September 3, 2022. A bevy of wrestlers, both independent and of the TNA ilk filter in and out of a conference room at The Hyatt Regency in Schaumburg, IL. A live stream of WWE Clash At The Castle plays on a projector. Conrad Thompson is there. As is David Crockett. As is Jeff Jarrett. As is Road Dogg. As is Jacob Fatu.
It’s main event time. Drew McIntyre looks to make music against Roman Reigns and Glasgow is the Scotsman’s soundtrack. Everyone, mark and mat expert alike are glued to the action, but an explosion of emotion comes from the right side of the room when Solo Sikoa debuts, infamously costing Drew his shot at WWE gold and adding another inning to The Bloodline story. That energy burst came from Fatu, elated for his cousin. His Uce.
Now that kinship is full circle. Jacob Fatu is in WWE and it’s been a long time coming. The son of The Tonga Kid is getting that chance to shine under Paul Levesque’s watch and we are all in store for something special.
The Samoan Dynasty Epitomized In Jacob Fatu
‘The Samoan Werewolf’ made a debut that would make Lon Chaney Jr. blush as he tore top babyfaces apart protecting Solo Sikoa on SmackDown. This further adds to the chaotic and violent element that Wiseman Paul Heyman has been so fearful of, but behind the scenes Roman’s main counsel has to be grinning like a butcher’s dog at Fatu’s limitless ceiling. Fatu carries the pure presence of Umaga, the cool factor of a “Main Event” Jey Uso, and the pro wrestling acumen of Afa and Sika. He’s got the x-factor to the extreme and will elevate anyone who works with him.
Fatu had the opportunity to show his versatility against an array of talent in Major League Wrestling, most notably feuding with Alex Hammerstone over that World Title gold. He was really put in that top position starting off as the head soldier in CONTRA Unit, dominant as Brock Lesnar was during that same time with no one taking the title off him until he clashed with Hammerstone. Anyone that fell to his wrath were lucky if they literally weren’t body-bagged by his Sentai Death Squad insurgents, but it was a great way to position a monster of many talents.
WATCH: Jacob Fatu vs. Alex Hammerstone At MLW Fightland (Full Match)
Fatu’s menace made his eventual babyface all the more meaningful. After his loss to Hammerstone, fans got to see the human side of the San Fran Samoan. Instead of shying away from it, Fatu and MLW embraced Jacob’s troubled past, diving in deep to what made the monster tick. The peeling back of the page put Fatu in an even better spot of connecting with fans. Aside from Cody Rhodes, there may not be one person better at it.
Connection With Legacy & With Fans
Jacob Fatu is as real as a real one comes. Back in 2022, Fatu was in the aforementioned Shaumburg (a suburban purgatory outside of Chicago) for Josh Shernoff’s Premier Wrestling Showcase, a tournament highlighting a who’s who of indie names. Fatu didn’t win, but the fans sure did. The event was paired in tandem with Conrad Thompson’s AdFreeShows’ Top Guy Weekend while also being the same weekend of the infamous All Out 2022. Fatu went out of his way to make himself apart of the festivities in the surrounding area. Instead of partying with the boys, Fatu partied with the fans. He invited them to do whatever he was doing, made them feel included and apart of something special.
Fatu didn’t just respect the fans that weekend, but the legacy of the business as well. In addition to Jeff Jarrett being in the building, so was his father, the late Jerry Jarrett. Fatu had me track down Jerry to make sure he got his photo taken with the Memphis legend. Jerry was grateful and Jacob was beaming. There was no cooler moment to witness seeing two names in the business, separated by several generations make that unique connection – one that will never happen again.
From a locker room perspective, Fatu is one to lead by example. He never rah-rahed the troops, but he didn’t need to. Everything he did seemed effortless yet always full of passion and energy. His sense of humor kept the busy environment light-hearted and fun to be around. He should fit right in with what WWE is aiming to cultivate.
Something that will always stand out too is Fatu’s instinct within the ropes. During a match in Philadelphia, Fatu appeared to legitimately hurt his leg doing a move, but worked the whole bout nonetheless. It wasn’t until after the fact where everyone discovered he just did that to sell the match even further. It’s in his blood.
When it’s all said and done, that “Head Of The Table” designation in WWE could very well go to Jacob Fatu. And he’s earned it.