Jacob Fatu closed out the May 1, 2026 episode of WWE SmackDown by interrupting the main event tag match, locking the Tongan Death Grip on both Solo Sikoa and Talla Tonga, putting Talla through the announce desk with a Samoan Drop, and walking past The Usos without so much as touching them on his way to a final mic moment for Roman Reigns. Backlash is May 9 in Tampa, Florida, and Fatu used the closing minutes of SmackDown to remind everyone what’s coming.
The Setup
The Bloodline angle ran through the entire show. Solo Sikoa and Talla Tonga came to the ring early in the night and Sikoa cut a promo about Fatu’s attack on the MFTs the previous week.
“Last week on SmackDown, Jacob Fatu made a big big mistake,” Sikoa said. “Even though Jacob took out my army, he took out Talla’s family, and Tonga’s family is my family. His brothers are my brothers. His blood is my blood. So when his ass gets to this building, he’s a dead man walking.”
The Usos came out and Big Jim Uso said the MFTs weren’t the only ones with a Fatu problem.
“You have an issue with the Samoan Werewolf, but you’ve gotta understand you’re not the only one with issues with him. Roman Reigns has a big, big problem with him too. The mistake Fatu made wasn’t taking the MFTs out, it was putting hands on the Tribal Chief.”
Jey Uso added a layer about the Tongan Death Grip being a sacred move handed down through the Tonga family that Talla’s father used.
“Once Reigns is done with Fatu, then you can have him. We’re not asking, we’re telling.”
Sikoa laughed at his brothers, walked off, then signaled Talla, who turned and attacked both Usos. Sikoa got on the mic on his way out: “Tell Reigns he isn’t my Tribal Chief. We don’t care what Roman wants or needs. Fatu is a dead man, regardless.”
The Royce Keys Tease
Backstage, Royce Keys was on the phone when Jacob Fatu walked up. Keys hung up and the two shook hands. Keys reminisced about their 15-year friendship before WWE, driving 10 hours to wrestle indie shows and still working warehouse shifts.
“The Bloodline is back in business and we’ll take whatever we want,” Keys told Fatu. “I need you to werewolf your ass and get on top. Maybe being in WWE made you forget the smell of the streets, but people like us take everything we want.”
The two shook hands again and went to walk off together. The MFTs blindsided them. Talla Tonga slammed Fatu through a table and the MFTs laid out Keys before officials broke things up. Yahoo Sports called the Keys-Fatu pairing “a money pairing & 2 guys who can wreck the main event scene.”
The Main Event And Closing Angle
The actual main event was Solo Sikoa and Talla Tonga vs. The Usos. Talla dominated most of the match, even hitting a Hulk Hogan-style leg drop. The Usos got their hot tag with Jey landing a suicide dive, a top-rope cross body, and a spear that Talla broke up. The finish came when Talla threw Jimmy into the steel steps and started tearing apart the announce desk. Jacob Fatu came out of the crowd and attacked Talla, drawing the disqualification.
Fatu smashed Talla with the steel steps. He turned to Solo Sikoa in the ring. The two stared each other down — and Solo reminded him that he loved him.
Fatu locked Sikoa in the Tongan Death Grip anyway.
Talla tried to make the save and Fatu cut him off. Talla caught Fatu with a goozle on the steel steps but Fatu reversed it into a Tongan Death Grip on Talla too. Then Fatu hit a Samoan Drop on Talla through the announce desk.
Fatu got in the ring with The Usos, who had just been beaten up for 15 minutes. He cold-shouldered them, walked between them without making contact, and got on the mic on the ramp.
“Tell Roman Reigns I’m gonna dogwalk his ass at Backlash. I’m all gas, no brakes. Yaddamean?”
That closed the show.
