Roman Reigns-Jacob Fatu WWE Feud Has Caused Real-Life Friction

Jacob Fatu revealed that friction has developed in The Bloodline family due to his feud with Roman Reigns.

Roman Reigns won the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 42 Night Two by defeating CM Punk in the main event. On RAW after ‘Mania, the OTC reunited with The Usos. However, Jacob Fatu soon interrupted and challenged his cousin for the title at Backlash 2026. The Samoan Werewolf said he wanted everything that Reigns had. 

Reigns gave Fatu a week to think about the challenge and said he was not ready to carry the burden of a world title. The following week, the former US Champ interruoted Reigns’ promo and attacked him with the Tongan Death Grip, following which Reigns accepted the challenge for Backlash.

That challenge is built entirely on grievance. Fatu’s position is clear – he came out of prison, Solo Sikoa was the one who brought him to WWE, and Roman Reigns never did anything for him or his family. He wants the title specifically to provide a better life for his children. The build has been one-sided by design.

Fatu has had the upper hand every week, most recently putting Reigns through the table during the contract signing on the May 4 episode of RAW. The feud works on television. Off-screen, the dynamic is more complicated.

Jacob Fatu confirms his feud with Roman Reigns has caused friction in the family

On the latest episode of the No Contest Wrestling Podcast, Fatu revealed that the intensity of the program, specifically his use of the Tongan Death Grip on family members, has created genuine tension within the real-life family.

This is the side that people don’t see, yeah there’s friction from the elders. If you know our culture and you know us — I’m not just talking about Samoans and Tongans, I’m talking about our Polynesian people — you know how family means so much to us. I mean, look at The Bloodline. We talk about our children, we talk a lot because it’s family over everything. So yeah, it is different. Yeah man, there’s a little friction here and there, especially with the OGs, the ones who are actually back at home and back in San Francisco next to the Cow Palace. It’s a little different, especially having our cousins, there’s a lot of us. Of course they don’t want to see us go at it, our cousins, they’re not no fans to where it’s different when they see us working somebody else compared to us working together. They seen it with Roman, they’re seen it with Jey. That didn’t start off good, but then once The Bloodline started coming, we started to understand. Now, it’s different. [H/T Fightful]

It will be interesting to see who comes out victorious at Backlash this Saturday in Tampa.

Also read: Jacob Fatu Breaks Character To Acknowledge Roman Reigns Before WWE Backlash