Jacob Fatu Explains Why His Late Arrival to WWE was a Blessing in Disguise (Exclusive)

Everyone's journey in life is different, and sometimes it takes you a little bit longer to get to your desired destination than your peers.

That's certainly true for Jacob Fatu, who burst onto the scene in WWE less than two years ago after working well over a decade to earn the opportunity.

The checkered past of the Samoan Werewolf is well documented. He was arrested and convicted for his role in an armed robbery when he was 18-years-old, a fact that he's never tried to hide from the public eye. He often refers to that moment as a turning point in his life and the start of his transformation into a WWE Superstar.

Jacob Fatu needed that 12 year journey to WWE in order to be successful

Fatu spoke to The Takedown on SI during WWE 2K26 Creator Fest back in February. He said it may have been a lengthy road to travel to make it to this point in his career, but he's grateful that everything played out exactly the way it did.

He needed every minute of every day to mature into someone who wouldn't squander a life-changing opportunity when it presented itself.

"I'm the cousin that wasn't supposed to be here," Fatu said. "I've been on the independents for 12 years. [People] said, 'Jacob, you should have been here five years ago.' No, Jacob should not have. Jacob probably would've been fired. Jacob probably would've been let go. I needed that time to grow as a man. No matter if I had seven kids or not, I still needed time to grow, you know what I mean? And I'm glad it took me as long as it did to get here to WWE."

Fatu said the timing of his arrival could not have been better. He aligned himself with his real-life cousin, Solo Sikoa, and helped write the next chapter of The Bloodline Saga, which had dominated pro wrestling headlines over the previous four years. And he was more than ready to handle that responsibility.

He was an instant hit with the WWE Universe, and by the time WrestleMania 41 rolled around the following April, The Samoan Werewolf had separated from his Bloodline pack. He stood on his own two feet inside of Allegiant Stadium and left Las Vegas with the Men's United States Championship draped around his neck.

"The only thing I remember was my son being in the crowd, and instead of walking back up the ramp, I took the belt and I hopped the barricade," Jacob said with a chuckle. "Shout out WWE security, sorry Hunter. We got one of the OG cats named Hunter on security and he ran from one side of the stadium all the way to the other. Nobody knew I was gonna jump the barricade."

Whether it's getting his WrestleMania moment, or standing on the red carpet at a WWE 2K26 event, it's all still a surreal experience for Jacob Fatu and he's enjoying every minute of it.

His joy and excitement was felt up and down media row inside the WWE Headquarters during Creator Fest as he gave hugs and handshakes to all the reporters and influencers who had covered him during his days on the independent circuit.

That same positive and infectious energy is what helped get him through the only real setback of his WWE career to date. He was forced to miss the final three months of 2025 after undergoing a significant dental procedure, but Fatu certainly subscribes to the belief that everything happens for a reason.

"That time I was down, I missed out on a lot of opportunities... I probably would've had a chance to work with Cena. I kind of feel like, maybe I could've been inside the Elimination Chamber, you know what I mean? But overall, nah man, it's all timing. It's all God's timing. It's all your timing, so I just feel like it did happen. It is what it is. I can't go back and stress on it. I just keep moving forward. Keep pushing, man. Keep smiling. That's it."

.@jacobfatu_wwe said not today! 😤 pic.twitter.com/9MF8lQcpjH
— WWE (@WWE) March 7, 2026

Next up for The Samoan Werewolf appears to be his second consecutive appearance at the 'Showcase of the Immortals'. There was hope amongst the fanbase that his recent interactions with Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre would earn him an opportunity to fight for the WWE Championship on the biggest show of 2026.

That no longer appears to be in the cards with Rhodes now on a separate path toward his showdown with Randy Orton, but Fatu joked with The Takedown on SI that he shouldn't have lost as many matches as he has recently.

Fatu did cost McIntyre the WWE Title this past Friday night on SmackDown, and he is very likely now on a collision course with The Scottish Warrior. And it's very clear when that battle will take place.