Is Jacob Fatu hurt? - 4 reasons why WWE is keeping him away from Roman ReignsÂ
With Roman Reigns back in the fold, a Bloodline Civil War is all but guaranteed, but the question is: Why did WWE hold off on a Reigns/Jacob Fatu interaction at SummerSlam 2024?
This year's Biggest Party of the Summer culminated with Cody Rhodes reigning supreme against Solo Sikoa, thanks to a timely assist by Roman Reigns. However, minutes before The Original Tribal Chief's music hit, Jacob Fatu was helping Sikoa squash The American Nightmare's chances of retaining the WWE Championship.
Interestingly, while hitting a massive splash on Cody through the announce table, The Samoan Werewolf seemingly got hurt, which took him out of the equation just in time for Reigns to make his grand return.
Now, the WWE Universe is eager to find out if Jacob is actually hurt. If not, fans are interested to find out why WWE is keeping him away from The Big Dog.
#4. WWE wants a proper build-up to their first interaction
If the last four years are any indication, the creative team helming the Bloodline storyline loves the slow-burn approach. Every exciting twist, faceoff, and match is meant to be a reward for the fans patiently glued to this storyline.
That said, ever since Jacob Fatu's arrival in the Stamford-based promotion, fans and critics alike have been lauding him as the next big thing. So far, he has been booked as a total monster, laying out the likes of Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, and Kevin Owens without any difficulty.
So, it must not have made much sense for Roman Reigns to render The Samoan Werefolf ineffective with just a single Superman Punch while his eyes were on Solo. Given the mean streak Jacob is on, he needs to be presented as a threat that even The Big Dog would have trouble taking down.
So, their first physical altercation must be presented as a major deal, with not even a remote chance of it being overshadowed by anything else on the show. That could be a strong reason why the two didn't interact at all during the SummerSlam 2024 main event.
#3. Jacob Fatu is legitimately hurt
Since Fatu's addition to The New Bloodline, several fans have pointed out that he's been the MVP of the faction.
From being a no-nonsense annihilator between the bells to looking menacing while standing behind his Tribal Chief during promos, the 32-year-old newcomer has been a must-see part of Friday nights. So, it would be a real bummer if word gets out that he was actually hurt while performing the splash.
Fatu's exclusion from any sort of physicality between Roman Reigns and The New Bloodline would tremendously hurt the program. But the thing about injuries in WWE is that they don't shy away from popping up at the absolute worst times.
So, while everybody would hope otherwise, there's a solid chance that The Original Tribal Chief and one-half of the WWE Tag Team Champions didn't come to blows last Saturday due to the latter genuinely not being fit enough to perform.
#2. The Samoan Werewolf wants to become The Tribal Chief before challenging Roman Reigns
There's a popular saying in the world of professional wrestling that goes, 'To be the man, you gotta beat the man!'
While Fatu has been vocal about his acknowledgment of Solo Sikoa as his Tribal Chief, The Street Fighter still has to prove that he's fit to take charge of the biggest faction in the business currently. He had the chance to do so by becoming the WWE Champion at SummerSlam, but he failed. Now, his best shot at securing his seat at The Head of the Table is by beating the guy who sits there right now: Roman Reigns.
Amidst all this drama, fans shouldn't discard Jacob Fatu's interest in claiming the throne, especially if Solo is unable to defeat The Big Dog. The self-proclaimed leader of The Bloodline's disappointing performances could prompt Jacob to topple his throne and claim it for himself.
Once he's on top, he could formally challenge Reigns to a duel, thus adding legitimate stakes and an unshakeable vibe of a big-fight feel to their match. If that turns out to be the case, it makes sense why The Enforcer would prefer to watch the action from the sidelines for now.
#1. Jacob Fatu is a mole appointed by Reigns to infiltrate the Solo Sikoa-led faction
Roman Reigns is no stranger to being betrayed. From Seth Rollins attacking him to end The Shield to Sami Zayn choosing Kevin Owens over The Tribal Chief, Reigns has had his fair share of heartbreak on WWE TV.
So, it makes perfect sense for him to now have contingency plans and safeguard himself against additional backstabbing. The way Solo forcefully assumed the role of Tribal Chief in Reigns' absence could have prompted The Big Dog to take action from the shadows.
He might have secretly recruited Jacob Fatu and tasked him with winning Solo's trust while The Original Tribal Chief gets his squad ready for battle.
With that being a possibility, it's easy to understand why Reigns and The Samoan Werewolf didn't cross paths in the Bloodlines Rules match.