Jacob Fatu Reveals He Was Signed To WWE When WrestleMania 40 Happened, Was Supposed To Debut At 2024 Money In The Bank PLE

Jacob Fatu looks back on his journey through WWE.

Guest appearing on the latest recording of Raw Recap was Jacob Fatu. While discussing his time in WWE thus far, Fatu shared that when WrestleMania 40 took place in April 2024, he was already signed with the company.

Fatu did not know when he would be debuting. He ended up arriving on-screen on a June episode of SmackDown at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois.

“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 went on to joke about how, when he saw Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa make their WWE debuts before him, he made a phone call to ask if he still had a job at WWE.

Jacob added that he was originally supposed to debut at the 2024 Money in the Bank Premium Live Event, which was one month before he debuted.

“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.”

Fatu is scheduled to compete at his second consecutive WrestleMania. He’ll be in an Unsanctioned match against Drew McIntyre on night one of WrestleMania 42.

If the quotes in this article are used, please credit Raw Recap with an H/T to Fightful for the transcriptions.