If his WrestleMania 42 match against Drew McIntyre was the biggest match of his career, Jacob Fatu is one upping it just a few weeks later, as he heads into Backlash to challenge his cousin Roman Reigns for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. And Fatu is entering the match with plenty of momentum, having put Reigns through a table with a Tongan Death Grip last night on “WWE Raw,” though Reigns quickly regathered himself and vowed to best Fatu shortly after the show ended.
A day later, it was Fatu’s opportunity to have the last word. Appearing on ESPN’s “Get Up” to promote Backlash this weekend, Fatu waited his turn as WWE announcer Peter Rosenberg talked him up. After that, host Mike Greenberg asked Fatu just how important this match was to him, and Fatu all but said that the match was the biggest thing he’s ever done in his pro wrestling career.
“This is more than everything,” Fatu said. “I prayed and I cried for days like this. I’m not only, at Backlash, fresh out of WrestleMania, no. I’m going toe to toe, head to head banging with the best. We’re not talking about professional wrestling, we’re talking about the greatest of all time in sports entertainment, and it’s Roman Reigns. And I wouldn’t have it no other way besides this Saturday at Backlash.”
“I’ve prayed, and I cried for days like this.” 🥺
WWE Superstar @jacobfatu_wwe speaks on his matchup with Roman Reigns 🤼
Stream #WWEBacklash this Saturday on the ESPN App with an ESPN Unlimited plan. pic.twitter.com/YDtBBsurLe
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) May 5, 2026
The Backlash match will be the first time that Fatu has challenged for a WWE World Championship during his two year stint with the promotion, though he previously held the WWE United States and WWE Tag Team Championships. Should he pull the upset over Reigns, it will be Fatu’s first World Championship reign in five years, when he held the MLW World Heavyweight Championship.
Read the full article here
