As noted, Jacob Fatu was written off WWE television during the October 17 episode of WWE Friday Night SmackDown at the SAP Center in San Jose, California.
Coming out of the show on Friday night, we have learned some more information regarding the reason for Jacob Fatu’s originally advertised number one contender match against Drew McIntyre being pulled just hours before the show went on the air.
“The Samoan Werewolf’ was unexpectedly pulled from in-ring action on Friday’s episode of WWE Friday Night SmackDown, where he had been scheduled to face Drew McIntyre in a high-stakes match to determine the next challenger for Cody Rhodes’ Undisputed WWE Championship because of an injury situation.
The decision came amid reports earlier in the week suggesting Fatu was dealing with a “non-wrestling” related issue that could sideline him for the remainder of 2025 and possibly into 2026.
However, a new update indicates the situation may not be nearly as serious as initially believed.
According to one source, the word circulating backstage in WWE is that Jacob Fatu recently underwent a dental procedure and was not medically cleared to compete by WWE’s medical team. Sources noted that internally, Fatu is expected to be back “very soon,” which directly contradicts the earlier rumor that he would be out for several months.
It’s ironic considering how much emphasis the WWE commentary team of Corey Graves and Vic Joseph put on how Fatu appeared to spit out teeth and lose teeth as a result of the “mystery attack” used to explain him being pulled from the main event just as it was about to hit the ring near the end of the two-hour broadcast.
The report also noted that Jacob Fatu is “very much liked” within WWE, with several officials reportedly feeling he is overdue for a major push once he’s cleared to return.
For those interested, you can check out our complete WWE SmackDown Results 10/17/25 here at WrestlingHeadlines.com. Make sure to join us here every Friday night for live WWE SmackDown results coverage.
We will keep you posted here at WrestlingHeadlines.com as updates regarding Jacob Fatu’s WWE status continue to surface.
(H/T: PWInsider Elite)
