WWE’s Jacob Fatu reflects on missed opportunities

Jacob Fatu missed the last four months of 2025 after undergoing dental surgery. Now while he’s trying to move forward, he’s also looking back on what might have been.

Fatu discussed his situation in an interview with Shakiel Mahjouri of CBS Sports. “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’s last TV match before his surgery was a victory in a trios match, teaming with Jey Uso & Sami Zayn to defeat Solo Sikoa & JC Mateo & Tonga Loa on SmackDown last August. He wrestled several dark matches in August and September, but then was written off TV after being allegedly attacked backstage.

The “attack” came just before Fatu was to wrestle Drew McIntyre, with the winner going on to challenge Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship. Instead, he vanished for months, returning in January to get involved in a cage match between McIntyre and Rhodes, a match in which McIntyre won the title.

As for Fatu, he’s now set to wrestle McIntyre at WrestleMania.

“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.”