Fatu has his eyes on the future and what's to come instead of dwelling on what could have been
By Shakiel Mahjouri Apr 3, 2026 at 3:25 pm ET • 2 min read 
Getty Images Jacob Fatu is making up for lost time. Last year, Fatu was one match away from challenging undisputed WWE champion Cody Rhodes before suffering an undisclosed injury. Now, he's on the outside looking in as Rhodes defends the title against Randy Orton.
Things move fast in professional wrestling. Injuries, fan reactions and decision-makers' whims can upend creative direction and, by nature, talent trajectory. Fatu was scheduled to wrestle Drew McIntyre in a No. 1 contenders match for the undisputed WWE title back in October. Instead, an injury wrote him off television before the match.
It's too bold to declare that Fatu's injury cost him a world title or WrestleMania 42 main event. Those weren't the most likely scenarios. But Fatu was arguably SmackDown's biggest breakout star in 2025, and primed to carry that momentum into a main event program. By his admission, the 11-week absence cost him.
"I probably missed out on a lot of opportunities, but it is what it is," Fatu told CBS Sports at WWE 2K26's hands-on event in in February. "They say in this business, 'Things happen, and the show must go on.' I missed out, but what was I going to do? I couldn't sit there and dwell. No, none of that."
Fatu's fortitude wasn't foolproof. He admittedly licked his wounds for the first month on the shelf. But the time off rekindled the same spirit that drove him from WWE debutant to main event prospect in two years.
"I felt that way the first month, but after that, you must learn to keep moving and keep pushing," he said. "Instead of the past, you must manifest for the future. I really had to double back and tap in with myself, mentally and physically. I had to remember who 'The Samoan Werewolf' Jacob Fatu was at the end of the day."
Fatu's emphatic return in January instantly reinserted him into the title picture. For much of 2026, he still appeared to be in the running for a WrestleMania main event. Most of the year was spent feuding with McIntyre and Rhodes, both of whom held the undisputed WWE title at points during the program. Fatu and McIntyre have since split off into a non-title feud, but "The Samoan Werewolf" is very much on the main event scent.
Fatu has a meaty consolation prize in the absence of an undisputed title match. He is sinking his teeth into a WrestleMania program with McIntyre, the most recent undisputed champion before Rhodes. It's a major milestone 22 months into his main roster run.
"It's where I'm supposed to be. It's the best fit right now," Fatu said. "I'm not with regular people. These are not regular people. These are names that have done huge things in WWE. Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes. It's not overwhelming, but there's a fan side of me sometimes, a little bit, that feels like, 'Damn, I'm really here. Tapping in with them.' It'll be a good outlet."
Fatu learned the hard way that WWE doesn't wait around for most. After a meteoric rise from debutant to main event contender, he's learning to move with it. The opportunities he missed may be gone, but the version of himself chasing the next one looks more certain than ever.
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