Zilla Fatu has opened up about the emotions surrounding his WWE NXT debut, revealing that he felt the presence of his late father, Umaga, moments before stepping into the spotlight.
During an appearance on Booker T’s podcast, Fatu reflected on arriving for his NXT debut and said he was prepared to execute whatever WWE asked of him while still bringing his own personality to the moment. “It was whenever I pulled up, I already knew what time it was, you know. Long as they called the play, I ran it. I did exactly what was told, and I put my flavor on it. I put my flavor on it, and we did it like that, and we had fun.”
Before making his entrance, Fatu took a moment to pray. The son of former WWE star Umaga said he could feel that his father was with him as he prepared to begin the next chapter of his wrestling career. “And right before I went out, I just said a quick prayer to myself. I knew my dad was there ’cause I felt him. I felt him.”
Fatu also recalled looking toward Booker T immediately before entering the ring, with the WWE Hall of Famer’s presence providing another memorable element to the experience. “And right before I went out, man, it just happened like—I don’t even know how to express it. Like, the slide in, everything I did, and then right before I slid in, I looked at Book. I seen him like, ‘Okay, yep, yep. Just long as he’s looking, we good.’”
Looking back, Fatu admitted that putting the experience into words remains difficult. However, he described the debut as a memory he will never forget and made it clear that he views the appearance as only the beginning. “But other than that, it was still—I couldn’t explain it, man. It was a memory I never forget, and I’m just, I’m ready to start this new journey. And like I said, you guys better buckle up, man. It’s going to be a long ride.”
Fatu’s arrival in NXT represents a significant new chapter for the second-generation wrestler. His father, Umaga, became one of WWE’s most recognizable powerhouse performers during the 2000s and was a member of the legendary Anoaʻi wrestling family.
Now beginning his own journey with WWE, Fatu appears determined to honor that legacy while establishing an identity of his own. Judging by his comments, his NXT debut was both a major professional milestone and a deeply personal moment.
