Jacob Fatu believes he missed out on a lot of opportunities due to injury.
The Samoan Werewolf had his momentum derailed after emerging as arguably WWE SmackDown’s biggest breakout star in 2025.
Fatu was supposed to collide with Drew McIntyre for a shot at the Undisputed WWE Championship before an alleged botched dental procedure put him on the shelf in October.
Jacob Fatu’s return on the January 9 episode of SmackDown wasn’t without controversy. The Samoan Werewolf surfaced during the main event steel cage match between Cody Rhodes and McIntyre for the Undisputed WWE Championship.
However, the run-in proved to be a blessing in disguise for the Scottish Warrior, who escaped via the cage door while Fatu and Rhodes threw hands inside the ring. McIntyre would later drop the title back to Cody Rhodes.
Jacob Fatu reflects on injury absence from WWE
Speaking to Shakiel Mahjouri of CBS Sports at WWE 2K26’s hands-on event, Fatu admitted he missed out on a lot of opportunities due to his 11-week absence from wrestling TV.
“I probably missed out on a lot of opportunities, but it is what it is,” he said. “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 and McIntyre have since drifted away from the Undisputed WWE Championship picture, which was shaken up following Randy Orton’s heel turn against Cody Rhodes last month. However, the Samoan Werewolf is now focusing on his WrestleMania program with McIntyre.
“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.”
READ MORE: Jacob Fatu Believes WWE Would’ve Released Him If He Signed Earlier
