Summary

Jacob Fatu said he was already under WWE contract by the time WrestleMania 40 weekend took place in Philadelphia, even though he still had no idea when he would make his on-screen debut.

Speaking on Raw Recap, Fatu recalled being backstage during WrestleMania week, including the Hall of Fame, while keeping a low profile as he met people around the company. He eventually debuted on a June episode of SmackDown in Rosemont, Illinois, but said the original plan was for him to arrive at Money in the Bank 2024 instead.

The timing adds more detail to Fatu's early WWE timeline, especially after he recently said missing WWE WarGames forced him to reset.

Quote from Jacob Fatu

Fatu said:

"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. 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 walking by, and I was tripping out. I seen my brother Solo (Sikoa), I seen my brother Big Jim, see Mr. Yeet Man… I was in there with Roman (Reigns), 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 later went on to say:

"I just remember when Roman (Reigns) 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. The day after WrestleMania 40, seen Tama, Tama Tonga come over. Tama Tonga’s a beast, a workhorse, a dog, you know what I mean? Seen him, man, okay. Didn’t know they was coming. 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."

What Jacob Fatu's timeline says about WWE's Bloodline plans

Fatu being signed by WrestleMania 40 means WWE had him in the mix while the Bloodline story was still moving through one of its biggest stretches. Even if his debut was pushed back from Money in the Bank to SmackDown, the company was clearly positioning him as part of that wider family rollout once Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa had already appeared.

It also gives a little more context to how WWE viewed Fatu before he ever showed up on television. Roman Reigns telling him to come back looking different, and Fatu eventually debuting a month earlier than the original premium live event plan, suggests the company was still adjusting how and when to introduce him on the main roster.

Sources

As reported by Fightful.