Another Major Name Becomes A Free Agent

Add this hugely talented performer to the list of wrestling's hottest free agents right now.

by Andrew Pollard
Jacob Fatu
MLW

While the likes of Kazuchika Okada, Mercedes Moné, Giulia, and Kamille have all been heavily talked about in recent weeks and months where it comes to hot free agents, one other notable name to now add to the free agency list is Jacob Fatu.

Following a tease from Rikishi over the weekend, PWInsider has confirmed that Fatu is now a free agent. The Samoan Werewolf was under a long-term contract with MLW, but that deal is now no longer in place. Speaking on Signed By Superstars, the former MLW World Champion stated how MLW SuperFight this past Saturday was his final official date with the promotion, although PWInsider notes how Fatu will still work for the promotion in the immediate future. As of this writing, there's no word on how the 31-year-old was able to get out of that lengthy MLW contract.

Jacob Fatu is one of the many, many wrestlers tied to the Samoan dynasty, with his father being the Tonga Kid. Of course, the Tonga Kid is the twin brother of Rikishi, meaning Rikishi is Jacob's uncle and the Usos and Solo Sikoa are his immediate cousins. This also means Fatu is related to, amongst others, Roman Reigns, Yokozuna, Umaga, Rosey, Afa and Sika, and even The Rock.

Advertisement

Fatu has long been talked about as one of the greatest big men currently in the game, with the powerhouse having a speed and agility which belies his imposing stature. While he's competed for the likes of MLW, NJPW, GCW, HOG, Defy, and West Coast Pro, previous rumoured WWE interest was said to be hindered by the fact that the 11-year veteran was arrested for armed robbery when he was 18 years of age. For his part, Jacob Fatu credits watching an Usos match during his time in prison as inspiring him to become a wrestler.

Booker T detailed on his Hall of Fame podcast how he's actively pushing for WWE to sign Fatu, citing how he himself was given a second chance - Booker having spent 19 months in prison after partaking in several armed robberies - and turned that into a heck of a career.

Advertisement
 
Posted On: 
Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main dayjob, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg.