In a deeply personal and candid interview on the Cheap Heat podcast during SummerSlam weekend, WWE Superstar Jacob Fatu opened up about his journey to the company, crediting professional wrestling with saving his life after a difficult past that included jail time. Fatu also spoke on his gratitude, his family, and his mindset heading into his United States Championship steel cage match against his cousin, Solo Sikoa.
“It Saved My Life”
Fatu, a member of the legendary Anoa’i wrestling dynasty, was open about his struggles as a young man. “My background, you know, when I was 18, I got, what, 211 robbery. And I’m from California,” he said, also noting he was incarcerated multiple times. He detailed the moment that changed his perspective. “Being locked up in jail that first time… You don’t get no privacy over there… that was the worst man, seeing my parents come visit me in that thing… man, what the hell.” He later added, “That’s why, when y’all see me here, I’m so thankful I’m here, because I know what it could have been. Man, my kids could have grew up with no dad.”
The Call from WWE
Before arriving in WWE, Fatu was a dominant champion in Major League Wrestling (MLW), but he revealed he kept his contract status quiet after it expired in 2024. He stated he never asked his famous cousins for a job, but that he did hear from two key figures. “Mr. William Regal would text me throughout the years, through the email like, ‘hey man, let us know what’s going on,'” he recalled. Ultimately, the official call came from a man with deep ties to his family. “It was from Paul Heyman,” Fatu said. “Mr. Heyman had always been, I mean, always been tapped in… it wasn’t like Paul Heyman just been around Roman… like Paul Heyman’s really been around the family.”
The Bloodline Motivation
While he never asked for a handout, Fatu said that watching the success of The Bloodline was a major driving force for him. “It was more motivating for me watching them, because I’m a fan of my brothers… I’m such a fan of their work. I felt what they was doing as a fan,” he said. He also noted that their success helped his own career on the independents. “Because what they were doing up here, okay, the independents, we can’t get them. Okay, we’re gonna get the closest thing, Jacob Fatu.”
The Conflict with Solo Sikoa
Fatu addressed his current, intense feud with his cousin, Solo Sikoa, acknowledging the truth behind some of Sikoa’s on-screen promos. “I know we’re going through this right now, me and Solo… But Solo’s done a lot, like in those promos, he is right, like he has helped me out. You know, there has been times where before I got to WWE, you know, I didn’t care about nothing but myself.” He views the match as a family matter, saying, “at the end of the day, it’s family, you know, if you don’t fight with your family, man, you ain’t family.”
A Grateful Mindset
Throughout the interview, Fatu repeatedly expressed gratitude, especially for his wife, who supported him during his time in jail. “If you don’t got nobody outside when you go to jail, you’re not getting commissary, you’re not getting money on your books… that’s why I knew my wife was the one,” he said. “It feel good to come up with somebody who was there in the gutter with me grinding. So when they say, ‘congratulations, Jacob Fatu, you deserve it,’ nah, bro, that woman… my wife, and God, done put a whole lot of hard work into this.”
Jacob Fatu will challenge his cousin Solo Sikoa for the United States Championship in a Steel Cage match at SummerSlam this Sunday, August 3. The full, candid interview can be heard on the Cheap Heat podcast.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit The Cheap Heat Podcast with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription
