Rikishi Blasts WWE for Dropping the Ball on Jacob Fatu’s Momentum

Rikishi isn’t keeping quiet about what he sees as a missed opportunity in WWE. The Hall of Famer spoke out on his podcast about Jacob Fatu’s current run, and he’s clearly frustrated by how WWE has handled the rising star’s momentum in 2025.

According to Rikishi, Fatu had all the tools and fire behind him when he showed up — but WWE seems to have taken its foot off the gas.

“Jacob came out — he’s steaming. You know, they got everything behind him. They’re just lighting this kid up on fire. Everything they threw at this kid, he came correct. He’s standing on business, and all of a sudden, poof, like a Houdini move.”

Rikishi pointed to Fatu’s recent feud with Drew McIntyre as a possible turning point — but only if WWE decides to take it seriously and invest in the long-term payoff.

“Well, hey, let’s just hope they do something with it [The Drew McIntyre feud]. You know what I mean? I mean, there’s no doubt Jacob can work with anybody — absolutely anybody. If it’s done right, again, this kid here has got talent. We all know what type of talent he has, especially his real ones…”

He made it clear that WWE hasn’t fully tapped into what Fatu brings to the table. Rikishi believes they’ve been holding back instead of pushing him into the spotlight where he belongs.

“I’ve always said this from the beginning: if you book Jacob with the right people, you’re gonna get money out of this kid here. Because the things that he does in the ring, man — I still, to this day, I still don’t think they’ve booked him with the right people and lit gasoline up behind him to really push this thing and make it work. You know what I mean? It’s just been this little tease. We see Jacob’s skills. We see his talent. We see his popularity is catching on fire. Like, you can see the top of the hill, but you ain’t got over yet. You know what I mean? Like, I don’t even think he’s on the porch yet. He should be in the house having some sweet tea by now.”

Rikishi’s message is clear: Jacob Fatu has the star power, but WWE needs to stop playing it safe and give him the real push he deserves. If they don’t act soon, they could miss out on a massive opportunity.