Jacob Fatu was already a signed WWE talent when he attended WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia, but it turns out the wrestling world was completely in the dark about the Somoan Werewolf's arrival.
Having built a formidable reputation on the independent scene with his explosive athleticism, devastating power moves, and high-flying capabilities, his transition to the world's largest wrestling company unfolded quietly behind the scenes. When his debut happened, it was a month sooner than he expected.
Appearing on the latest RAW Recap, Fatu looked back on the lead-up to his WWE debut and revealed how far back his behind-the-scenes presence with the company actually goes.
"Yeah, I was there. WrestleMania 40. WrestleMania 40 pulled up. A lot of people don’t know, a lot of my independent career took off in Philadelphia so to be there, that WrestleMania during that time, it was something special," he recalled. "I got there at WrestleMania, still didn’t know, I was signed already. I just got signed, but I didn’t know when I was coming."
"Day after WrestleMania 40, met everybody, said what’s up. We were at the Hall of Fame, I was sitting in Gorilla Position. Nobody could see me. I was hooded up. Everybody [was] walking by, and I was tripping out," Fatu added. "I seen my brother Solo, I seen my brother Big Jim, see Mr. Yeet Man. I was in there with Roman, the Tribal Chief and O.G. Paul Heyman so, to go out there and be a part of that, it was off the rip."
Fatu also reflected on the moment Reigns gave him a crucial piece of advice before he left that weekend, one that stuck with him heading into his debut.
"I just remember when Roman seen me, when I left that WrestleMania 40 weekend, he said, 'Jacob, do whatever you gotta do. But when you come back, look different.' I was already looking different at that time. But, two more months, came in and got it rolling."
As noted, the debut itself came later than originally planned. Fatu revealed he was supposed to show up for the first time at Money in the Bank 2024, one month before he actually debuted.
"The day after WrestleMania 40, seen Tama Tonga come over. Tama Tonga’s a beast, a workhorse, a dog. Seen him, man, okay. Didn’t know they was coming," he explained. "Backlash, France, seen Tanga Loa pop up. I’m like, 'Okay.' I gotta call brother up and them, 'Hey man, I still got a job over there?' I ain’t know what was going on. But man, it all fell together. It all came together. I was supposed to debut at Money in the Bank. Next thing you know, they called. Man, a couple days and was like, 'We doing it on SmackDown.' Nobody seen it coming."
On June 21, 2024, during an episode of SmackDown, Fatu made his shocking television debut. During Solo Sikoa's match against Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, Fatu took out not only Rhodes but also Randy Orton and Kevin Owens.
His in-ring WWE debut followed at Money in the Bank 2024 on July 6, where he teamed with Sikoa and Tama Tonga to defeat Rhodes, Orton, and Owens in a six-man tag team match. Shortly after, on the August 2 episode of SmackDown, Fatu and Tama Tonga captured the WWE Tag Team Championship by defeating DIY.
Now, Fatu makes his second consecutive WrestleMania appearance in an Unsanctioned Match against Drew McIntyre on Night 1 of the Show of Shows this Saturday.