Jacob Fatu’s wrestling career has been centered on family. He has shared locker rooms with at least one family member at nearly every stop on his wrestling journey, especially as a member of the Bloodline during his 15-month WWE tenure.

That’s why Sept. 26 marks such a major milestone for him. That night Fatu’s wife and children will watch him in a WWE ring live for the first time when Smackdown invades the Kia Center for a Friday-night televised event.

Fatu said his children — he has seven, ages 4 to 19 — have only recently become fans of his, though they’ve always followed his cousins like the Usos, Solo Sikoa and Roman Reigns.

“They never used to watch me on the independents,” Fatu told the Sentinel last week. “My 8-year-old, she’d put it on sometimes, but they never watched wrestling around me until Solo brought me [into WWE]. They’re big fans of Solo, big fans of Paul Heyman, so seeing them laugh and enjoy themselves now, it’s pretty entertaining.”

The 35-year-old recently moved his family from California to Orlando to be closer to the WWE Performance Center training facility, and Fatu said he hasn’t regretted that decision. Orlando feels like home.

“Moving to Orlando has changed my life, and this has nothing to do with me promoting anything. It’s just the truth,” Fatu said. “Orlando has been good to my family. The love, the schools, the community, the baseball teams, the Pop Warner football — I got a lot of kids, so they’re involved in all that. But the community has been great. Not only that, we love Waffle House, and it’s hard to stay out of Waffle House around here,” he said with a laugh.

Fatu said he had his first WWE tryout almost a decade ago, after just a couple of years in the wrestling business, and he almost quit the sport after that, but the coaches at the Performance Center, including William Regal, gave him hope to continue.

“When you get told you’re not going to be here, I just wanted to give everything up,” Fatu said. “But those gentlemen, especially Mr. Regal: ‘Stay at it. Stay at it. We’re not saying you’re going to get hired here, but just keep at it and don’t give up.’ I was thankful for that, and I just kept going.”

Jacob Fatu said activities for his seven children are a reason Orlando feels like home. (Courtesy WWE)

Fatu soon found a home in Major League Wrestling, joining the promotion when they were running regular shows at Orlando’s Gilt Nightclub, and eventually holding the MLW world title for more than two years. He said his battles with Alex Hammerstone over the MLW championship were key in helping him get comfortable at a high level.

“People say all the time that Jacob should have been in WWE five years ago,” Fatu said. “No. Jacob needed this time to grow. So the timing for when I got here was perfect.”

Fatu arrived in WWE last year with a ready-made aura — his wide-eyed looks at the camera exuded danger and were instantly recognizable. He joined a new heel Bloodline faction led by Sikoa (Fatu’s father, who wrestled as Tonga Kid, is the brother of Sikoa’s father, who was known as Rikishi in WWE) and went to work.

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As he looked to make an impact in his new role, Fatu said he turned to a cliche heard often from wrestlers trying to find a persona: “Just be yourself and turn it up.”

“I wasn’t sure how (fans were) going to receive me – just another Samoan, another part of the family – so I knew they have to feel my presence,” Fatu said. “WWE has helped to make my presence known, but when I started out doing the crazy eyes on my debut in Chicago, then went back and watched that on tape I was like, ‘OK, this is it.’ It’s just been a ride.”

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The ride has gotten more intense the last few months. At WrestleMania, Fatu defeated LA Knight to win the United States championship. In June, Fatu betrayed Sikoa to leave the hated Bloodline and become a babyface, joining the Usos on the “good-guy” side of the ledger among the Samoan contingent.

“All of this (getting cheered) happened organically,” Fatu said. “I don’t think this was supposed to happen, but it happened. Me and the Usos and Solo, all of our real last names are Fatu, so the fun part of being a babyface is just hearing them chant ‘Fatu.’ I know it makes our fathers happy; I know it makes our families happy and man, it makes me happy. I’m having fun, and thank God my kids are old enough to see it and recognize it.”

And now, those kids will get to see it up close in Orlando.

jreddick@orlandosentinel.com

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/09/19/jacob-fatu-brings-another-generation-into-wwe-bloodline/