Jacob Fatu has spoken candidly about the four months he missed at the end of 2025 due to dental surgery — time away that he acknowledges likely cost him significant career opportunities at a pivotal moment in his WWE trajectory. Speaking with Shakiel Mahjouri of CBS Sports, Fatu kept perspective while acknowledging the frustration of what he missed.
“I probably missed out on a lot of opportunities, but it is what it is. 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,” Fatu said.
Jacob Fatu Was Set to Face Drew McIntyre for a WWE Championship Shot Before His Injury Wrote Him Off TV
The timing of his absence was particularly difficult. Fatu’s last TV match before surgery was in August 2025, and he was subsequently written off television through a backstage attack angle just before he was scheduled to face Drew McIntyre in a match where the winner would challenge Cody Rhodes for the title. Instead, he disappeared for months before returning in January. Now, in what feels like the universe course-correcting, Fatu is set to face McIntyre at WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas — the match that was stolen from him months ago, now on the biggest stage possible. “It’s where I’m supposed to be,” Fatu said. “It’s the best fit right now. There’s a fan side of me sometimes that feels like, ‘Damn, I’m really here.’ It’ll be a good outlet.”
