For weeks now, WWE has been teasing some serious cracks in Solo Sikoa’s faction—and this past Friday on SmackDown, those cracks got a whole lot wider.
The tension between United States Champion Jacob Fatu and Solo Sikoa reached a boiling point during a segment where Sikoa introduced the newest Bloodline member, JC Mateo (formerly Jeff Cobb). After calling out Roman Reigns for letting the family down at WrestleMania, Sikoa shifted his focus to Fatu—and it wasn’t exactly a pep talk. He claimed credit for Fatu’s rise in WWE, and then demanded that Fatu tell him, “I love you, Solo.” Fatu said the words, but it was clear—he didn’t mean them.
This wasn’t the loyal enforcer we saw weeks ago. This was a man biting his tongue, holding back, and possibly counting down the days until he walks away. And for those who’ve been following closely, none of this comes as a surprise.
Fatu’s uncle, WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi, has been saying this was coming for months. Back in late March, on his Off The Top podcast, Rikishi said: “Jacob’s gonna run. I’m telling you right now—he’s gonna snap on Solo or whoever’s running things. The guy is made to stand on his own.” Then in April, during an appearance on WrestleBinge by Sportskeeda, he said it again, even more directly: “Jacob doesn’t need to be anyone’s sidekick. If they turn him loose—he’s going to be the babyface everyone rallies behind.”
And right now, it looks like that moment might be near.
Fans have been reacting louder and louder to Fatu—not just because of his in-ring dominance, but because he’s clearly fed up with being ordered around. Add in the awkward energy with JC Mateo, and it’s clear this new version of The Bloodline isn’t exactly built to last.
If WWE pulls the trigger on a Jacob Fatu babyface run, it won’t just be a big moment—it could completely shake up the dynamic of The Bloodline, maybe even the entire SmackDown roster. Fatu has all the tools to be a top-tier solo star. All he needs now is that one moment where he finally breaks away.
And judging by what we saw on Friday, that moment might be coming very soon.
