2025 was shaping up to be a banner year for Jacob Fatu. After putting down Braun Strowman, the Samoan Werewolf won the United States Championship at WrestleMania and turned babyface at Money in the Bank when Solo Sikoa betrayed him.
Unfortunately, Fatu has been sidelined since October. He was written off television following a backstage attack, which saw him found backstage with a bloody mouth and some of his teeth lying nearby. According to multiple outlets, Fatu needed a real dental procedure, and the angle was a cover to write him off television.
As always, it's been hard not to wonder if something a little more serious is going on. Well, we now have an update from Bodyslam.net, which reports that WWE has big plans for Fatu heading into 2026.
Apparently, the company is looking for the former Bloodline member to have a "breakthrough year," which had already been in the works on SmackDown when he was feuding with Drew McIntyre (that storyline was halted when he was put on the shelf).
As for when we could see Fatu back in a WWE ring, the next month's Royal Rumble PLE in Saudi Arabia seems highly likely.
Earlier this year, Fatu reflected on the time he spent behind bars as a teenager and how that ultimately inspired him to become a professional wrestler. "Man, you know what? Somewhat similar to Charlemagne’s Big Brother story. It just took me one time to go to jail, bro. That was it. I was 18, I had my kids, and I was locked down."
"Even before that, as a juvenile, I was roughheaded—going to juvie, all that. But when you turn 18, you don’t get no passes. They send you straight upstate. So, being locked down, man, it was weird. You’re on the toilet with 12 other dudes facing you. I had to double back. I was sitting in my cell, flipping through the channels—there’s always that one TV—and who comes on? My big cousins, The Usos."
"Sorry if I get emotional, 'cause that moment really changed my life. When I saw them, I knew: this ain’t it," Fatu continued. "This ain’t the move. Like you said, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. Just because you’re a product of your environment doesn’t mean you have to let the environment take you down."
Fatu has the potential to be a world champion in WWE, and 2026 might just be the year it happens. As always, keep checking back here for updates on his status as we have them.