Zilla Fatu may not be spending much time in NXT, with a new report indicating that WWE already has plans to move the son of the late Umaga to the main roster and potentially align him with members of his family.
Fatu officially debuted with the WWE NXT brand on August 11, 2026, beginning the next chapter of the Anoaʻi family’s extensive history with the company. WWE subsequently aired a vignette featuring the 26-year-old during Monday Night RAW, giving him exposure to a much larger audience ahead of NXT Heatwave.
According to WrestleVotes Radio, that RAW appearance was about more than simply promoting Fatu’s upcoming involvement at Heatwave. WWE reportedly wanted to begin introducing Fatu to the wider main roster audience because there is an internal expectation that he will move to either RAW or SmackDown “before long.”
The company is also said to be interested in pairing Fatu with his cousins relatively early in his WWE television run, with the idea of providing a strong foundation for his long-term development.
One WWE source reportedly said: “No, before long, he’s going to be on either RAW or SmackDown, joined up with his cousins, because the time is now.” WrestleVotes added that those within WWE see Fatu as possessing the “it” factor and many of the qualities the company looks for in prospective stars.
As a result, there reportedly isn’t an expectation that Fatu will need an extended developmental run in NXT before being introduced to the main roster. Fatu’s arrival has already attracted attention from one of the biggest names in his extended wrestling family.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson publicly reacted to Fatu’s WWE journey on Instagram, offering a brief message of encouragement. “Time to eat fam” 👊
Fatu enters WWE carrying significant expectations as the son of Umaga, who became one of WWE’s most memorable powerhouse performers during the 2000s. His connection to the wider Anoaʻi wrestling dynasty also gives WWE several potential creative directions if the reported plan to align him with his cousins moves forward.
For now, Fatu’s immediate focus remains NXT and Heatwave. However, WWE’s decision to feature him on RAW so early into his run, combined with the latest backstage report, suggests his time exclusively on the developmental brand could be relatively short.
If WWE follows through with its reported plans, another member of the Anoaʻi family could soon become a regular presence on either RAW or SmackDown.
