’s master plan didn’t include him and he was going to throw that plan out the window. Knight said that he was going to drop Orton, Rhodes, and a “genius balding bitch” in Cena, with everybody saying “L.A. Knight, yeah!” Cena thought himself above all this and decided to make his exit.

As Cena left the ring, Ron Killings ambushed him from the stage as he laid into his former hero with blow after blow. Officials entered the scene to separate Killings from Cena, who was left down and out by the former R-Truth’s assault.

As a way to set up potential King of the Ring winners, this segment wasn’t bad in establishing Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, and LA Knight as favorites to win in a couple of weeks. Of course, I kind of expect some twists to be thrown along the way, particularly with Rhodes’ chances, as WWE might feel like delivering a curveball for his inevitable rematch against Cena.

I do have to address the implication of CM Punk’s morals being used as a storyline beat with Cena attempting to get Punk to admit he was a “hypocrite” by facing him in Saudi Arabia, however. To say it’s a “dicey” proposition to invoke the controversial nature of WWE’s Saudi Arabia shows as a storyline would be an understatement. I’m not sure how to feel about it in the grand scheme of things.

**********

– Backstage, John Cena was seen arguing with SmackDown GM Nick Aldis about Ron Killings’s actions from before the break. We couldn’t hear a word said, but it was clear that Cena was certainly incensed with what happened to him at the hands of Killings.

King of the Ring Qualifying Fatal-Four Way Match: Randy Orton vs. LA Knight vs. Carmelo Hayes vs. Aleister Black

The bell rang as Hayes and Black faced off with one another as Knight and Orton just looked on briefly before they mixed it up in the ring. As Knight was fighting with Orton in the corner, Hayes attempted a roll-up pin, but Knight kicked out. Black threw Hayes out of the ring and fell victim to an apron moonsault from Black. Orton and Knight traded finisher attempts, as Black couldn’t connect with Black Mass. This led to a break in the action.

We returned with Hayes getting dropped by Knight, as he was then stomped in the corner by the former United States Champion. A prone Orton also suffered the same fate at the hands of Knight. Hayes bounced back and kicked Knight as he then twisted Black and connected with a springboard legdrop on Knight. Hayes was on fire with a Fosbury Flop on Black outside the ring. Orton made his way outside and hit his announce table backdrop on Black, but got shoved into the apron by Knight.

In the ring,. Knight propped Hayes up the top rope as the two dueled with strikes. Knight got the better of Hayes and tried for a superplex. Hayes blocked it and shoved Knight aside. Orton stepped in but also got pushed aside by Hayes. Black drilled Hayes with a knee, which appeared to open him up for a superplex, but Hayes once again got the advantage as he then hit a Frog Splash on Knight. One, two… Black broke up the pin, which led us to another break.

SmackDown returned from commercial with all four men in the ring. Knight rolled up Orton as he attempted a BFT on Black that couldn’t connected. Black opened things up with a knee and kick to the face of Hayes. Orton cut Black off at the pass as he delivered his signature offense, including a barrage of powerslams on his three opponents. Orton dragged Hayes over to the apron and looked to deliver his draping DDT. He held Black in position as he wanted to hit a double DDT, but Knight snuck up on Orton and hit a jumping neckbreaker for the close near-fall.

WIth all four men back in the ring, Knight connected with the BFT on Black. Hayes managed to break up the pin, but he paid for it with a slam from Knight. Up on the top rope, Knight tried to deliver his diving elbow, but Bronson Reed cut him off, as Bron Breakker hit a spear on Knight. Hayes looked to capitalize on the opportunity with a diving, but he caught by Orton for an RKO that sent Hayes crashing onto Knight. Orton with the cover on Knight and this one’s done. Randy Orton will now face Sami Zayn in the King of the Ring semifinals.

Randy Orton def. LA Knight, Aleister Black, and Carmelo Hayes via pinfall to advance to the King of the Ring Semifinals

A very fun opening fatal four-way and the involvement from the two Brons from Seth Rollins’ faction in attacking LA Knight certainly does spice things up.

**********

– Jacob Fatu appeared backstage as we’d hear from him after the break.

Jacob Fatu addresses his Money in the Bank actions

The United States champion entered to a great ovation from the Lexington crowd as we got a recap of last week’s SmackDown and Solo Sikoa’s insulting remarks that led to the “I HATE YOU!” heard ’round the world at Money in the Bank a night after.

As the fans chanted for him, Fatu started off by saying that they were going to keep it 100. “Just because you’re family, don’t mean that you could go behind their back and try to snake ’em,” said Fatu. He noted that Solo Sikoa’s attempt to take all the credit for his success was exactly why he had to remind Sikoa at Money in the Bank what happens “when you don’t get in where you fit in,” Before Fatu could go on any further, Solo Sikoa interrupted on the Titantron.

Sikoa claimed that he brought Fatu in and made him into a superstar by helping him become the champion he could be. Sikoa said that next week, he was willing to take Fatu back next week and that he needed to hear four words from him: “I love you, Solo.” Sikoa warned Fatu that he brought him into this world, and that he could take him out of it just as easily.

Whether or not this segment between Sikoa and Fatu next week will bring the debut of another Bloodline member or the return of the Tongans to perhaps align against Fatu will be interesting, to say the least.

**********

– Nick Aldis was backstage with Chelsea Green’s Secret Hervice of Alba Fyre and Piper Niven, as Green herself was FaceTiming and not in the arena. Aldis said that he was putting Fyre in Green’s place for the Women’s King of the Ring Qualifier match later tonight After Fyre and Niven left, Zelina Vega entered and wanted to face off with Giulia next week.

Queen of the Ring Qualifier Fatal-Four Way Match: Jade Cargill vs. Nia Jax vs. Michin vs. Piper Niven

As Jax and Cargill faced off, we got Niven and Michin duking it out as well. After Cargill and Michin took out their respective foes, they entered the ring and got themselves into a lockup. Cargill caught Michin for a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, as she tried for a suplex. Michin avoided hit and delivered a running hurricanrana on Cargill followed by a dropkick. Niven pulled Michin out of the ring and slammed her right to the floor, along with a running senton on her fallen foe.

In the ring, Jax recovered and went to work on Cargill, who tried to fight from underneath. Jax dropped Cargill with a Samoan Drop as Niven entered and hit a running senton on Cargill. As Jax and Niven faced off, they agreed on a truce against Cargill. That alliance seemed to go nowhere as Cargill fought both off. With all three fighting it out at ringside, Michin saw this as an opportunity to hit a moonsault from the apron as we went to a break.

Back from commercial as Niven and Jax’s alliance was starting to pay dividends at the expense of one Jade Cargill. The two women continued to punish Cargill with a flurry of running hip drops on her. Their truce broke down as Niven’s pinfall attempt was stopped by Jax. Their argument allowed Michin to enter the fray with hurricanranas on Jax and Niven. Michin tried for a rana on Cargill, who blocked that and turned it into a powerbomb for the two-count.

After Niven took out Cargill, Michin caught her with Sliced Bread. Jax broke up the count successfully, however. Niven and Jax saw Cargill prone outside the ring and once again teamed up as they threw her right into the commentary table, as Wade Barrett got inadvertently taken out in the process! In the ring, Michin tried her luck at fighting the two titans facing her, but she got dropped by a double chokeslam from Jax and Niven.

Jax turned against Niven with a headbutt to the cranium as she had Michin at her mercy with the Annihilator. Niven broke up the count, which led to her and Jax brawling it out at ringside. Niven used her strength to send Jax through the barricade. Inside the ring, Niven hit a Viper Bomb on Michin, but Cargill stepped in at the last second to finish things off with Jaded. One, two, three. This one’s done.

With Cargill’s victory, she will now face Roxanne Perez in the Queen of the Ring semifinals.

Jade Cargill def. Piper Niven, Michin, and Nia Jax via pinfall to advance to the King of the Ring semifinals

A fun fatal-four way match with some nice highlights like Cargill getting thrown into the commentary table, as well as the impressive-looking Jaded on Niven that closed out the match.

**********

Naomi speaks about her Money in the Bank victory

Ms. Money in the Bank said that we were all looking real surprised, and real shocked but she didn’t know why. She said that she took what she deserved and now she had the Money in the Bank contract. Naomi talked about how throughout all the time she was fighting Nia Jax for the WWE Women’s Championship, Tiffany Stratton was there to target her. And now she was out for payback, and it was going to feel so good when she hits Stratton with the Money in the Bank Briefcase to become the new WWE Women’s Champion. This brought out Tiffany Stratton herself to interrupt Naomi.

Stratton said that Naomi talked a big game, and asked why she doesn’t just cash in that title right here and now. She said that Naomi was all talk and no action, and that it was her chance to prove everyone wrong. “Do I look stupid to you?” asked Naomi, as she said that she was going to cash in when Stratton least expect it. In the meantime, though, she was going to enjoy making Stratton’s life hell, as she then told her to “proceed with caution”.

As Stratton watched Naomi leave, Nia Jax attacked the WWE Women’s Champion as she then took her out with the Annihilator. Naomi looked like she was going to cash in, but Jax scared her off.

Not sure how I feel about another retread of Tiffany Stratton versus Nia Jax as hinted here, mainly because it’s a feud that’s kinda been run into the ground at this point, especially with Stratton having beaten Jax multiple times now.

**********

– Earlier today, Nick Aldis met with SmackDown’s tag division regarding what needed to be done with the Wyatt Sicks. We learned that we’d see the Motor City Machine Guns take on the Sicks in tag team action.

Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley) vs. The Wyatt Sicks (Dexter Lumis & Joe Gacy)

Gacy and Lumis started off fast with tandem offense that left Sabin flat-footed. As the legal man, Lumis dropped Sabin with a back suplex as Gacy entered the match and continued the Sicks’ advantage. Springboard moonsault by Gacy on Sabin maintained the attack against the tag veteran. Gacy and Lumis looked to have double team move, but Sabin avoided calamity as Shelley was tagged in. The Motor City Machine Guns took over with stereo crossbody presses on Gacy and Lumis as SmackDown took a commercial break.

We returned from the break with both Shelley and Gacy down in the ring as the former got the hot tag on their partner. A dropkick by Sabin sent Gacy back to his corner with Lumis tagging himself in. Sabin kept control over Lumis with a series of dropkicks as he then tagged in Shelley. On the apron, the MCMGs hit a double-team dropkick on a stunned Lumis outside the ring. Shelley and Sabin looked to have the Skull and Bones, but Lumis escaped as Gacy hit the Machine Guns with his springboard double clothesline.

Sabin escaped the clutches of the Sicks as he tagged Shelley back in. The veteran Motor City Machine Guns ratcheted in with a double team dropkick on Lumis as they once again appeared to have Skull and Bones lock and loaded. Gacy saved Lumis at the last second as the two looked towards Uncle Howdy for instructions. Lumis then headed up top for a legdrop on Sabin to score the victory for the returning Wyatt Sicks.

The Wyatt Sicks def. Motor City Machine Guns via pinfall (Joe Gacy pinned Chris Sabin)

It’s nice to see the Wyatt Sicks back after a long time away from the ring, and this story of them going after the entire SmackDown tag division does give them at least something to do. This tag match contained lots of fast-paced tandem offense between the two teams and I enjoyed it.

**********

– Backstage, John Cena confronted Jimmy Uso and asked if he saw Ron Killings. Cena said that he was on the way to the ring right now as he told Jimmy to tell Killings to meet him in the ring.

John Cena calls out Ron Killings; CM Punk appears

For the second time of the night, John Cena was out in the ring with a purpose. He got right to it as he said that there was a level of disrespect he could tolerate. Cena said that R-Truth crossed some lines as he then challenged him to fight right now. However, instead of Ron Killings, the static of CM Punk’s theme music interrupted. Punk himself appeared not long after to a great reaction from the Lexington crowd.

“Is it it great to be alive on a Friday night in Lexington, Kentucky or what?” asked Punk to start off his promo. He said that the people were tired of being disrespected by Cena and that with a microphone in his hand, there are levels of disrespect that haven’t been reached.

Maybe Punk was acting too much like Obi-Wan Kenobi looking for Anakin Skywalker inside Darth Vader, but that he was ready to put that aside so that Cena could give this great Lexington crowd a happy ending.

“Why?” asked Cena, as he said it would be a waste of his time. Cena said that the people don’t matter, basketball didn’t matter, and horse racing didn’t matter, only being champion mattered. Punk said that for the record, he did give Cena an out, but he chose to do things the “CM Punk Way” ironically. Punk said that he was going to get real right now and that the disrespect was about to begin.

“You tell a strong man a lie to offend him,” Punk noted, stating that it pissed him off when Cena called him a hypocrite. “Conversely you tell a weak man the truth, and that offends him,” Punk continued as he said Cena couldn’t beat him and if Cena was out to ruin wrestling, he was going to save it instead.

Punk talked about he might not be as confident a man dressed like he struck out at t-ball (as Cena is apparently dressed as tonight), which he pointed out made him sound like PG John Cena. He then dug further and said Cena’s talk about “ruining wrestling and taking away the title” made him sound like CM Punk, ironically enough.

Punk said that he was going to follow Cena to Mars or Hell just to beat his ass for the title. He said that he sees right through Cena and that he always has, and that was the truth.

And speaking of the Truth, Ron Killings once again snuck up on Cena and struck him from behind. Killings applied a STF on Cena as Punk mocked him, “and the Truth hurts.” Security and officials poured in to keep Killings away from Cena as the Champ retreated.

A good promo from Punk, but again, I’m not entirely too sure about the idea of his previous reluctance to wrestle in Saudi Arabia and the subsequent negative connotations about these WWE/Saudi shows being used in-story.

**********

– Ron Killings was pacing back and forth backstage as Nick Aldis admonished him for his attacks on John Cena. Aldis asked Killings what it is that Killings wanted, as the former R-Truth answered that he wanted a match against John Cena next week. Aldis obliged and made it official: John Cena vs. Ron Killings next week on SmackDown.

Queen of the Ring Fatal-Four Way: Alexa Bliss vs. Alba Fyre vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Candice LeRae

LeRae went after Bliss as Fyre targeted Flair in the early goings of this match. Flair fought off Fyre and threw Bliss onto LeRae in the corner before she tossed her out of the ring. Flair teed off on Fyre and LeRae with cascading chops, but the two ended up taking advantage as they teamed up on Flair. The two showed some surprising teamwork for a bit, but Flair managed to fight them off. Bliss re-entered the fray with a diving crossbody on Flair. An attempted Sister Abigail by Bliss was broken up by Fyre and LeRae as we got a break in the action.

Friday Night SmackDown returned with Flair on the top rope as LeRae and Fyre intercepted her at the pass. Bliss emerged and we got the Tower of Doom superplex that took everyone save for Bliss out on the canvas.

Bliss stood up first as she went to town on her competitors up until a codebreaker by LeRae stopped her advance. In the ensuing chaos, Flair hit Natural Selection on Bliss as she locked in the Figure Eight. LeRae broke it up with a springboard Lionsault as Fyre dropped Flair with a reverse facebuster. The cover, but Bliss broke it up in the nick of time. Bliss dropped Fyre with a DDT as she headed up top and connected with Twisted Bliss. One, two… Flair stops the count just in time! LeRae rolled up Flair, but to no avail. A spear by Flair on LeRae nearly had the match won. Flair locked in Fyre in the Figure Eight, but Bliss hit LeRae with Sister Abigail. The cover by Bliss and the three is enough as Fyre didn’t tap out in time.

Alexa Bliss def. Candice LeRae, Charlotte Flair, and, Alba Fyre via pinfall to advance to the King of the Ring Semifinals

The finish with Bliss getting the pin while Charlotte attempted in vain to make Fyre tap out to her submission made for a good way to end this contest.

**********

– Backstage, CM Punk wished Cody Rhodes good luck in his main event King of the Ring qualifier match coming up next.

Next Week on SmackDown:

  • King of the Ring Semifinals 1: Randy Orton vs. Sami Zayn
  • Queen of the Ring Semifinals 1: Alexa Bliss vs. ???
  • Ron Killings vs. John Cena

King of the Ring Qualifying Fatal-Four Way Match: Cody Rhodes vs. Damian Priest vs. Andrade vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

The bell sounded and all four men simply sized each other up before Nakamura rolled out of the ring, but Rhodes took exception as he dove through the ropes to take him out. Andrade would then dropkick Rhodes to the outside as he and Priest duked it out in the ring. Priest hit a Broken Arrow on Andrade, which allowed Rhodes to strike. Outside the ring, Nakamura attacked both Priest and Rhodes as Andrade headed up top. An impressive moonsault from the post by Andrade took out Priest, Rhodes, and Nakamura as we got ourselves a commercial break.

Our main event returned with Nakamura sending Andrade to the outside, as he then hit a nice sliding German suplex on Priest. In the opposite corner, Nakamura stomped away on Rhodes, but missed out on a running knee strike, which opened him to a figure-four from the American Nightmare. Off the top rope, Andrade splashed onto Rhodes to break the hold, while Priest went to work on both men. Priest headed outside and leapt off the steel steps to hit an axe handle on Nakamura.

Priest tried to go for Old School, but Rhodes cut him off, which gave Nakamura a chance to break up the hold. Armbar by Nakamura is broken up by Rhodes, as the former Undisputed WWE Champion pulled out the Slim Jim-branded table and set it up at ringside. Rhodes grabbed Andrade and looked to deliver a superplex, but couldn’t. Priest joined in, but Nakamura stopped the attempt. Nakamura then dropkicked Rhodes from the apron, which sent him right into the Slim Jim table. That took us to the final commercial break of the night.

We returned from break with Andrade and Nakamura in a standoff at the top rope until Priest interrupted the proceedings. After Priest dropped Nakamura with a slam, Andrade soared with a moonsault as Nakamura recovered to kick Andrade in the face. At that moment, Cody Rhodes recovered and went on a tear against his three opponents. Disaster Kick to Andrade, followed by an attempted Cross Rhodes on Nakamura, but that gets countered. Modified Kinshasa by Nakamura wasn’t enough as Andrade broke up the pin.

With Nakamura in the corner, Andrade hit the running Meteora. He tried to do the same to Priest, but he was interecepted. Spinning elbow by Andrade on Priest was followed by The Message. Nakamura, however, broke up the pin attempt by Andrade. As Rhodes stirred back up, Nakamura and Andrade dueled, which opened them up for a double Cody Cutter. Priest’s Razor’s Edge was reversed into a Cody Cutter. Rhodes delivered Cross Rhodes onto Andrade as Nakamura snuck up on him and looked to finish off the American Nightmare. Rhodes escaped and hit Cross Rhodes. One, two, three, and that’s it, over. Cody Rhodes wins and advances to the King of the Ring Semifinals.

Cody Rhodes def. Shinsuke Nakamura, Damian Priest, and Andrade via pinfall

Certainly an expected outcome in SmackDown’s main event, but it was at least a fun one. The unpredictability will come if Cody advances to the King of the Ring finals and faces either Orton or Sami Zayn.

All in all, a standard SmackDown show that was at least engaging at some points, with some entertaining in-ring action and a nice followup on the Ron Killings/John Cena story. The build towards King of the Ring is looking a bit predictable, but it should be interesting if there’ll be a curveball or two thrown our way to spice things up.

John Cena, Naomi, Jacob Fatu appearances set for WWE SmackDown

Posted on by Joseph Currier

WWE has confirmed a few appearances for tonight’s Money in the Bank fallout edition of SmackDown.

Tonight, SmackDown takes place from Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky. WWE has confirmed that John Cena, Naomi, and Jacob Fatu will all be on the episode. SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis announced their appearances in a video hyping tonight’s event.

Cena & Logan Paul lost to Cody Rhodes & Jey Uso at Money in the Bank after the returning Ron Killings got involved in the match. Next up for Cena is an Undisputed WWE Championship defense against CM Punk at Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia later this month.

Naomi won the women’s Money in the Bank ladder match last Saturday and can cash in her briefcase for a title shot at any point over the next year, potentially posing a threat to WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton’s title reign.

At Saturday’s PLE, Fatu finally turned babyface and split from Solo Sikoa after weeks of tension. We’ll hear from Fatu tonight as he continues his feud with Sikoa and JC Mateo.

WWE SmackDown (Friday, June 13) —

  • Undisputed WWE Champion John Cena appears
  • Women’s Money in the Bank winner Naomi appears
  • United States Champion Jacob Fatu appears
  • King & Queen of the Ring tournaments continue

Seth Rollins wins men’s WWE Money in the Bank, Jacob Fatu turns against Solo Sikoa

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Seth Rollins has won Money in the Bank for the second time.

The last two men remaining in the ring for the finish was Seth Rollins and LA Knight, who dragged Rollins off the ladder. Knight went to climb but Rollins attacked Knight and hit him with the curb stomp, giving him the path needed to climb the ladder and grab the briefcase.

Another story developed just prior to the finish. After Rollins enlisted the help of Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed, Jacob Fatu came out to even the odds for Solo Sikoa. As Sikoa looked to reach the briefcase, however, Fatu grabbed Solo’s knee to prevent him from winning. After declaring that he hated him, Fatu laid out Solo, ultimately slamming Sikoa through a ladder on the outside.

On SmackDown, Sikoa had made fun of Fatu behind his back. After Sikoa left it was revealed Fatu had heard everything, leading to further tension between Fatu and Sikoa that had been building for weeks.

This is the second time Rollins has won Money in the Bank. The first was in 2014, ultimately leading to his first World title win by cashing in during the WrestleMania 31 main event between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns, turning the match into a triple threat. On that night, Rollins pinned Reigns to win the WWE Championship for the first time.

Jacob Fatu: ‘I’m my family’s biggest fan’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

The Samoan Dynasty has no bigger supporter than Jacob Fatu.

While being interviewed by the Battleground podcast, Fatu discussed how grateful he is to have the opportunity to work with his family in WWE, dropping kayfabe to express how big a fan he is of his on-screen rivals Roman Reigns and The Usos. Fatu said it was “mind-blowing” to grow up in a legendary wrestling family.

“If you ask me, I’m my family’s biggest fan, you know? I mean, I love my family so much,” Fatu said. “We talking about Headshrinker (Samu & Rikishi) days, Wild Samoans — Afa & Sika. To grow up with them, man, it’s mind-blowing. It’s mind-blowing, man. They probably don’t like when I say this, but I’m a huge fan of Roman. I’m a huge fan of Jimmy & Jey. If anything, I’ve seen these guys. Not only that, I know how they are. And then when you have Solo [Sikoa] coming in — man, bro, I am very grateful to be a part of this.”

Fatu joined WWE in 2024 and is the current United States Champion. After spending time in jail for robbery in his past, Fatu told the Battleground podcast that he appreciates everyone who has helped him get to this point in his life.

“When they say it takes a village to raise somebody, man, let me tell you, I’ve been getting help my whole life,” Fatu said. “It’s a lot of people from behind the scene that really sacrificed a lot, just for me to be here.”

Fatu specifically shouted out Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE’s talent relations department, and the WWE legal team as some of the people who helped him.

On WWE programming, there’s dissension between Fatu and Solo Sikoa at the moment with Sikoa adding JC Mateo (Jeff Cobb) to the new Bloodline. WWE is also building up Damian Priest as a challenger for Fatu’s United States title.

The Battleground podcast’s complete 14-minute interview with Fatu can be watched below:

CM Punk wants WWE singles match against Jacob Fatu

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Though they’re on opposite brands right now, CM Punk hopes a singles match against Jacob Fatu is in his WWE future.

Punk offered praise for the WWE roster in an interview published by Netflix this week, mentioning Rhea Ripley, Liv Morgan, and Gunther among the people he’s impressed by. Punk also took kayfabe shots at Dominik Mysterio and named Fatu, Finn Balor, and Rey Mysterio as opponents he wants to face.

“The women are carrying the show a lot of times,” Punk said. “I think Rhea Ripley is a superstar. Liv Morgan had an MVP year [in 2024]. I like watching Gunther compete. I hate Dominik Mysterio, that’s neither here nor there. Guys I want to work with — Jacob Fatu. Got a little taste at WarGames, but one-on-one stuff is my bread and butter, [there’s] more pressure that way … Finn Balor is fantastic. I selfishly want to lock back up with Rey Mysterio, teach him a lesson for having such a brat kid.”

Punk linked up with Roman Reigns, The Usos & Sami Zayn to defeat Solo Sikoa, Fatu, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa & Bronson Reed in WarGames at Survivor Series 2024. A singles match between Punk and Fatu would be the first time they’ve ever went one-on-one.

At WrestleMania 41, Fatu won the first singles gold of his WWE career by dethroning LA Knight for the United States Championship. Fatu holds that title on SmackDown, while Punk is feuding with the newly formed stable of Seth Rollins, Bron Breakker & Paul Heyman on Raw. The ending of last night’s Raw was Punk preventing Rollins from winning the World Heavyweight Championship from Jey Uso.

Jacob Fatu wins United States title at WWE WrestleMania 41

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Jacob Fatu has won gold.

Fatu defeated LA Knight at WrestleMania 41 Saturday to win the United States title for the first time. The finish of the match had Knight go to the top rope, but Fatu cut him off and hit a senton as Knight was still sprawled on the rope. Fatu followed that with consecutive moonsaults for the win.

After the match, Haku appeared at ringside and embraced Fatu as the new US Champion celebrated with the title.

Fatu won the opportunity to face Knight after winning a Last Man Standing match against Braun Strowman, becoming the new number one contender. On the final SmackDown before WrestleMania, Knight was wrestling Solo Sikoa when the match ended after Solo Sikoa interfered. The match was then restarted as a tag team match, ending when Knight scored the win with the BFT.

It is the second title change on the card so far, with Jey Uso defeating Gunther to win the World Heavyweight title in the open.