Jim Ross Recalls Firing Star Who WWE Knew Would Be Great
Jim Ross has reflected on firing Umaga from WWE.
Umaga – real name Eddie Fatu – first joined WWE in 2002 under the ring name Jamal. The star was one-half of Three-Minute Warning alongside his cousin Rosey. The pair got their name from Eric Bischoff, who would give stars three minutes to entertain him before his enforcers would come out and destroy them.
In June 2003, Fatu was abruptly released from the company following a bar fight. The man who got the unpleasant job of telling him he was being let go was then Head of Talent Relations, Jim Ross.
Recalling the incident on his Grilling JR podcast, Ross said that although he knew Fatu “was going to be great,” he couldn’t make exceptions, especially when the man in question seemed to be out of control.
“We knew he was going to be great, but you still can’t make exceptions for somebody that you perceive to be out of control and dangerous, especially someone that big and that strong.
“So, you know, we had to… and he understood that. He knew he messed up, and he took the bat out of her hands. What were we going to do? That’s kind of what that was, Connie. I think that he knew he messed up. Sometimes, it’s time to pay the piper, and that’s the only recourse we had.”
JR told Fatu he had to make some changes, but left him with the hope he could become a huge star if he was able to make his way back to WWE.
“It was just that we have to make a change. Unfortunately, it’s going to cost you your job. Now, you’re going to get plenty of offers to work, and I’m certainly not going to infer that we don’t want you to come back. But you’ve got to see change. You’ve got to get under control. This is not outlaw territory; this is not a bunch of indie dates. This is the real deal here, its the big time.”
“So, it’s going to be the guy you see in the mirror. If you make some changes, get your life under control, and take care of your family— which the people really have always had that mantra: family, family, family. It’s really pleasant, quite frankly. So, you know, I give him hope.
“I gave him hope that he could be a big star here, ‘you might be the biggest star in the entire Samoan family because you got skills that nobody has.’ Of course, The Rock came along and took that spot, but we had a good conversation.”
Fatu returned to the company as the unstoppable Umaga in 2006. His second run saw him involved in memorable feuds with Triple H and John Cena as well as being Vince McMahon’s ‘Champion’ for his Battle of the Billionaires against Donald Trump – represented by Bobby Lashley – at WrestleMania 23.
Umaga was released from the company again in June 2009, this time after his second failure of the Wellness Policy. The star tragically passed away in December that year following a heart attack.
Umaga Knocked Out Steve-O On WWE Raw
In October 2006, Umaga knocked Jackass star Steve-O out cold. He was on the show promoting Jackass Number Two and ended up in a match with the two-time Intercontinental Champion. Unfortunately, Steve-O didn’t follow instructions to stay down, leading to Umaga knocking him unconscious.
H/T to WrestleZone for the above transcription.