Fatu described the moment he realized he was done and needed to get better for himself, his family, and to save his opportunity with WWE. He said the moment was when Prichard called him, when he almost got fired.
“They offered me a contract in February. They gave me a call like two weeks later,” he said. “I was just getting off a plane. I was drunk, on one. It was that day when I couldn’t tell my kids, because when they gave me the contract, I went home and told the kids. Told my wife. Man, they’re excited. We’re ready to move. My in-laws, everybody knew.”
Fatu explained that being unable to tell his kids what was happening, and because it was due to his issue with drugs and alcohol, was hard. When he realized that, everything switched. His wife listened to his conversation with Prichard and helped ground him.
“My wife, having to say, ‘Jacob. You’ll be alright,'” he said. “‘You done made it this far, alright? If it comes, it comes. If it don’t, you gotta figure it out.’ That was the day I stopped everything.”
Fatu told McMahon he thought it would be difficult to stay away from cocaine, but he doesn’t put himself in situations where he could be around it. Fatu also credited Jimmy Uso for his help, and said he got closer to his cousin during those hard 19 days of the unknown.
“My brother guided me the whole way,” Fatu said. “Called me every day… Everything [aligned…] That day Jim called me, ‘Hey bro, they’re going to give you a second chance…’ You don’t even know what that meant to me.”
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit “What’s Your Story?” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
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