Add as a preferred source on Google Jacob Fatu is living the best moment of his WWE career, but he wasn’t always close to reaching this level of success.
In a recent interview with Peter Rosenberg, the “Samoan Werewolf” opened up about one of the toughest periods of his life, admitting that personal problems and drug use nearly derailed his pro-wrestling career.
“I blew it, and this is why Jacob Fatu got iffy. And, you know, I ain’t ashamed to talk about it because it is what it is. I would have one foot in the streets and another foot in wrestling, and it didn’t work like that. I just had a little drug problem back in the day, but that’s what it was. You know, the pandemic too — I had a lot going on. I had a lot riding.”
“I missed Booker’s show because I was hanging in the alley at 5:30 in the morning, supposed to leave — just, man, just left it alone. No, it was the drugs. You know what I mean? It was the drugs. It was the dope I was on. I feel like if I would have been in WWE even a day earlier, bro, I probably would have been let go — and that’s just me keeping it 100.”
“I think there was no better timing besides this timing. A lot of people gave to me out of love just because of how I am. Now it’s like, okay, I got to remember who I am.”
Before WWE, Fatu had already built a solid career in MLW, where he was World Heavyweight Champion and completed a one-year reign, being recognized by the promotion itself as one of the most dominant champions in its history.
Now, Fatu is involved in his biggest rivalry to date, against Roman Reigns, for the World Heavyweight Championship at Backlash.