On the latest episode of the Rikishi Fatu Off The Top podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi gave his candid thoughts on the current state of The Bloodline storyline, including the recent disappearance and return of Jacob Fatu, Solo Sikoa’s United States Championship reign, and the potential for his son, Jey Uso, to become the next Tribal Chief. The patriarch of the legendary wrestling family hinted that major developments are on the horizon.
Rikishi first addressed the handling of Solo Sikoa, who recently lost the United States Championship to Sami Zayn. He questioned the creative direction for his son during his title reign. “Did we really, really give Solo something?” Rikishi asked. “When he won the strap, what did we do? What did the booking committee do? What did the company do?” He suggested that despite the family’s proven talent, the ultimate decisions come down to business and “the bag.”
The conversation then turned to Jacob Fatu, whose momentum was seemingly halted after his explosive debut. Fatu was absent from television for over a month following his cage match with Solo Sikoa at SummerSlam, a move that left many, including Rikishi, perplexed. “What would happen to Jacob?” Rikishi asked rhetorically. “Jacob comes out, he’s steaming. They got everything behind him. They just lighting this kid up on fire. Everything they threw at this kid, he came correct, he stand on business, and all of a sudden, poof, like a Houdini move.”
Following his return on a recent episode of SmackDown where he attacked Drew McIntyre, Rikishi expressed hope that the company would fully commit to Fatu’s push. He gave a detailed assessment of his nephew’s talent and his belief that he has yet to be properly utilized. “No doubt Jacob can work with anybody, absolutely anybody,” Rikishi stated. “If it’s done right again, this kid here has got talent. We all know what type of talent he has… You guys really know this kid here, as far as the talent that he has in and out the squared circle.”
Rikishi continued, elaborating on his feeling that Fatu’s potential has not been fully unlocked. “I’ve always said this from the beginning, that if you book Jacob with the right people, you gonna get money out this kid here,” he said. “Because the thing that he does in the ring, man, I still, to this day, I still don’t think that they have booked him with the right people and lit gasoline up behind him to really push this thing to make it work. It’s just been just little teases. We see Jacob’s skills, we see his talent, we see his popularity is just catching on fire. But there’s still, there’s still that… you can see the top of the hill, but you ain’t got over yet. I don’t even think he on the porch yet. He should be in the house having some sweet tea by now.”
Regarding the official reunion of his sons, The Usos, Rikishi called it a “beautiful thing for the fans” and a “cash cow” for the company. He noted the powerful connection the team has with the audience, pointing out how the crowd seamlessly blended their classic “Day One Ish” catchphrase with Jey’s new “Yeet” phenomenon. He described them as being in high demand across all forms of media because of their connection to “that urban life.”
The most intriguing part of the discussion came when the host mentioned Roman Reigns’ return on Monday Night Raw, during which he embraced Jey Uso and whispered something to him. When asked if Jey was being positioned to become the next Tribal Chief, Rikishi was cryptic. “That’s going to be a story to follow very, very close, because there’s so many twists and turns,” he said. “Something is about ready to blow up. And it might be Bloodline 2026.” He explained that the company is likely monitoring fan reactions to the various storyline threads before committing to its next major move.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Rikishi Fatu Off The Top with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
