WWE star Jacob Fatu had been absent from in-ring action for nearly three months due to a legitimate dental surgery that followed an October backstage attack storyline. However, he made a surprise return during this past Friday’s episode of WWE SmackDown, significantly impacting the main event scene.
Fatu’s appearance played a crucial role in Drew McIntyre winning the Undisputed WWE Championship from Cody Rhodes in a Three Stages of Hell Match, as he delivered a superkick to McIntyre before turning his attention to Rhodes.
According to Dave Meltzer on the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, WWE had originally planned a Triple Threat storyline featuring Fatu, McIntyre, and Rhodes, with preparations already underway ahead of Survivor Series. However, with Fatu unavailable at that time, the company shifted direction, and McIntyre entered a singles program with Rhodes sooner than anticipated. Meltzer noted that while the match was accelerated, the overall storyline direction “didn’t materially change anything.”
Meltzer also mentioned that now that Fatu is medically cleared, WWE may reconsider the original idea, as Fatu was positioned for a major push prior to his injury.
The crowd’s enthusiastic response in Berlin indicated that his momentum has not faded, suggesting that we could see Fatu back in the main event picture soon.
