Jacob Fatu shares what Roman Reigns told him backstage before WWE WrestleMania 42
Roman Reigns met Jacob Fatu backstage at WWE WrestleMania 42 and encouraged him to stay grounded before his Unsanctioned Match against Drew McIntyre.
Speaking with Daniel Cormier, Fatu revealed he got emotional ahead of his WrestleMania match with Drew McIntyre. Backstage, Reigns approached him and offered reassurance, encouraging Fatu to calm his nerves, enjoy the moment and take it all in. Fatu also expressed gratitude for his 2-0 streak at WrestleMania within his two-year WWE tenure.
“Nah, but yesterday was, it was emotional. It didn’t hit me until I actually was getting ready to walk out. I’m so nervous. I seen a couple cats on the way. I seen my big Uce, I seen the Tribal Chief Roman Reigns yesterday. Right before I walked out. He still calls me Jake, Jakester, Jakey, you know what I mean? So he had to (tell me), you know, ‘hey, man, calm down. Enjoy the moment,’ you know? Something that my wife always tells me, but Roman was like, ‘just take it all in,’ and before I went out, man, being ready, having my gear on and locked in, just thinking about all the tough times, all the struggle, everything to bring me to this moment right here. I mean, come on, I’m very blessed to be in WWE for two years and be 2-0 at WrestleMania right out the gate.”
Fatu had high praise for his WrestleMania 42 opponent, acknowledging the impact he had on their match and buildup.
“Drew McIntyre ain’t no regular guy. He’s a beast. So, it might sound weird, but shout out to Drew”
“No, he’s not (a normal dude). I mean we got to think about what he’s been doing. I feel like this would have never happened, it would have never had got to where it went if it wasn’t for Drew McIntyre.”
Fatu defeated McIntyre on Night One of the Premium Live Event last weekend. On the Raw after Mania, Fatu challenged Reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship at Backlash. He claimed that it was not a want but a need to have everything Reigns does.
Reigns outlined the responsibilities that go hand-in-hand with being World Champion. He did not give Fatu a definitive response but instead gave him a week to think it over. As the show came to a close, Reigns was heard telling Jimmy Uso to talk some sense into Fatu.
Rosanne Raphael is a wrestling writer with over three and a half years of experience covering all things related to the industry. From a kindergarten teacher to PR Associate to turning her lifelong passion for the industry into a career, Rosanne is currently writing for F4W Online where she focuses on wrestling news, analysis, and storytelling.
Rosanne previously contributed to Sportskeeda as an Assistant Content Manager.
When not consumed by wrestling, Rosanne is a musician and an aspiring artist.