Zilla Fatu came dangerously close to breaking down in tears when John Cena started talking about his late father, Umaga, on WWE NXT. Now the second-generation wrestler is admitting that he wishes he hadn’t tried so hard to hold those emotions back.
During the November 11 edition of Busted Open After Dark, Fatu spoke with Bully Ray about his emotional encounter with Cena during the November 4 episode of WWE NXT. Cena had personally invited him into the John Cena Classic before discussing his history with the Anoa’i family and the love he had for Umaga. Bully Ray asked Fatu what was going through his mind when Cena started talking about his father. Fatu admitted that the moment hit him much harder than people might have realized.
“Well, first off, I was emotional throughout the whole time, especially when he spoke about my other family. But yeah, when he got to Ecky, Umaga my heart just sank. My heart just, it’s like, you know, you’re on a rollercoaster and you hit that down, you know, you don’t feel like nothing’s inside of you. Like that’s exactly how I felt.”
Fatu explained that he was barely keeping himself together. He also admitted that holding his feelings inside has been something he’s struggled with throughout his life.
“And I did. I like, I was damn near close to crying. It was, I was so close. Uh, but now learning now, you know, now it’s let that s**t out, you know? And, uh, I think, I think me being who I am, I try to keep everything in and that’s, that’s damn near my whole life us keeping everything in.”
The son of Umaga then explained that professional wrestling has given him a way to deal with emotions that he previously kept buried.
“And I’m just so happy that I’m in this business that I have a outlet to, you know, get all this anger out and just find another outlet for, you know, for me and, you know, and what makes me at peace and what brings me balance, you know?”
Fatu said sharing the ring with Cena was already a monumental experience, but hearing someone speak about his father will always affect him emotionally. Looking back, he believes he should have simply allowed himself to cry.
“It doesn’t matter who speaks about my dad. It could be you. We could be talking about my dad right now. I will get emotional. Um, but I, I was, I was about to cry. I should have, I should have just let it out.”
The moment carried additional meaning because Fatu remembered seeing Cena spending time with Umaga roughly 20 years earlier. He recalled the two joking around when his father was still alive, making their recent reunion feel like everything had come full circle.
As Ringside News previously covered, Cena discussed his connection to Umaga and the rest of Fatu’s family before the two embraced in the ring. WWE also made a special production decision involving the audio during Fatu’s NXT segment, although the specific moment receiving the adjustment wasn’t identified.
Fatu lost his father at a young age, and hearing someone who personally knew Umaga speak about him remains difficult. This wasn’t just another WWE appearance for the young wrestler. It was a chance to connect with his father’s legacy through someone who shared the ring with him, and Fatu now wishes he’d allowed the emotions to come out instead of fighting them.
What do you think about Zilla Fatu admitting he nearly cried when John Cena spoke about Umaga? Should wrestlers be more comfortable showing these kinds of emotions on television? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
