Zilla Fatu said he came to WWE to prove he wasn’t just another “nepo baby.” Minutes later, it was revealed that his very first NXT match would be for the NXT Championship, and fans immediately noticed the irony.
Fatu officially signed his NXT contract during the August 18 episode, with Robert Stone introducing him as the brand’s newest Superstar. The crowd broke into “Umaga” chants as Fatu acknowledged his family history but made it clear he wanted his own talent to do the talking.
Then came the surprise. Stone revealed Fatu’s contract guaranteed him an NXT Championship match in his debut. Fatu signed the deal and announced that the scheduled Heatwave Triple Threat would become a Fatal 4-Way, putting him immediately into the title picture alongside Tony D’Angelo, Grayson Waller and Cruz Montana.
That didn’t sit well with some fans. One viewer took to Twitter after the show and went straight after the Bloodline connection.
“Bloodline nepotism ruining everything.”
Another blamed WWE for immediately handing another member of the Anoa’i family a major opportunity.
“The nepotism is real. Gotta keep The Rock and Lazy Reigns happy.”
One fan went considerably further, arguing that Fatu’s family connections were apparently enough to earn him opportunities before he had even wrestled a WWE match.
“Sure cause as long as your a Samoan thats related to the rock in same way you just get opportunities handed to you doesn’t matter if your a good person strong performer no you dont got to have a single match and be a low life as long as your related to rock your fine.”
But another fan pointed out the timing more than anything else. Fatu had literally just told everyone he wanted to prove he wasn’t a “nepo baby,” only for Stone to reveal his first match would be for the biggest championship on the brand.
“Ngl bruh I fw zilla HEAVY but him saying im not here to be a nepo baby and Robert stone nodding his head with a smile, then 2 mins later saying zillas first match in WWE is a brand title match just did not make sense.”
Fatu hasn’t even wrestled his first WWE match yet, but he’s already walking into Heatwave with an opportunity to become NXT Champion. For some fans, doing that immediately after saying he wants to escape the “nepo baby” label only made the accusations louder.
Do you think Zilla Fatu deserves an NXT Championship opportunity in his very first match, or should WWE have made him earn his way into the title picture first? Let us know in the comments.
