Jacob Fatu Breaks Silence On WWE Move

Jacob Fatu’s history with WWE dates back long before his debut in 2024.

In 2015-16, The Samoan Werewolf participated in a tryout, which included other prominent names such as Shayna Baszler, Shotzi Blackheart, Royce Keys, and Eddie Kingston. Reportedly, Scotty 2 Hotty oversaw the sessions as the coach/evaluator.

Despite performing well, Fatu was rejected because of his background. During the evaluation process, Fatu’s misdemeanors came up, resulting in his non-acceptance.

While speaking to Peter Rosenberg on Cheap Heat, Jacob Fatu revealed that the rejection broke him and he had been crying. He then claimed being approached by Norman Smiley and William Regal, who encouraged him to keep the dream alive and try again.

Right before I was about to hop in the car, the referee come give me, ‘Hey, they want to speak to you.’ I remember Norman Smiley and William Regal. ‘Just stay at it. All right, keep working. We know it’s okay.’ This is William Regal, ‘I’m not saying you will ever work for this company.’ Then he goes, ‘My suggestion is just keep staying at it. Just keep going at it.

8 years later, Fatu signed with WWE and made his debut on the June 21, 2024, edition of SmackDown, where he obliterated the trio of Randy Orton, Kevin Owens, and Cody Rhodes, thus aligning with Solo Sikoa as part of the revamped Bloodline.

Jacob Fatu Content With His Time Of WWE Debut

Jacob Fatu is deceptively one of the most agile superstars on the WWE roster. His action during his debut was him only scratching the surface.

Since then, he has been in several high-stakes feuds. He has previously won the Tag Team Championship and the United States Championship. A couple of months ago, he unsuccessfully challenged Roman Reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship twice before becoming a member of the revived Bloodline faction.

Over time, WWE fans have claimed that Jacob Fatu should have debuted sooner in the promotion, as it would have set him up as a top superstar today.

During an appearance on the Hot 97 podcast, the 34-year-old pushed back on the idea and claimed that his debut came at the right time because it allowed him to become more polished and understand the ins and outs of the business.

… I was over there on the independent. Who cares? You know? It took me 12 years to get over there and you know what? They like, ‘Oh, Jacob. Man, you should have been there five years ago.’ No, no, no, no, bro, because I was still learning. See, the difference between me, I was still right here on the block and still trying to figure out my life. But, man, God is good. God is great. Man, we turned that thing around, flipped it around. [H/T: Fightful]

Jacob Fatu is set to compete at SummerSlam in August, where he will team up with The Usos (Jey & Jimmy Uso) to take on LA Knight, Solo Sikoa, and Royce Keys in a six-man tag team match.