Exclusive Backlash Interview with Jacob Fatu

Most protein drinks ask you to choose between results and taste. Bucked up decided that's a ridiculous trade-off. Bucked up makes lightly carbonated protein drinks, 25 grams of protein per can, clear protein, not milky or thick, and they taste so good that 25 grams of protein almost feels like a bonus. Bucked up is so confident you'll love their drinks. They're giving away an island vacation just to prove it.

That's the kind of brand this is. No purchase necessary. Giveaway ends May 30th. Enter and find your closest Bucked Up at buckedupenergy.com. Grab a bucked up and feel like a million bucks.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another episode of the No Contest Wrestling Podcast. I am the heel that you love and hate, O'Shea Jackson Jr., aka Petty Guerrero. Hey, yo, it's me. It's me. It's the T-W-O, the J-I-G-G, 2G-G, TJ Jefferson.

What's up, man? TJ. Yes, sir. You hear that knocking, bro? We got somebody at the door.

We got a special guest. We do not want to keep him waiting. He is getting prepared for the main event of Backlash against Roman Reigns. He is all gas, no breaks. Jacob Fox, Hot Small and Werewolf, is with us on the No Contest Wrestling Podcast.

Jacob, good to see you, man. You too, big bro. Thank you, man. Thanks all for having me, baby. I think we're doing good.

Third episode, tapped in, locked in. Yeah, absolutely. Pleasure to have you as always. See you as always. But, you know, like I said in your intro.

We we're seeing that that werewolf show his fangs a little bit and, you know, going up against the tribal chief. What is going through your mind as you prepare for the main event? I mean, man, you know, it hasn't been none for preparation. I mean, it hasn't been nothing. I mean, it ain't just because it's just Roman, but then again, it is because it is Roman, one of the greatest of all time.

I'm not going to shoot a coat, nothing. I'm not going to sit here and be, oh, I am dialed in. It's just on another note when you're dealing with somebody, you know, like this, on this type of caliber. But then again, It's on another note if you're dealing with somebody like me, the Samorn World with Jacob Fox, too.

So day by day, Time just keeps getting closer and closer. It was, it feels like yesterday, you know, I walked out that Monday. After WrestleMania weekend. And I issued the challenge. And now, man, a couple more days.

It's Wednesday, what, two, three more days? We're here at Backlash. You know, I said this before: it's either going to make me or break me, but I definitely ain't going to be the one to get broke down, especially at Backlash at this type of level and caliber. Right.

Now, you know, as fans, you know. We saw you Going through your thing with Drew McIntyre.

Okay. hell of a match at WrestleMania. You know, you did your thing, you handled your business. But, you know, the Drew and Cody situation and you getting in that cage and kind of having to give it to Cody for a little bit, fans might have thought that that would have been the direction you were going to after you got done with Drew. What went into the decision of, oh, Roman got it?

I need that. And you know what it is. It's uh Okay, let's keep it 100. Before I got to WWE, man, brother, I'm really uncut from another cloth, and I had to do what I had to do to take care of me and my family.

Okay, yeah, it took me years, years to get here to WWE, but that's okay. I'm here now. It ain't how you start, it's how you finish.

So, in my head, it's like, okay, we've seen the Jacob who had love. We done seen the thank you, Jacob, that's just happy to be here. But, man, two years pass by, and I still feel like I'm just. In this bubble, man, I had to step up. I had to be a man.

Hey, and if we're going to go all the way in, then go all the way in. Then why not stop? I mean, why not start? Why not start with the cat that's on top? Why not start from the head of the table?

Why not start? from the top. let's keep it 100 man i y'all talk about y'all hear me talk about my family my wife So much to where, if I don't deserve it, if anybody deserves it, they deserve it. Man, even if I got to go through my own blood, and hey, this isn't no. A match.

This isn't no buildup. Oh, Jacob versus Roman.

Okay, yeah. Whoever thought this was going to happen? Nobody. Nobody until I had to make the decision. You got my cousin the Usos tapping in, you know, on the side, trying to lace me up.

Let's keep it 100. I've been watching Roman Reigns on PLEs since day one.

So I already know what it comes with, you know? But if i really want to if i really want to survive in here man then man you got to go straight to the top i'm tired of waiting in line i'm not saying i've been waiting but yeah my time didn't start till i got here to wwe i understand everything that i've done before wwe does not matter but it matters to me because man that's what got me that's that's the hard times within those past 12 years before i got here to wwe it's what made me the man today it's what brought me here and it got me standing right here main event on backlash this saturday against the greatest of all time roman reigns that's what's up jacob you know you real real open about your past bro and you talk about going away at 18. you know Yeah. As a fan of yours and as a fan of the entire family, I just had this question. And hopefully, you can explain this to me.

You don't have to. But when you're 18 and you're out there putting in work, was there ever a part of you? That saw What the cousins were doing that knew where you came from? Was there ever a part of you that went, yo, bro? Like, I should be doing this, or was that never even?

Because sometimes you think of wrestlers, even though you're in the family, is like, I used to think wrestlers weren't real people, you know what I mean? Like, I see them on TV, I didn't think they was real, but like, you know, that's your family.

So, when in the midst of you doing, you know, your work and doing the things you did, did it ever occur to you, like, man, I should be, maybe I shouldn't be doing this, maybe I should go over here and try this, or was it all part of the you know the path you had to take? No, no, absolutely, hey, man, I absolutely man, it was. I was 18, man. You know, went to juvenile hall. Everybody's story's different, man.

18 right there, damn, you know, and if anybody knows, man, California ain't no joke, you know, bro. Y'all really got to tap in with us, you know, when y'all tap in with us. But on another note, it's when I was locked down, when I was going through my troubles as a youth, right? Man sat down. On you know, you in that dorm, there's only one TV.

I just so happened to be right there. My bunk was right there. And man, they flipping through the channels. Who do we see? I see the Usa.

I see Tumina. Yeah. I see. Natalia, I see Tyson Kidd, I see man, a hairy man on there, and they're going against each other, right? And I'm just like, oh, and mind you, I didn't know my cousins, I knew they were wrestling, I didn't know they were on Raw.

This is when they Uso's very first started. You know, they were doing the college gimmick out there with buttons up, button-ups and stuff. Man, I was 18 and I just seen him. I was more happy for them when I seen them. I didn't make up my mind right then and here.

But man, you know, time came by. I was getting closer to getting out, trying to figure out what you're going to, what are you going to do? You know, my mom and then was asked, what are you going to do? You know, trying to figure it out. You can't keep doing this, man.

You got all these kids. What are you going to do? Man, just kind of figured it out. And my wife's from LA.

So, you know, got out of Sacramento, man, without a doubt. You know, you really love me and my kids, man. We're going to make a difference. And man, moved down to L.A., Uncle Rikishi out of school. Man, that's where everything took off.

And shout out to Gangrel and my uncle and my father, you know, Tonga Kier, San Fatu, who trained me. But, you know, it was more than that because I seen the sacrifices. I seen the good, the bad, and the ugly, what this business can do.

So, you know, all my family members that were here before me, it's a learning experience for me.

Okay, I know what to do. I know what not to do.

Okay, this worked for them. This worked for them. Pay your taxes and save your money. Money. I mean, so, but overall, man, you know, it's, I'm glad it happened like this.

I mean, brother, let's keep it 100. I try to be a rapper. That didn't work. I mean, I try to be on the street, brother. I mean, I try to be a thug.

That didn't work. It got too real for me. You know what I mean? But I found God found my calling. I found my calling when I was good at it.

Trust me, I didn't think about this at all at all. And I have thought about it. If Jacob Fatu would have started a little earlier, what would I have been? You know, but at the end of the day, We're here now, and if it's anybody's timing, it's God's timing right now. And, Shay, real quick, just the people who are watching who don't may not understand the whole family dynamic of this.

Your father's a Tonka kid, his brothers are MAGA and Rikishi. But even deeper than that, your grandmother is the sister of Sika, Roman's dad.

So, when we talk about bloodline and family, we don't mean just like, oh, they're over there. No, no, no. Brother and sister grew up together. Yes. Grandparents.

You know, this is a real deal. This ain't no play family. This is real family. Hey, host, and you know what? I want to say thank you.

We do so many, and we do so many of these. Nobody's ever got it right. And we're talking about my grandmother.

So, for you to say that and speak on that and know what. Praises to you for understanding the families. Praises to you for really doing. And you already know my relationship, my love with y'all. It's off the rip.

But when it comes to our family, yes, please understand what you guys are speaking about and knowing.

So thank you for that, Ooz. That means a lot. My man. Absolutely, man. We've always shown nothing but respect.

Everybody, you know, that, that. Do what y'all do, man. Especially y'all, y'all have always shown love whenever you come through. TJ the Almanac. Come on, man.

You know, you know, that's what he did, man. It better be a Sharan rap because it's a rap. Come on. Still waiting to see that on a t-shirt. Man, I'm still waiting for them to put from EBT to WWE on all the shows.

We might just have to handle these stuff ourselves. Get it out. Just get it out there. All right, now. You know, you brought back a move that people haven't seen in quite a while with that death grip, man.

You know, what was kind of Was it just an in-the-moment thing when it happened? Or was this something that you've always thought like? Only, you know, something special needs this. And who taught it to you?

Well man, look it's it It's a sacred move. It's a legendary move. It's a move to where you cannot change the name. I mean, this move, yeah, listen, we're all Polynesian. They know about the Samoans, the Hawaiians.

But when it comes to our Tongan brothers, our Tongan Island, you know, it's different. You know, we're talking about a man. who is so loving. But taken the wrong way, the great haku will put this thing, this tongue and death grip on you. And in my head, it's like Roman has been through everything.

Roman has been through everything, F5, through tech, man, he's been through it all. And we're the same blood, we're the same.

So, we're, I mean, what plan I use to take him out? It can't be just the power, it can't be just a drop on his head. It needs to be something that's within the family, you know, something that's within the family that could take all of us out, not just him, not just it could take all of us out, you know.

So you had to do, you had to bring something so sacred back. I had to. And it was the plan. It was the plan. Cause look how it got.

Look how it has him. You know what I mean? Look at the end of the day, the look on his face. Look how it looked every time he's dropping down to his knees. Imagine everybody else that the Grey Haku have put this on to where they are no longer here no more.

You know?

So at the end of the day, it's working. At the end of the day, it's tapped in. And at the end of the day, it don't look like Roman could stop it. Nobody can stop it. And you know, I just out of respect, I knew we had you today.

This wasn't just like by chance, I did this on purpose. You got to peep my t-shirt today. Everybody out there, you know. Yeah. Me, the father of Tala Tonga, Tama Tonga, and Talatonga, the great man, one of the greatest, also tag team with my father as the Islanders.

So, when you guys see us all together, this shit isn't in them throwing Simone's tongas together. No, there's really history as well with my Tongan brothers, you know, as the Islanders, their father, my father, tag team, the islanders, with Bobby the Brain Heating. Then, look how time repeats itself. Look how history repeats itself when I came in and to me and Tama won the tag belts together. I mean, this isn't just stuff that's put in together.

When we're talking about bloodline and the whole family, oh, brother, we tapped in. The Anawais and the Fatus are one family, just like what you said. This isn't, oh, put them together, they're over here, they're over here. No. We are the greatest family in professional wrestling, and I stand on that.

100%. And I think that is what If you've ever wanted real energy without choking down something that tastes like regret, Bucked Up is the answer. The flavor is the thing people keep coming back for. Insanely delicious, which is not a phrase usually associated with energy drinks, and they're built on real science-backed ingredients. Clean energy that actually works without the garbage you don't want.

Bucked up is so confident you'll love their drinks, they're giving away an island vacation just to prove it. That's the kind of brand this is. No purchase necessary. Giveaway ends May 30th. Enter and find your closest bucked up at buckedupenergy.com.

Grab a bucked up and feel like a million bucks. Oh, oh, oh, oh, righty. Check engine, ABS, or maintenance light on? Take the guesswork out of your warning lights with O'Reilly Veriscan. The service is free and provides a report with solutions verified by ASE-certified master technicians.

And if you need help, we can recommend a shop for you. Ask for O'Reilly Veriscan today. Oh, oh, oh!

Alrighty. Auto. Parts. That has been such a highlight of this generation of superstars: is that the people who have been, maybe you watched wrestling back in the day and you went away from it. The people that you remember from back then, those faces are still here and they're still giving out stories.

And you're not going to get anything as rich as what the Samoan dynasty is putting out. And so that's why we see you guys in the forefront. And, you know, we. We see you at 41 getting that U.S. title, and what that meant to you, having your family in the front.

Having Haku just jumped the barrier. Right.

Was there nobody gonna start that man? Come in and congratulate you. Yeah, hey, hey, because man, when he hopped the gate, I was looking at the security. They was looking like we're not gonna stop him. I'm just gonna stop him.

You know, hey, oops. And then on another note, that WrestleMania 41, just to share this: WrestleMania 39, I seen Solo Sukoa walk out with Roman. Man, man, I wasn't even, I was still on the independence. Man, it it that seeing solo sequoia walk out. I know what my brother done been through, you know.

He done been through, y'all mean what he done been through, but to see what it is, to see him walk out, it motivated me. It really did, it really put a fire underneath my ass, man. And then, let me tell you, brother, after that WrestleMania 39 was done in Los Angeles when Cody didn't finish the story, I manifested this. I went on Twitter and I put W capital WM 42. 42.

Y'all always see me rock that number because, man, 42, y'all mean, it's first off, our daddy them is from San Francisco from Sunnydale. It's 40, it's 42nd and High Street. On another note, on another note, 42. Also, me and you know, it's 5-2, though, you know, like five for four in our in our in our language than two, you know, I mean, so you got 2020 right now, right? Yeah, y'all mean, yep, y'all mean 42.

So it was something special, man.

So for me to manifest that and then to walk out and then, man, a back-to-back in Vegas, you know, man, it was. Was something special, man. Trust me, I done been through a lot. I done been through, I mean, I only been at WWE for two years. I accomplished great things.

And trust me, I am very thankful to the direction, you know, where I was headed. But it's different now facing Roman this Saturday. Like I said, yeah, that's my family. Yeah, that's my older cousin. Yeah, I watched PLE after PLE.

Man, I'm invested. Before I was a worker, brother, trust me, I was a fan of the bloodline at home going like this. You know what I mean? But it's different now because I'm in here now. You know, yeah, they see me.

Yeah, they know Jacob.

Okay. But, brother, I'm really fresh off the scale with it. I'm really cut with it. You know what I mean? Like, they can get with me, but they can't really get with me.

You know, Jacob, we've seen it. We've seen Roman go at it with Jimmy. We've seen that go at it with Jay. And now he's got this situation in this big match, a championship match coming up against you. Speaking of the family, what do the elders in the family have to say about this?

Have they reached out? Have they cautioned you? Are they for this? Because when the family fights, it's usually not a good thing.

So, is there some hesitancy? Are you getting just getting told from the family? I mean, man, it's just when you get goosebumps, man, I'm getting goosebumps. I mean, when you ask that, because you know, this is the side that people don't see. Yeah, there's friction.

Man, it is. And. From the elders, if you know our culture and if you know us, And I'm not just talking about Samoans and Tonga, I'm talking about our Polynesian people. You know how family. Means so much to us in respect.

You guys know, I mean, look at the bloodline. Look at all we talk about our children, we talk about our watch because it's family over everything.

So, yeah, it is different. And I brought my voice down because it's, I know they're going to be watching this, you know.

So, you got to, out of Simone culture, you got to be respectful on how we play it out. But, yeah, man, it's a little friction here and there, especially with the older G's, you know, the ones who's actually back at home and back in San Francisco next to the Cow Powders. It's a little different, especially having our cousins. I mean, there's a lot of us. Of course, they don't want to see us go at it.

Our cousins, they're not no fans to where it's different when they see us working somebody else compared to us working together. I mean, yeah, they seen it with Roman, they seen it with Jay. That didn't start off good, but then once the bloodline starts coming, we start to understand. You know what I mean? But now it's different.

Come on, man, let's keep it 100. WWE never seen no cat like me. Let's keep it 100, bro. When's the last time somebody walked in the door like Jacob Fatu? All right, and I'm saying this with confidence.

All right, I'm not cocky, but I'm definitely cocky. I'm definitely confident, and I believe in my work. All right, so when they see me work and they see me wrestle, man, this just ain't just getting through. No, you're gonna feel my pain, you're gonna feel my struggle. You know what I mean?

Every moment I'm moving, it ain't just to get a pop or oh, he could do a backflip. Nah, it ain't none of that. All right, because nobody's ever got up after that. Man, me backflipping brought me all the way here to WWE, all right? But it wasn't because on how I can do it on how much I weigh, no.

Man, brother. When I'm moonsawing. That means I'm back flipping. over it Every obstacle, I'm bad moves on over everything I done been through, everything I done strive to get here. You know what I mean?

So to tap in with Roman. It is what it is right now. But at the end of the day, man. Yeah. My family needs to get set up.

My kids do, they need to get set up. Then they are going to get set up. After Backlash, after this Saturday, and while I'm sitting here tapping in, talking to y'all. The unexpected is going to be unexpected. You know what I mean?

And, you know. Usually just as wrestling fans, when somebody like a a a Roman or or anybody that we we kind of see just get a title, you kind of have that feeling of that little safety net of just like, All right, they might have some time, but They just don't feel the same right now. Like, you know, and I mean, that's what you want from a big fight. But um like to to know your story It's hard not to root for somebody like you, man. It's hard not to.

I mean, let's keep it 100. He just won it. This is the next PLE.

So I can understand why people think, oh, he's not going to lose. It's just a match. He's going to fall in line. No, that's ass. All right.

That's ass. All right. So y'all over here want to tap in? Y'all, y'all, what y'all think? Y'all know the booking?

What y'all think? Oh, Roman Reigns' first title offense against Jacob. There's no way Roman's losing it. Man, that's ass. Because check this out.

Of course, y'all going to be watching. Y'all going to be tapped in.

So everybody else complaining online about this and that. Hey, hey. Hey, I bet you will definitely buy that ears. And I bet you're going to be sitting there watching and enjoying the show and not saying a word during the match. All right.

So for everybody tapping in like that, come on, man, come on with it. All right, just another bandwagon follower jumping on.

Okay, yeah, because as soon as I do take that title, I don't want to hear no, because I'm looking at it right now. Hey, trust me, I'm not even sweating it, bro, because I kill it with a smile. You know what I mean? I'm not even sweating this to where. You know People gonna switch.

Then, when the ball gets in your court, it's a whole nother game.

So, yeah, I can understand why people think I'm not gonna win. First, PLE. First title offense, how to WrestleMania, there's no way. Hey, go check this out. There was no way Jacob was supposed to be here.

There was no way Jacob was supposed to have been main event, PLE, Roman Reigns. Right out of WrestleMania, but we're here. And keep it 100. Like I said before, no man ain't never ran into nobody like me. I said that against Cody.

They don't make him like me. Hell, they ain't never made them like me. That's so good. Absolutely, man. It's definitely going to be.

Something to watch. You just when the beauty about wrestling is just when you say out loud, there's no way. Oh, I'll show you a way, right? If there's a will, there is a way, as always. It's like Rodney Piper said, man, just when you they think they got the answers, I go ahead and change the question.

You got it figured out. Yo, you got it figured out.

So I'm loving this family. I'm loving this deep dive talk. Let's talk about when y'all were kids, youngsters growing up. What was your relationships? Did you have relationships?

Because I know I come from a big family. I got like 28, 29 first cousins. We're all straight out.

So there ain't that. There ain't no way that like, you know, our generation by generation, like the older generation, we hung out. Then I'm not as tight with the generation after just because I was older and out the house. What was your relationship as kids growing up? You, Jimmy, Jay, Robert.

It was always good, man. And man, listen, I was born in Atlanta, Georgia. I'm from California off the rip, but man, Popson was wrestling for WCW. We was in ATL. Yeah, I mean, so college park, bubble sparks, man.

On that side.

So, my first holidays, my first birthdays, man, my first Halloween, it was with the Uses. You know what I mean? It was Uso and them. Met Joe, I mean, sorry, I met Roman, man, when I got a little bit older. You know what I mean?

Roman got a little bit older, but man, we was always tapped in. On another note, when I actually got caught up, and you know what I mean, when we were juveniles, got caught up out here in California, you know, they sent us to Florida. And I got sent, and I was living with Roman Reigns' sister, you know what I mean?

So, man, she brought me in.

So, this is what I'm saying. This match is more than just us being related. Like, his sister took me in. Like, I was there when he played Georgia Tech, when he beat the number one and number two college football teams, when the man Miami and Auburn. And they went there and be like, I was there.

I was there when he was over there tapping in. You know what I mean? So, so, and it is huff. It is rough, fools. I'm not gonna sit here.

Yeah, man, you think I wanna do that? Man, y'all know y'all see interviews of me, like y'all see how loving I am, and this and that. But man, you y'all really think I want to go, y'all really think I want to do this? But man, I love my kids and my family so much, okay? He did it to Jay and them, okay?

So, I mean, what, what, what, am I wrong now? Since I want to, since I want to get right, no. Am I wrong because I need to level and upgrade my household? No, no, no, no. We've seen this before.

Like I said, when history has been repeating itself, oh, it's repeating itself. But this time, this time is different now.

Now 2006 now, man, he did all that. Like four years ago. Yeah. You know?

Come on, man. Now, the very first time we spoke to you, it was after 41. He talked about that moment. You also talked about coming down the ramp, and you know, he took the mask off a little early just so you can get that killing, get the feeling.

Now, going into your second mania, by the way. Undefeated at mania.

Okay. Not bad. Undefeated at mania.

But I saw there was a clip of you. having you know you you having a moment to yourself After getting that victory, can you let us into what was going through your mind then? Is that part of what's fueling you? to the very next P L E.

Now you're going for the world title. Let us know about that mindset. And damn, what was it? When I was walking up the ramp? No, no, no.

After the match, they showed you you had an emotional moment after your match at 42.

So you hugging Jimmy, I think, in the back. Yeah, like you had. I think it was Shan Roberts. Man, bro, yeah, it was different. Man, it just hit me.

Everything hit me right when I walked. I don't know what it was. I seen. I've seen H in the back. I've seen everybody in the back.

You know, had a good, had a good moment with Hunter. And, you know what I mean? Just walking. Because if y'all know backstage, bro, our locker room, hella far from Gorilla, bro. You know what I mean?

Like, I was actually, I was actually, Bruce Pritchard even got hot. I mean, well, he didn't get hot, but I mean, I had to return his go-kart. God, I took his go-kart, bro. I was mobbing around like Marshall Linux. But I took his go-kart.

But, anyways, it was a far walk.

So I didn't take the go-kart this year. You know what I mean? Out of respect for OG, kept his go-kart there, his golf cart. But after H, after Gorilla, man, I took a walk. And it was about, it's a little far walk.

And, you know what I mean? After all that, just getting out the ring, still breathing, still just sweating, but it's feeling good, man. But just taking that walk, I was just by myself and I was just like locked in, but I thought about everything, you know, man. This one thing about me, bro, I think about where I came from every day. There's not a day that goes by.

Trust me. I think about it this morning. I think about where I came from every day, what it could have been every day. And I think that's what it motivates me and it keeps me, you know, not saying I want to forget about those days. No, because I just remember what I don't want to go.

And I would never go back to that, especially being here, would never go back to that. But man, it was, I thought about everything. I tapped in with everything. And then when I sat down, I'm just like, before the interview even cut, I'm looking at the cameras. I'm looking at the people in suits.

I'm looking at Sam and I'm looking at my gear. And I'm just like, damn, like, fuck, dude. Like, you know, like, bro, we really here.

So it was. And not only that, it was special. My wife's never, my wife's been with me forever, man. I've been with her for a long time, brother. I mean, if anybody deserves something, it's that woman that deserves something.

So she was actually there for the very first time at a WWE event. And it could have been no better at WrestleMania 42.

So, yeah, I mean, I think that's what it was too. Cause I seen her in the crowd and, you know, was shitting.

Well, no, I'm sorry. She was all the way in the box, you know what I mean? But I knew where they were at.

So it was good. It's different, man. You know, it really is. Cause, especially when you got kids, I'm not saying if you don't have kids, oh, you don't know. No, everybody's life is different.

That's fine. But, you know, having. Having eight other people now, man. I mean, like what Roman said, like, you know, we're all different, but man, we are responsible for a lot of people. You know, I'm responsible for 10 or 12 of my people that just my intermediate kids.

And I mean, just I'm responsible to make sure they're good. Roman is responsible for our whole family. And, you know, I want to go touch bases on these promos. These ain't no promos, bro. Like, people are writing for us, you know, and I wouldn't even say promos because it's not.

Like, this is real stuff, real feeling. And everything Roman is saying, I know I'm going with him at backlash, but just to tap in, like, it is, it is, it is true to that, to where he is. He is have to worry about 170 of us. Yeah, I mean, he was the one that wedged it through. Yeah, and we all came through.

Yeah, I mean, so there's no, there's no lie. There is truth to everything that we are saying, you know, and I wasn't playing. You know, I'm gonna milk every dollar and every cent, just like how this company did our family for decades. I mean, so yeah, we really locked in and tapped in around here, man. And that is.

Why anytime any member of the family is going against another member, it is always box office. It is always something special because it may be personal, but it's only personal because we family. There's no hate behind it. It's just business. Yeah, it's just what I got to do.

You know, I got to do it.

So like, you know, i even what What I'm keeping an eye on. Is while you got Roman in front of you. You know, you know, that's the core, man. You know, he didn't really have too many kind words for Roman or you, you know, on SmackDown.

So, you know, we're keeping an eye on that. But it is. Jimmy and Jay as well. Yeah, like, you know, it's just things to watch besides the one-on-one. And, you know, is that on your mind, or you just got to stay focused on the prize?

Well, no, yeah, absolutely. I mean, it's different now when we all show up at different times compared to riding together. You know?

It's different. It's different now.

Now we're all not at the same hotel. We're not even flying out the same plane. Like, so yeah, I mean, come on, man. I mean, yeah, I feel weird. But at the end of the day, I mean...

I don't know. It ain't like I haven't been through this before. Oh, trust me, bro. Yeah, I could slap you and hug you right after that. I mean, like, it is different.

You know, and that's the thing about it. But Man, when it's go time and we understand the purpose and the direction of what I want. No, no, no, I'll take this back. What I need and brother. I mean, it's cookies from here.

You know what I mean? It's all going to be Gucci and Gabbana. You know what I mean? Like, it's a whole nother vibe in a whole nother direction. I mean, man, people are feeling it now, and they better feel it.

Because, man, if you ain't feeling this, then man, you, you know what I mean? Then you ain't rolling, you ain't rolling right with us. You know, going back, talking, you talking about growing up in Atlanta, you know, it just came to my attention that you know, Ted Turner out there, yeah. I was only there for a couple years. I was in it, yeah, after that, maybe right back to Cali.

You know, Ted Turner passed away today. I was like three when we left Atlanta. You know what I mean? Oh, okay.

So you don't really pass away today, of course. You know, when you think WCW, you think him. What are some of you I guess the the the boiling down question I have is this. I was went to watch Michael the other day and I was like, wow, man, I actually was able to live in the world that Michael Jackson lived in. And I'm thinking, like, what other people can I think of that like I can say I was alive during their during their time and one of the names popped into my head was Andre the Giant.

Did did you ever I know your your pops, I think, tagged with him, had some interactions with Andre. Do you ever have any memories of meeting Andre back in the day when you was a kid? Man, hell no, man. Man, that would have been dope. I mean, I mean, I mean, come on, man.

It would have been cool just to meet a lot of them. I mean, man, bro, especially I kind of like that. I mean, come on. I do remember my dad saying something about Andre. Like, you know, he loved to play cards.

And, you know, man, he was a big cat. They said he was really, he had a good relationship with Roman's father, Sika, and my uncle.

So there is some cool pictures, though, that my grandmother and my uncle Rikishi have of Andre and them like backstage.

So that was pretty cool, man. But never really tapped in with him. Of course, Andre tag team champions with Haku back in there. And come on. Hey, that's imagine that.

Hey, man, I think I picked both of those. That was part of your five. Yeah, see? We gotta talk, bro. His five gotta be top three ever on the show.

Yeah, it's true. Yeah, especially when I got Harley Rice on there, bro. Come on. Andre, Andre Haku, you, Umanga, and Harley Race. Yeah, that ain't fair.

Come on, dog. I ain't gonna lie, I probably would have taken me out and added Brock in there, though. Listen, man, we are major fans of you. And just you always, you said that you always remember the things that you've been through. And, you know, people, there's some people that believe in the mindset of never looking back, but you got to know where you came from to know how far you done came, you know?

So it is. It is truly a joy. to watch you be successful, man. Like, it's just because everyone feels how genuine you are and how real, uh, you are.

So, to your every bit of your accomplishments, I know that smile behind there is real. You probably got to wait till you get in the back. I know you got to be mean, yeah, but like, you know, it's real. I just want to let you know you are appreciated, man. No doubt, but show hey, big bro.

I just want to show y'all something too, just to show y'all, like, you know, like I really do appreciate the little things, bro. Bruh, I mean, I got my face on a truck, dude. I don't know if y'all can see it. Oh, I don't know if I can see it. Yeah, come on.

Oh, I saw a glimpse of it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, come on, bro. Listen, a lot of people might just look at nah, bro. Like, trust me, that's a big accomplishment.

I mean, these are things that I grew up seeing faces on trucks.

So it could be something small, but man, brother, believe, bro, when I did see that truck, bro, I took a selfie right in front of that thing. Yeah, what that feel like? You get to the spot that day, you got your bag, I'm sure you're walking, and you turn it. left and you see it. Man, and you know the cool thing?

Like, so that was the that was one of the first ones, but me on that same one, it's me, solo, and uh. Toma Tonga and Tonga Loa.

So, man, it was just a good moment, right? You know, especially for all of us to be tapped in on there. I mean, these are the stuff that I don't take for granted. You know what I mean? I mean, man, even when I'm just moving and grouping, just man, I just hear Fatu.

Like, Fatu's our real name.

So, yeah, I mean, for the for the WWE world and universe, and which is I'm so thankful for, man, it started in San Antonio, Texas in WWE. They was already, you got what I mean, fatu, baby, on the independence. You know what I mean? But to be in WWE when it started in San Antonio at Saturday night's May against Bron, oh man, bro, it just is. I'm just very thankful, bro.

I mean, it makes my father happy. It makes our people happy, you know, to hear the world chant that name and to bring our name. And it was already known, but you know, now I'm legally able to use it, you know, in WWE. Then it changed my name because, man, I was supposed to be Caesar Sekola. You know what I mean?

I'm about to be like Caesar from Planet of the Age. But man, overall, yeah, you know what I mean? Like, Caesar Sokola.

So that was the name that you agreed, they agreed on for you. And then it was just the name it got brought up. You know, whatever they had, you know, whatever they did. And, you know, we, at the end of the day, we made it happen. And Jake and Fi too, baby.

You know what I mean? I'll never forget what Triple H said that. You know what I mean? Like. You heard your music yet?

No, sir. I ain't hear my music. I don't even know what my name is. Man, your name's Jacob Fox, too. I was like, okay, for sure.

You know, man, it was different. It was real different. You know, Hunter had a couple of songs. The song I walked out to was two different songs. I mean, so I took the beginning and I put it on the track that I got now.

Oh, yeah. If I could switch it, they switched it. Then, shout out to the Uso, if you're watching this, who did the original version? But sorry, bro, I had to take you off, bro, and put my own 5-2. Y'all that I mean, up on there, man.

together man but overall man i'm very thankful trust me It's so emotional, but I'm so ready and locked in. You know, you might see a tear come down when I'm up in there with Roman. You know what I mean? I mean, I get it at war games with my brothers and my family locked in, main event, PLE war games. I mean, man, we opened up the show, Crown Jewel, the six-man tag, three-on-three, Roman Uses against me, Tommy and Solo.

I mean, man, come on, man.

So, yeah, it's nothing new, but it's on a whole nother level now, especially man, if you're tapping in with somebody like Roman Reigns. Man, come on, man. Come on, bro.

Now, I gotta ask you. For real, I need to know the real how you felt about this. Yeah. Take me to that first time because you know you've been doing all gas, no breaks with it. You know, you've been doing that for a minute.

But talk about the first time you kinda heard the crowd do it with you. What was that electricity feeling like, man, when you heard that the WWE crowd hitting some stuff from the bay? Hey, hey, hey, so man, they came with it. I will never forget it was after JC Mateo, you know what I mean? Tapped in after he debuted.

We was in Lexington, Lexington, Kentucky, bro. Out of everywhere. I'm like, damn, but man, bro, when I came with it and I was all gas, and they came, you know, mostly everybody says, all gas, no brakes, and they stopped. But man, they came on with the whole all gas, no brakes with it. Yeah, I mean, but I buy you when I came back, I haven't really been saying it.

I've been saying it, but yeah, man. In that Monday after WrestleMania, might. Never said it like that. I didn't plan on saying it. It wasn't in no.

Because when it comes to us, there is no script. All right. I want everybody to understand this. If you think you know, and I don't care if you've been in the business and you work for WWE, you ain't over here no more, you know what I mean? Like with our writers or producers or whoever, like, bro, there's no script.

This just comes live and direct with it. You know what I mean? So when I just did, when I did say that, oh, gas, no breaks, with it, y'all. I mean, to Roman and to the Usos, oh, brother. Man, when they came with it.

Okay, yeah. Oh, they would. It's another feeling, those it is, and um, I'm just glad I got to really explain the all-gas no breaks to them throughout these couple weeks, you know, because now it's a whole nother meaning, you know. And I'm glad people actually understand what it is. But not only that, man, it feels good.

My people back at home, Northern California, you know, I mean, they feel good when they hear that. You know what I mean? They're like, damn, bro, you done took it. But listen, once again, this goes back to not being a character. This goes back to just me being me, Jacob being.

There's no other way. This is what I'm saying. It's not scripted. There's no other way how to, I don't know how to do anything or do anything besides be myself.

So, yeah, when you guys see me out moving and grooving, off top, I'm going to show love and respect. That's how it is. But, man, brother, when it's go time and we're in that ring and them lights come on and then that switch comes on, oh, it's you can't tell me nothing. You can't tell me nothing. All of a sudden, nobody gave a damn about me on the independence.

Nobody cared about me then. You know what I mean? Nobody was giving me the luxury then. Oh, Jacob, Jacob. But now I come here.

I start tearing it up and I started getting in where I fit in. Huh?

Now, now, now everything. And this is on another note why I feel some type of way sometimes.

Okay, where were you? Where were y'all? Where were you at?

Okay, since I don't want to tap in with y'all, now I'm acting different. No, what was everybody else for that 12 years when I was struggling with my kids? Huh?

Did nobody else care? Besides my wife's family and my parents, did not nobody care about Jacob Flatu, man. This is why it's different at backlash. And I'm sorry, man, for getting hot, but man, me sitting here just thinking about it, talking about it now, oh man. Come on, bro.

That's why. The pain, the tears, everything. With Roman, it's different, man. And I know I keep saying that, man, but y'all gotta really tap in and understand. The direction for what I'm going to do.

I'm not speaking to y'all to Usas, you know what I mean? I'm letting you know what you know. We got you. I need the viewers to know and to understand this. Like, this isn't put on a pair of tights, go out there, have a good match.

No, bro. We really make a living out of this. We are learned and taught on how to respect the ring. How to respect the ring, how to respect people backstage. You know what I mean?

These new cats coming up. They don't get it. They don't understand what it is. They think being on the phone and posting the good stuff, posting a good life.

Okay. I want to see somebody post the bad things happening. All right. Because when everybody gets their food stamps, everybody posting a good old plate. Huh?

How about, how about, how about having nothing and just posting a plate? You know what I mean? Come on, man. Like, what are we doing? Let's not, you don't got to fake it till you make it, but damn, bro, be real with yourself.

And this is what I feel like this is what got me over here: me having a good heart, but me understanding where my position is.

Okay. I've been playing my role and playing my position and staying in my own lane. Rest in peace to Nipsey Hustler. I remember he said that, man, stay in your own lane because there's no traffic in your lane. You know what I mean?

on my tapping in. But now I just feel like, Mike, and I know, and it's not Phil. I'm sorry, let me take that back. I know. I know it's time for me to jump out this lane and jump in another one.

Yeah. And that's why. You can't write for that. Nah, I could. And no disrespect.

What I see in the writer's room, I'm not writing for that. Not that.

So it's just that realness that people just connect.

So much to you with, and people will see through the BS. I mean, we are wrestling fans. If anybody sees a lot of BS, it's us.

So, when we see the real, it's right there. But I'm also a brother that comes from a big family who grew up with, you know, didn't have a lot.

So, I also understand. What he's saying on a different level than just the wrestling part of this. And, you know, you brought up the people who feel like. I want to get his opinion on uh A little idea me and you talked about. You know, you brought up the people who feel like they know so much about the business.

You know, the people online that got this, that, and the third to say. I said. Every P L E They should set up a ring on the outside of the arena and let people run the ropes. Let them ropes burn up on you a couple of times and kind of see how something as simple as that could cut you up the whole day. Take a bump.

Yeah, take a bump once. Oh, no. Hey, set up a ring. Have them come in the ring. All right, they don't even deserve to take a bump.

Just see if they could take a punch to the face from us. Yeah, that's it. Yeah, just see if we could just punch you in your face and see how that feels. All right. They don't deserve to deserve to step in the ring.

All right. These cats don't deserve to be nowhere in the ring. None of these cats. You know what I mean? Yeah, I remember he told us he had to wait a month and a half.

Yeah, hey, hey, you could take this. You all right. All right. Hey, all right. I had a black eye.

Hey, I done been punched. I done been beat up. I done been jumped. I never been knocked out, though. All right.

I never been knocked out. But yeah, hey, it's what come with it. But I ain't going to sit here and complain. No, hey, I'm glad I had a black eye. I'm glad I got punched.

I'm glad I got beat up. All right. That made me for who I am today. But no, I didn't go online like the rest of these cats put in their feelings. Hey, man.

If I want to give some advice to anybody, stay off of the internet. It's fake. Oh, man. Kill everything with a smile. Man, it just do the right thing when nobody's looking.

Trust me, man. If you just keep your mouth shut and keep grinding, keep growing, keep going. And this is somebody who's already here who I read bad comments about me every day. Hey, brother, don't let it get in your head because, bro, my check still clears every week. All right.

Hey, brother, we ain't tripping no more. Thanks for the support. Just so, yeah, you know, I was going to bring this up later, Jacob, but because you just said it now, made me jump into this question: you do the right thing when no one's watching. There's a video, I think, of like last year, maybe two years ago. I grew up, Lex Luger was my guy.

I people say whatever they want to now. I'd never seen nobody built like Lex Luger, I'd never seen nobody look like him. I'm from near Penn State, I knew he played football there, so I thought Penn State, I thought Lex Luger was like, you know, and then he had his accent where now he's in the wheelchair. And there was a video of you. Just took it upon yourself.

He was struggling. You took his wheelchair. You folded it. You helped stick it in his car. And then you.

And I guess you guys hadn't even talked 'cause you were just like, hey, I'm one of the fatus. Of course. Yeah, I was walking. Man, it was just how we are. I mean, man, bro, it's just how my uncle, my parents, and them raised us.

It's how they raised us, dude. And that wasn't, and you know, my boy, he was, I didn't want him to do a vlog, but he, uh, you know, shout out to Stone P. He was just walking. I was on the independence, and you know, I mean, he just thought it would be cool just to, and I was like, all right. And, you know, I'm sitting there talking.

I see a wheelchair and I see, I'm, listen, I'm a wrestling fan at the end of the day.

So, dude, how can you not help Lex Luger? You know what I mean? Like, I'm like, oh man, that's Lenax. Hey, OG, man, here, I'm going to put your will. He didn't even know who I was until he started looking at me.

And then I just had to tell him, you know, hey, I'm Fatu's nephew because that's how they knew Michael Rikishi back in the day because they was there as the head shrinkers with Yokozuna.

So, but man, bro, and once again, if y'all know me, I don't post stuff, stuff, good stuff that I do. People just will catch it. You know, that's just me being me, bro. Because at the end of the day, I got seven kids. They better know, they better know how to treat people, you know, and my kids understand that.

My kids understand what we have now because what we went through. And so, you know, my kids understand how to say, yes, sir, no, ma'am. You know, they know how to walk in front of people and say, excuse me. You know, they know when not to speak. They know when, you know, I mean, but it's because, it's because, man, we raised them right.

You know, I mean, we got to keep God first, got to raise them right because nowadays, and we're not going to get into it, but it's a lot. It's too much going on, really.

Nowadays, bro, you got to tap in with your kids. You one thing, I'll tell you one thing. My kids don't have this, they only got this. I'll tell you one thing, my kids only take this to school. They come back like what they don't got social media, none of that, because none of that means nothing.

You know, I made it here not off of so and I told my kids, and they know daddy didn't make it here because it's social media, they don't like me because of what I know. They understand what we've been through, you know. And this is the only, and I feel like this is why people gravitate towards me. I'm not going to sit here and I'm not going to sit here and act like I had a great life, act like I had a horrible life. No, I made just wrong decisions.

I come from a great family. My parents are great. They're still married. They're still together. And I love my people.

You know what I mean? But it ain't how you start. It's how you finish. You know what I mean? Trust me.

Bro, those days I wanted to quit. I just talked about this on another podcast. I had a WWE tryout. It didn't go the way I wanted it to because my background, they said I would never work here. William Regal, Matt Bloom, Norman Smiley.

They pulled me back. Never forget William Regal. I'm not saying you will ever work here, but just keep going. I mean, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And because it broke my heart, bro.

WWE, maybe I wasn't ready. I don't know, you know what I mean? But I know for sure was my background.

So, what did I want to do? Me not knowing, I never had a chance. Damn, now I'll never, man. Shout out to William Regal, Matt Bloom, Norman, and Smiley, man. They just told me, hey, man, keep pushing.

We're not saying you will ever have a job here, but just keep going. And then Regal will email me and like tap in with me throughout the day, like throughout the years.

So, you know, obviously there was something there, but yeah, man. Man, that's that's just them trying to see how much he wanted it. Yeah, man. You stayed off, you stayed on the path for this long and didn't go back. That's all they needed to see.

Also, keeping it real with him, too. Like, right now, this is probably not going to work, but you're grinding. Yeah, well you you sorry it was not to cut you off. You know who it was too at a tryout. And then they said, Hey, at the third day, if you got a felony, you will never work here.

You will not work here. If we like you, we hire you, we find out you have a felony. You know what I mean? So, I already knew. I'm not, I wasn't gonna fake the yeah.

Did I think about Lion Hill? Yeah, I thought about Lyon Hill. Yeah, come on, bro. Look at me, bro. You like, nah, he's been through something.

You know what I mean? I mean, we, I'm not saying they was looking at me like that, but I come on, brother. You know what I mean? Y'all know what I mean.

So, I stuck with him. I told the truth, and once again, this goes back to my kids and me being a father. I can't teach my kids one thing and I'm doing another. You know what I mean? So I had to tell the truth.

You know what I mean? And I spoke about it, and I'm glad I did. Not only that, they was going to find out one way or another. You know what I mean? It's definitely me, baby.

I mean, so through you. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, and I'm glad it worked like that.

I'm glad I told them the truth because I couldn't even imagine me getting hired then three weeks later. Yeah. Oh, bro. Oh, it would have been, yeah, it would have been bad. Jacob, can you come in the office?

Oh, yeah. Or no, how about this? Or how about this? Jacob, just stay home. Yeah.

Or Jacob, don't even come in today. You know what I mean? But, but what I'm trying, but, man. And you know what? Uso, I didn't realize it until you just said that.

Damn, bro. Yeah, I did stay on the grind that long. Damn. Damn, bro. You just really opened my eyes, bro.

Thank you for that. It's a homie conversation. That's what it's supposed to be. We don't like to call these interviews, man. We just chopping it up with people we love.

But Jacob, you spoke about, you know, stay home for the day. And that brings me to the family, right? You got seven kids, your wife, Elizabeth. Real quick, though, the ages of your kids, what do they range from? Like.

Oh man, man, pop, hold on, hold down, hold pot, man, man, my oldest is uh Uh Man, he just left for the military last week.

So he's doing good. He's 20, pops 20, 17, 16, 14, 13, 9, and For four. I got a whole team, dog. And a bench. And a bench, right?

So let me ask you this, right? Like, you got a day. Nothing on the WWE. One of the rare days that WWE. Don't have anything for you.

You know, your older son, let's just say your oldest son, before he would have left home, you have all seven of your seeds just sitting at the crib, right? What would be a perfect day for Jacob 52? You don't have to worry about work. You just get to dust the dawn. You get to do whatever you want with the family.

I mean, man, if they know I'm tapped in with my kids, bro. I mean, if I catch late flights leaving every Thursday, sometimes I don't like connecting flights, but you know, a good time with my kids now because the schedule wrong. I mean, WWE schedule is way different than what it was, you know.

So I'm actually very happy to be home a lot actually now than what it was. But a perfect day, bro. I mean, we got to go to, so we in, so I mean, we're in the south now, man. You know what I mean? So, bro, we got to go to Waffle House.

We don't want to steal someone else's question, even though I feel like our questions got, yeah, but we ain't gonna steal nobody's waffle house. But yeah, so go ahead. Hey, hey, it was for sure. But you know what I mean? I try to take my kids.

I mean, I remember I was being a little bougie, too, when I first got the job. I wanted to take them, like, you know, go eat some steak or spaghetti. I mean, try to do something. Man, they just want to waffle house. I mean, so I'll take them to Waffle House, man.

I definitely take them to the movies. My four-year-old, bro, he just, he maney, bro. I mean, he running everywhere, everywhere.

So it's really everything for the kids, man. My kids don't want that much, bro. They don't even really care about Nike Jordans. You know what I mean, bro? I still take them to, I still take them like to Walmart or JD.

I mean, my kids don't really trip over anything. They don't trip over phones. They don't trip over clothes because my kids understand, you know what I mean? man we came from that turning them lights on bro them roaches in the kitchen you know i mean and and i could speak about that because my kids understand that you know so i'm very grateful for my kids not even wanting a lot you know what i mean like trust me bro when we first moved out over here It was hard for us to sleep in the room, my kids, and everything. We slept in the living room for one month together, you know what I mean?

Because that's just how we've been living our whole lives. And I mean, in one room and one mattress, you know what I mean? With our, you know, and my sister-in-law.

So, right now, the perfect day, oh, bro, especially with a little bit of Gouda, bro. Oh, it's definitely a good day.

So, man, bro, uh, uh, but it's really cooking. I'll probably come back home and just cook, man. The kids love my kids, love watching movies. You know what I mean? I'll show them old school movies.

I mean, Adam Sandler, they really hooked on Adam Sandler, just showing them life with uh Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence. You know what I mean? They over there tripping on.

So, man, it's just uh, I enjoy just showing them old school movies because I'm a movie guy. You know what I mean? My kids love movies. Uh, I was lacing them up, showing them Blockbuster. You know what I mean?

I was showing them, man, before Netflix, we had to go to Blockbuster and Hollywood video. You know what I mean? Just showing them that, man. Uh, just showing them a lot of old school stuff. Stuff, you know, because they think all the stuff that we have is new.

Like, even with the AI, like, I had to break it down, explain that to them.

So, you know, just told them, man, man, you guys are very blessed. All right, you guys are very, they're in a good position right now. But I understand it. Would it be?

Well, I wouldn't be here if it weren't for God, Jesus Christ, man.

So just thank you, though. Thank you to the man above. That's good. That's good. Now, you know, being a Second generation man, myself, TJ.

I got to ask, is there any, you know, any of you. You're younglings that Look into wrestling a little bit, or like you catch them watching a little bit more than the other ones. My girls, my girl.

Well, no, one of my sons, he's really into it. Man, he's a football player, but bro, he really tapped in. You know what I mean? So, right, he's my 13-year-old. My 14-year-old, he likes it, but man, he likes like Paul Heyman, like Nick Aldis.

Yeah, yeah, I mean, so, but my girls definitely, I don't even, my kids don't watch it around me. Uh, I didn't even really think my kids used to watch me until I actually got here. You know what I mean? I think they used to start watching me because you know, they see their uncles on TV, and you know, I'm dad and uncle when it comes to them, you know.

So, my girls definitely, my 15 and my nine-year-old. I mean, so I'm gonna have them for the first time with me at Backlash. I mean, and this is how special this moment is, like, for us and our families. Like, we're all gonna have our families there. I mean, and it's overall, it's just going to be a beautiful moment for me, my wife, and my kids, and you know, just for our whole bloodline who's going to be there this Saturday tapping in at Tampa at Backlash.

Yeah, man. I uh my my My girl, because I got an eight-year-old. And uh, yeah, I had to catch her watching wrestlers. Like, she ain't want to like you see me watching it every week. You don't want to just like sit with me?

One day he we and him were on the phone together, right? And then he goes, Hold up. And he gets quiet. He goes, Yo, let me call you back real quick. And I'm like, what's going on?

And then you tell him what you saw. Because we were watching Wrestling, but I kept hearing, like, I know I'm hearing another match somewhere. You know, I'm like, I know I'm hearing something that's not the TV. And I'm talking to TJ, and I look. Is she on her iPad?

Watching CM Punk versus Drew McIntyre, Hell in a Cell on their own. On their own. Yeah, so I had to record it and I had to send it to TJ. And I told my sister, she was like, Yeah, that's probably like her fourth, fifth time watching that match. She said, She said she called me and be like, Auntie, what's the match with the blood?

Yeah. Man, man, it's so cool, though. Because that's how my wife told me the girls were watching it. She was like, I think the girls are keep watching wrestling.

So, you know, man, my wife don't play. She tapped this, and they don't have their own sign-in, they all signed in under one email so she could see everything.

So she goes and she like, bro, they're uh, they're watching it. But um, I think it's cool now because it actually brought me and my girls. You know, I'm already close to my kids, but now I'm showing them old school stuff. Bro, I just showed them, I just showed them May Young getting powerbombed through a table from uh What did they think of that? Hi.

I was like, oh.

So y'all gonna be doing stuff like this. On another note, I want to throw this out there. Rest in peace to my uncle Umaga. And rest in peace to my uncle Roman Reigns, brother, Uncle Matt Unwhite, Rosie. Yes, sir.

Me and um uh Jamal Umaga aka Jamal three minutes. Yep.

So, three-minute warning, and we're talking about people taking some good stuff. Lily and Garcia took. Pop up. She took the best pop up, Simone. Do y'all remember that?

It was like, Yeah, hey, she did it with one step. Rosie threw her. And it's funny, I was such a fan when she came back and I met her. I mean, hey, how. Is it okay if I get a picture real quick?

Because, bro, and I told her she took the best pop-up some more, man. And it was pretty cool. I just wanted to throw that out there. Shout out to Lillian Bob for taking a bit of pop-up. When I was a kid, that was the one move all them pillows got right, bro.

Three minutes was giving it to everyone. Yeah, bro. Women, it didn't matter. They was getting messed up. Yeah, bro.

That bro, that bitch off. There. Evil man. Evil man, that bitch off, man. Three minutes.

You can't even say it around him. He started tripping out. Oh, that's funny. Hey, you know, there's one thing, you know, before we run out of time, I think we got a little bit of time left for you. This is just personal for me, right?

I guess I'm going to use this to stroke my own ego. When we saw you in Stanford. For the WWA 2K26. It was right after our John Cena interview came out. And when you came into the room, you were so hyped about how good you thought the interview was, and we were, you know.

That we were getting this reaction there in Stanford, which was dope. We were bent dogs. And then you brought up how dope you thought it was that me and Cena wrapped the steam song together. And so I was at that moment, I was reading some comments on social, which I shouldn't, that were pretty much positive, but there were a great deal of people who were kind of clowning me. Mad at me because we would have rather him did it on his own.

Like, why'd you have to ruin it? And I'm like, You don't understand. I asked the man. I asked him before the interview started, right? And he goes, well, let me see.

I guess you want to see how the interview goes. Yeah. When we got to the end of the interview, I brought it up again. And he goes, Well, normally I would say no to this, but there's three of us, let's do it.

So we did it. And you came in and you hyped me up about doing it. And I was like, You thought it was all right. And you're like, yo, that was dope. And I can't tell you, man, how you and Paul Heyman back to back telling me that.

It washed away, you know, a couple hundred tweets that told me I was an a-hole, or like I ruined it for him.

So I want to just say thank you for that, man. Yeah, man, you read 100 of those? Bro, he can't help it, man. Yeah, yeah. I get yelled at all the time for it.

But yeah, so when you said it. That made me feel like, all right, bet. Nah, love, love, oops. All right. Hey, man.

Uso, I just told you, man, everybody's doing this now. All right. Yeah, something wrong. Good point. Hey, hey, no, hey, who's not?

It was genuine, man. Trust me, Ooh. Because who's done that before? I mean, he said it. He said he usually says no to it.

And you did it. Come on, bro.

It's never going to happen again. You know what I mean? Yeah, one of these guys that helped set it up for us. He came in, he congratulated us on the interview, said how much John loved it. He showed us a text, you know, whatever they need.

And he turns to me and he goes, I can't believe you got him to rap with you. I'm like, what do you mean? He goes, do you understand every podcast he goes on from Charlemagne, if it's hip-hop? Anywhere they know anything that has to do with music, they all ask him to rap, and he always says no. He goes, I can't believe you got him to do that.

And I was like, Well, he never met TJ before. That was what I mean. Yeah, man. I mean, you know, it's popping, man. You did it, though, big bro.

You did it, man. And then, look, that's cool. Heyman said something too. I didn't know that. Yeah, right.

Back to back.

So I felt real good about that. If you didn't take that moment, that's like Jordan shooting some shots and he passed you the ball and you just pass it back. No, you go. Yeah. So I should put the ball in the rack now.

We're done, Mike. Get a shot up. Right there, dude. That's all you got to do. Yeah, so I appreciate that, dog.

That meant a lot to me. Yeah, man. All right. How you feeling? You got something?

Well, you know, we already hit him with the bar fight question. Yeah, we got it. But I do, I don't know if we asked you this before. No, not the DeLorean. I don't think you.

Okay, so Jacob Fatu, I think it goes without saying, brother, that you are a family of no contests, right? Especially when we cut this out, you know, where ESPNCW is like what we like to call ourselves being the only wrestling podcast on the ESPN. Shout out to Mickey Mouse. Yes, sir. ESPN CW.

So, you know, when you come into LA, you know, you already got a crib to stay in. I tell you where the spare key is, let yourself in, go to the kitchen, put your feet on the couch, whatever. But in the garage, right, we got a little something that we have on the retarp, and that's a DeLorean machine, you know, for Back to the Future.

So I'm going to let you, we're going to give you the keys to that, but you got to do something for us, right? You got to go back in time, Jacob Fatu. And you got to pick five wrestlers from any era that you would want to have a WrestleMania dream match with, a main event. Who are you going to take that DeLorean and either go to them, scoop them up, bring them back, or go to their time and have that main event with? But oh man, damn.

Yeah. I know one of them right now probably be Bron Breaker.

Okay, yeah, because there was that moment hinting at that. There was that moment. Yep.

Yeah, no, I know one of them probably be Bron. I know Bron for sure. I don't know what it is about him, man. We don't really talk that much. He be back, but you know what I mean?

I'll be seeing it. And you know, I'm keeping 100. Yeah, sometimes, you know what I mean? I know, bro. I know, bruh.

Beast, and I, you know, got me feeling some type of way too. I'm on that. I mean, so.

So, yeah, definitely Brian, and not only that, with his father and his uncle, you know, they were really good and really great bloodline, right? Yes, bro. And, you know what I mean? So, shout out to them. I really respect his father a lot every time when I see him.

You know what I mean? So, it's always cool to see him and his uncle as well. You know what I mean? So, definitely Breaker. Man, I ain't gonna lie, bro.

I'll be playing him a lot in the two-came game. Macho Man, Savage. You know what I mean? I play him a lot. Yeah, I play him a lot over there.

Definitely Jeff Hardy. He's one of my favorites. You know, Jacob, not to interrupt you. One time, somebody asked me about you when you first got to the main roster, and I said, imagine this. Imagine if umaga And Jeff Hardy had a baby.

That could be Jacob Farr too. Am I off on that? That's scary.

Well, yeah, I'd rather take that than uh I'd rather take that than May Young, dude. No, but hey, hold on, don't get it twisted now. Miss Mae Young was beautiful and she was going hard and crazy. Mark Turbo said she was the toughest woman. Yeah, absolutely, man.

And, you know, I mean, but anyway, shout out to Miss Mae Young, man. Rest in peace to her, man. Bron, Macho Man, Jeff Hardy. Yeah, Jeff Hardy. And you name one of them.

And it's great. I don't know how it would have came out, but definitely my uncle Umaga, man. Definitely him. I would have did something with him. But hold on, man, maybe, hold on.

Let me name people outside my family.

Okay. So, Jeff Hardy, you know what I mean? Who else we got? Macho. Is it Braun Macha Cha or Jeff Hardy?

Man, what was OG's name? Oh my God, just Mr. Perfect. Oh, never mind. Yeah, I would have tapped in with perfect and then uh Man, I don't know.

I always feel like what would me and Brock Lesnar have look like. Yeah, man, that's probably definitely them. I mean, that's not that I wanted to pick people that was that wasn't my family. I mean, so yeah, definitely those five dogs, bro. I don't know.

Yeah, definitely Breaker. Mr. Perfect. Yeah, I mean Jeff Hardy. Macho, Macho Man, and then who else did I say, bro?

I mean, yeah, so that's them, bro. That's the fire right there. And that's just me just thinking off the head, though. I mean, no, really, that's it, though, for real. Because I love Mr.

Perfect, bro. Mr. Perfect had dope matches with my cousin Lance on a white father, the great Samu. And Mr. Perfect got great matches with my Uncle Rikishi.

When he came back, they did a match at Sunday Night Heat. And I just always enjoyed his work, dude. Can I share Samu's story with you, real quick? Oh, yeah, yeah. I'm from Altoona, Pennsylvania.

We had matches at the Jaffa Mosque. I'm in, I don't know, I want to say seventh. Maybe eighth grade. I'm sitting in the stands, sitting next to a woman. It turned out to be either his wife or his girlfriend at the time.

So I'm trying to act like I know what I'm talking about, but without marking out too much.

So I'm asking her little questions throughout the matches. And then she says to me, Well, would you wanna come meet him afterwards? I'm seven, eighth grade. I'm in Altoona. I don't like these people aren't real to me.

Remember? Right.

It's a dream. Yeah. And so the last time I was at home this past summer, I took a drive-by and I took a picture of the exact spot. I believe it was a white minivan. And he sat there with the side doors open and he let me sit in there with him and he talked to me for like 15, 20 minutes after the matches.

And I went to school and I wrote because I was on the school paper. I was a journalism major and I wrote a story about that night, which I have no idea where that is. But so Samu always has a place for me because he took time to take this goofy little kid who was marking out about wrestling outside of the Jaffa Moss in Altoona and just sit me down and like answer whatever remedial seventh grade questions I would have, man.

So like I never got to see him again to this day, but every time I see him, I think about that.

So there's always some love and respect for Samu from me for sure. Yeah. Nah, bro, man, man, right on, man. That means a lot for me. And especially, I know how my uncle is, man.

My uncle always been nothing but loving. And, man, if anybody's underwriting, if anybody was pretty good, man, it was my uncle Sam, man. Asambu was, man, brother, instead of saying, like, you know, hey, watch this, watch this, you know, he used to pick people up, give them that spin super kick. He wouldn't even tell them, he'll just tell them, he'll just tell them, pick their head up, and be like, forgive me, and then turn around, damn, you know what I mean? Yeah, man, he said, forgive me, yeah, man.

My uncle Sam told me the story. He said, yeah, one day I seen Buddy Rogers like laying down, or Terry Gordon.

Somebody was like sleeping at the airport and he had a lighter and he lit his pants on fire. That's not a joke. Yeah. No, no, no. Yeah, the crazy thing, like, these guys back then, like, I was like, oh, man, like, you do that.

Like, bro, we're fighting, like, for real. Right.

Like, bro, what's the punchline? This is assault. I also say, you know what? Evan Cohen here. PayPal is now the official peer-to-peer payment sponsor of the NFL, which means all the money moments that fandom creates, whether splitting tailgate costs or chipping in on tickets and game day food between friends, are covered.

Wherever the game is played or watched, PayPal moves with fans. You can send money through text, email, or directly to your friends with eligible accounts on Venmo. Just download the PayPal app and share all the moments that matter. Account with PayPal is required, not available in all regions where PayPal operates. As you know, managing maintenance, repair, and operations is never easy.

But for the ones who always rise to the challenge, Granger has your back. From professional-grade products you can count on to fast, dependable delivery, they're there to help you keep things running smoothly. Plus their technical product specialists are here to help answer your toughest questions. And because Granger knows safety is always a priority, they're committed to being your partner in protecting both your people and your facilities. Call 1-800-GRANGER, clickgranger.com, or just stop by.

It's cool for you to even speak about that. And thank you for sharing that because I mean, there's no other platform. I mean, you could have said it on anything else better than this platform.

So, man, now he doesn't know, but he'll definitely see it now.

So, thank you, bro. I know it'll make him feel good. I appreciate that, man. And it's funny when you were naming your dream opponents, I always like to throw an extra name out. And you said the name.

My extra name was going to be Terry Bam Bam Gordy.

So it was just wild. And you just now said Terry Gordy. Yeah, he was. Terry Gordy was a beast back in his day before, you know, he had some troubles. But yeah.

No, no, bro. Hey, man, it's just dope, man. I really enjoy the way how the old school wrestlers looked too back in the day. I mean, like, back in there with nobody here, all muscles. They weren't body guys, you know.

No, but they were fucking banging it out. Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. Man, from you know, from you start at 18. Going throughout the indies to now, you know, you talked about that TV that you watched. I'm sure when you had your injury.

You're dying to get back here. Can you take us a little bit before I let you go? What was going through your mind during your time off? You know, that time where you were recovering?

Okay. Man, I you know what? I'm I'm ain't gonna shoot coat or anything. I had to slow down. I'm just, I'm glad they caught it.

You know, shout out to my wife for actually having me. I needed to go get it looked at. You know, it would have affected my heart, it would have affected my brain. You know, I never got no teeth pulled out.

So that's why it was, it was major. That's why we did. I feel like I missed out on opportunities, but at the end of the day, it doesn't matter because my health is everything. You know what I mean? Like, I can't take care of my family if I'm being stubborn about this.

So if anybody's watching this, man, just make sure y'all go take care of that. Check it out. I didn't know. I was green. I didn't know about none of this.

I mean, but when they looked at it, yeah, it was bad. I got 11 or 12. I got 11 teeth pulled out. I mean, they're all here. This is my real teeth out here.

All right. I mean, so I got all my shit in the back, but it was all through the back. I mean, it was all from me, what, what, smoking, being younger, smoking new reports. All stuff when I never took care of it. And it opened up my mind like, bro, now I'm starting to think about my health.

Now, I'm starting to think about okay, I'm young now, I do this now, but if I don't take care of this and really tap in with my side, with my health side, then my kids will lose, you know, they're gonna lose me. And so, it really opened up my eyes on that, on how to health-wise, taking care of my body, doing this, doing that, okay, just taking it easy because you know, I'm not young no more, so it is different. You know what I mean? Um, this is why I give uh respect to Randy, to AJ, to Code. I mean, these are cats, you know, I mean, that haven't lost a step and, brother, they still look great, you know what I mean?

So Taking stuff, learning from them is a very big, a very, very big thing.

So that process of being home after the teeth got pulled out, it was different, bro. Looking at my kids here with my kids all day and I got to really spend time with them and tap in with them, you know, because I was on the move. But it was some days that did get hard, you know, like, and I meant hard as in, like, I didn't want to just be home, but I need. Oh, and it was like Why try to hurry up and come back and rush back? No, when you come back, enjoy this time off, but also get your mind right because when you come back, Oh man, it's go time.

It ain't gonna be the time like this. You're not gonna have, you're not gonna be able to afford four months off next time. What? No, I barely get a week off, but it's okay, man. It's okay, it's work.

This is what we've been wanting.

Okay, this is what we've been praying for. This is what I need to be busy, to be gone, to be away. It's a good thing, you know.

So It was a little different. And then, yeah. It was different watching war games. Man, it was because I was supposed to be in war games. I felt like.

Yeah, I was supposed to be in there and then I think about it. Damn, what if I would have had a moment with Brock in there? Yeah, I mean, what if I would have had a moment with, you know what I mean? And I think about it, but at the end of the day, I'm not going to dwell on it and I can't.

Now I gotta make sure that I execute now, you know. And when I did come back, it did feel like something. That's why when I spoke earlier, I wasn't saying all gas, no breaks. I was trying to stay away from all that because it was different and keep it 100. I kind of already knew what I wanted when I did come back.

Came back in January. I kind of knew we were headed this way a little bit. I didn't know when, I didn't know where or what time. But I knew. whether punk one, Roman one, or whoever.

I knew it was time for a change. That title's on raw. Yeah. I've been on SmackDown two years. I had to try to think of something.

Not saying I'm on raw now. No, I'm still, I'm still, I'm doing both. It is what it is. I'm not complaining. I'm not no.

And like what I said before. We love this beautiful, this, you know, this great life that we live. I mean, I'm not living like the tribal chief, but brother, I'm living a whole lot better than I was doing when I was staying up in those public houses. I'll tell you that. But it slowed me down.

It made me regroup. And man, it just it got me back better on my health. Brought me way closer to my kids. And but um man when it was time to run bro, it was time to run so From being out in October to coming back in January. Yeah.

Now look.

Now, look, you know what I mean? Absolutely. I think we're going in a big thing. But to tell you the truth, I needed that. I didn't even know I needed that break until I actually sat my eyes down and I needed it.

So, you know, my wife said things happen for a reason. Yep.

And I that happened for a reason. Saturday, man. The mindset that you had in the beginning. Got you out of your situation all the way to WWE. You with this new mindset, now that you're in it.

We can't see how far that this thing takes you, man. You've always got support from us. No, this Saturday is the first step in many for Jacob Fatu. We will be watching, brother. Thank you for being here, man.

And Jacob respect. Yes, sir. Before you go, I'm just, I gotta know, man, on Saturday. for this World Heavyweight Championship. Are you willing to do anything it takes?

to be called a new champion. Man. I'm bringing my wife and my kids. Not to see me wrestle, Uncle Roman, not to see their dad. Wrestle appeal.

My kids and my wife are going to be there. Because they're going to understand the beginning. of a new life. and everything that comes with it.

So yeah. Yeah, how I am willing to do everything and I am. Backlash, it's a whole nother move. Yeah, it's a whole nother move back class. There you have it.

Jacob Where will I? Yes, sir. Yo. Come on, TJ. That's what I'm talking about.

Come on, TJ. That boy Jacob Fox too is. We're not getting this nowhere else. Come on, now. He made us feel good with some of the questions we were asking.

Oh, that was good. You know, because we not only can we sell it, yeah, you know, but we get a little personal, a little personal, throw you some alley oops, you know, little softball tosses, get that out of there. We make sure we treat our guests nice. That's right, y'all know what we do, we run the gamut of emotions. How are you gonna make a tough man little, little tears?

You know, you know, you're right here with it, you're right here with it. I remember seeing Jacob, I think he was the MLW champion. As you know, we've gotten MLW champion for over something like 800 days or something when I first really got to know who he was. And I remember when he came to WWE, I was telling people, You ain't ready for what this brother can do. Yeah.

Man, he's showing improving each and every week.

Now, look, I didn't want to bring it up, you know, during it, you know. I just felt like it was a little out of place. But I know everybody's talking about Oba. Enrollment. Yeah.

Oba and Jacob? I don't think there's an arena safe. Nah. Like, are you kidding me? I can't wait for that.

That is like. You know, if you know Jacob, he got this thing, you know, Godzilla versus King Kong. Were he both? I don't know, man. Because I've seen Oba beat his chest a few times, and my goodness.

Either way, man, that dude. When you know the His story, when you know what he's been through, when you just take the time, if you can, take the time to look it up because the man could have a he could have a 30 for 30. Also, man, I'm glad we were able to ask him those questions about like you know, him putting in his work as a kid because ultimately. That path kind of got him to where he is today. It was an unfortunate path, but.

You know, he seems to turn it around and and and and that someone's gonna look at that and hopefully that'll change someone else's life. Yeah, 'cause how many stories do we have of people not turning it around? Oh, so many. You know, they like they all it's it's always the trope of like When people are released, that you know, we'll see you when you come back, you know, that type of situation. But it's a lot like with my kid, with my daughter, I always tell people, everything I do, I do for her, and everything I don't do, I don't do for her.

You know, and it's just so refreshing and it's so good to have a story of somebody recognizing their blessings, recognizing the people that depend on them, and then like changing up. And yeah, like I said, man, it's hard not to root for that guy, and it's amazing. when people can bet on themselves. Which brings me to my next point.

Okay. Because people who I feel like had the idea of betting on themselves. personified. Was uh I know where you're going with this. The new day.

Yes. You know, the new day, I believe it was. July 24th, 2014, if my research serves me well. Where we saw Xavier Woods go in a ring. With Kofi and Big E after they finished their match.

And He kind of had a call to arms moment. which led to the creation of One of the greatest tag teams WWE has ever seen. I know for certain It is the greatest black tag team.

So it holds a certain. special place in my heart. And You know Xavier Woods bet on himself Yes. With Kofi, with Big E.

So much so that in a conversation he had with Vince McMahon. He bet his career. He said If This doesn't work. Give me four weeks with a microphone, and I could get this crowd to boo Kofi, and we become the new day. And if it doesn't work, there are plenty of call-ups that deserve my spot.

I never heard that story. Yep, bet on himself. And These guys became one of the Beacons of joy. in this company that we love of WWE. Remember, they started off as heels, though.

Yeah, exactly. They started off that way, and they didn't think people wanted to boo Kofi, and Xavier made it work. And we know where they went on with the multiple tag team title runs. And Kofi getting, you know, Kofi Mania and winning the title, and Big E winning the big boy as well, being on that short list of black superstars to win the WWE title. And Xavier Woods, when they brought back King of the Ring.

I first King of the Ring was Xavier Williams. That was something he said he always loved, and he brought it back. Yeah. Success, and you know, a lot of people want to talk about Xavier Woods and not going on a single title run. His title was the new day.

Yeah. that A lot of people thought that that was kind of the beginning of the end. And they still found a way to, you know, it was a little bit more of a sympathetic situation because we all were waiting for E to come back until we got the news that. It's probably never going to happen. And I can't help as a fan to just like, you know, like.

I know what We spoke to Xavier Woods ourselves, and he said, you know, even though we were faces. New day were kind of bullies, you know. They made fun of people, they like they poked fun at you, made you look ridiculous. And so when they went on the heel run, you thought, like, all right, you know, they started off as heels. Maybe this will be a nice little refreshing thing for them.

They kind of had the wrestling world in their hand when they had that 10-year anniversary and they kind of trashed Big E. And I can't help but acknowledge that it went nowhere. And I don't know. the inner workings of it. I don't know who's the finger that I you know that gets the finger to to point at.

But I know it is one of the most unfortunate things That I've heard in a long time that they are gone from the company without even being able to say goodbye. Except through Twitter, I feel like I'm repeating myself from the R-Truth situation. You would think whoever's back there would learn from that. And What reports Are being out there is that it's from asking them to reconstruct their contract. And at the end of the day, this is a business.

But I mean, like in something that's predetermined, it's kind of hard when you tell me that I'm not doing this, that, and the third when you're supposed to write the map for me. And so it it it's just something that I I want To bring attention to because of what they mean to people, what they mean to me personally. And it it just didn't feel right going on without saying a word about the new day. The new day that needs to be respected and treated as the legends, the walking legends in WWE that they are. And it is.

It is troubling. to think that even they are safe. And it makes me worry. I can't lie to you. It makes me worry as a fan.

You know, we hear We hear that WWE is the hottest it's ever been.

Well, like, you know. Are you so hot that we're starting to burn down the foundation? It's just something to think about. You know, I don't know who's in charge of what or what goes into you know, the the suits decisions. But I mean like it That's a key piece that is now missing.

Fans are. I don't whether you judge it based off merch or reaction, it doesn't help that you give them, you give a bunch of superstars a bunch of music that sounds the same, by the way. Never could get around to that new New Day song. And I just feel like they deserve more. Mm.

Word in the IWC now. People always say, Oh, such and such fumbled, they fumbled, they fumbled. We failed. The new day. And it sucks.

And the The beauty of wrestling is this could all be a work. I don't know, man. I just know as a fan It does not feel good to have to. Read a tweet. That one of the greatest factions of all time is now just completely gone.

I should have you shoulda been there moment.

Now, when you look at obviously Kofi and Big E, they're on that short list of black superstars that have won the big boy. You think about the pioneer that Xavier Woods is. And Teaching superstars that you can bet on yourself. You can not just wait for things to be handed to you, the script to be handed to you. You can write your own path.

As long as somebody listens and gives you that opportunity. But even if you're not in ring, you could do something like up, up, down, down. Which Pretty sure to date. It's still the fastest-growing celebrity video game channel of all time. They gotta get his book a world record for it in 2018.

That he showed A change in the game. Bringing money in from a way that's not just in the square circle. I just feel like those dudes deserved To Right off into the sunset and in front of all of us. And now, I don't know what's going to happen. Wherever you guys are, we will support you.

But I just wanted to take time and give you guys your flowers. And to speak on behalf of fans to say that, man, we love you guys, we appreciate you. And best of luck on your future endeavors. We will be there. New Day Rocks Yeah.

You know, I was in the building, it was SummerSlam 2015 at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn. It was a fatal four-way for the World Tag Team Championships. And at that point, the new day was still heels, but. And the weeks leading up to that, You'd start hearing a pop. People were starting to get behind him a little bit.

And I remember. Got it. The New Day Sucks Chance at that show at SummerSlam. Changed to New Day Rocks and they became the tag team champions. And then they went on from there, right?

But it was like, you know, remember they were in a choir when those opening kind of promos, you know, and you were like, what is this? You're in dress clothes and that wasn't going to work. And it didn't work, but they were able to flip it. And that's the hardest thing to do. I've said this to you before.

The hardest thing to do for a wrestler for me is if I initially don't like you. The chances of you flipping it to make me like you are very small. You got to do something. They did that with everybody. And they made the new day what they were.

They made them household names. And just think, like you spoke of Xavier Woods, the man. Got a trombone over. Come on. Think about Francesca.

Rest in peace. Had a trombone, and the trombone was over. People chanted for Francesca. And then everything they did-from the just the bootyos to the colorful outfits to all the anime and comic stuff that I never got. That you, once we start doing this, you would start to like crossover into other video games.

Yes, you would explain to me what this stuff was.

So. What they did was unprecedented. What they did was amazing. Kofi Mania, I said this the last time we were on the SPN, was one of the greatest WrestleMania moments of all time. Seeing Biggie win was one of the greatest moments of all time.

But I also listened to the fans, right? And once this happened, everyone on the internet was so mad, right? But my question to the internet fans is this. When they were trying to turn hill, when they were trying to do something different, did you really do your best? To get behind them because you said it went nowhere.

Why'd it go nowhere? Because the fans could say, Well, we didn't want them.

Well, that's not the point. If you see these are your favorites and you see them trying something new, it's up to us to get behind it. Because what happens is they win a championship at WrestleMania to no pop. We were there. Yeah.

And it's just like if Now you're angry. Because they're gone. But where were you when they needed us the most? When he was gone and. Woods and Kofi were trying something new, man.

You should have still been behind these New Day guys, even if you didn't particularly love the direction that you've seen what they did.

So you knew that they could probably make lemonade out of these lemons that they were given, but. fans didn't get behind it and now everyone is mad now everyone's in an uproar You know, people will sit and complain about the company. Right.

But then when someone leaves, it's just like, oh, I can't believe they're leaving.

Well, you wanted them to to not be there apparently, right? I mean, and and there's a and there's also a layer to that where there might be a section of fans that are thinking like, well, I mean, i it's just a pay cut. You know, like they could have still been here, but they chose to leave. Which is true. I mean.

I've been given 10 plus years. More than 10 more. Uh they have been given they have given the company their time from family, their bodies. all these things, you know, the sh the stuff outside of WWE that they brought in. Maybe there's a world where they feel that I mean, I know personally as a fan, I feel like they were untouchable.

Yeah, right. They, you don't. They're legends. They're legends. They are walking history monuments.

We're already robbed of Big E, his career.

Now we're robbed of Kofi and Woods in the night. Like And what is that and look at the position that puts Your booker in. Yeah. You know, like these, there's, we're seeing so many releases of people who are actually in the middle of stories. Yeah.

Kofi working with Javon. That could have been we were dying to see that, and with Tez coming back. Remember, we at one point was like, I wanted a triple threat. We just had Woods on at the 2K thing, he's coming back from injury. You know, like there were there were paths showed.

and still and just ripped apart because of what? Because of what? They're I get as a business you are in in debt and you're you're trying to make your buck back. I get it. I get it.

But I swear, all I hear, you know, whenever you start a business, you're going to lose money first five years. But you've been here three, four? Come on, man. Don't touch New Day. That's just one of those fine chinas you got to let let breathe.

Especially as someone who How many New Day t-shirts did you see throughout the years? How many boxes of boots? There was a picture of. Princess Leia herself. Carrie Fisher.

And in her house she had a box. Yeah. Of bootyos. Come on, dog. Like, bro, you they're bringing in collabs with Warner Brothers, with Teen Titans Go.

They're bringing in collabs with Xbox with Gears of War. They're bringing, they're bringing in Uh our new business. Those guys kind of seem like they are a walking phenomenon that. aren't supposed to be there. They all were.

Going in, and they were misdirected, and they found each other and made it work, and they bet on themselves.

So, I, as a fan, cannot. Feel any type of way where they are given a crossroad again and bet on themselves again. It sucks. It's not. It's never goodbye.

Yeah, not wrestling. It's just never goodbye. But This is troubling because not only is like the new day gone, but now as a fan, I don't need to know how y'all do business.

Now I know that y'all are terrible negotiators. And like, what does that say to superstars who are watching, who are thinking about coming here? Like, what does that say?

Sometimes you don't want to know how the sausage is made. Yeah, it's a very slippery slope. And on those slippery slopes, a snowball can grow.

So it's just. It's troubling. But as our, you know, as we do have this platform. And we've spoken up about releases a lot, things that hurt. And, you know, John Cena, we didn't just let him go off into the dust.

We had something to say. We got microphones in front of us because we always got something to say. And so we. Wanted to make sure. We shout out the new damage, yeah, for sure.

Y'all, we're. I'll never forget that Royal Rumble. They told us we had five minutes, they gave us 25, they gave us damn near 30, right? They just didn't want to, yeah, good dudes, man. And also, but if you want to put a bright side look to it, right.

This is I'm sure they're going to continue.

So they're going to go out there. Please go on tour. And they're going to make their money and they're going to go wrestle in front of crowds who may. Not have gotten to see them in the past. There's a lot of dream tag team matchups out there in this wrestling world that we haven't had or that we haven't had in a while.

And without naming names, I'm sure anyone that knows knows what I'm talking about and who I'm talking about.

So look, man, from. I guess the depth of despair when things look the most bleak, you got to put like the positive shine on it. And the positive shine is the new wave, maybe. You know, the, you know, whatever. We're going to get to hopefully see some matchups that we wouldn't have otherwise got to see.

And you got to look at that as a positive. Those two men are going to be all right. But I respect the hell out of Kofi Kingston. I respect the hell out of Xavier Woods. I respect the hell out of Big E.

And whatever you guys go, I know you got two fans here. And I'll tell you what John Voight once told me. This is a long story. You don't even know this, the great actor John Voight. I was out of a job once and he happened to call my friend and I'm talking to him and he said, you know what?

You're going to be all right. And he explained to me the reasons why I would. And I'll just say that to them. The new day. Y'all are gonna be all right.

It'll be interesting to see Big E at the pre-show for Backlash and the post-show. We'll be seeing that, but we just wanted to. Let me get that wide. Let me get that wide. Shout out to.

New day? From No Contest Wrestling Podcast, TJ tells these people where to find us.

Well, You want to listen. You want to watch. Very simple. All you got to do, if you go on social media, you can find us at There's No Contest on Twitter. On Instagram, we're at No Contest Wrestling Podcast.

On TikTok, we're no contest wrestling pod. And if you just want to listen for your airgate, man, we're everywhere that you get your podcast from: ESPN, Amazon. Apple, Spotify, wherever you listen to podcasts. You'll find this. And if you want to watch this, because why wouldn't you?

Because I got this maroon plum suit on today. You go to the Rich Eisen Show YouTube page or just type in no contest wrestling. You'll be able to see every episode from one to this one, which I believe is 84. 83 or 84. I'm not sure.

One of them. Double check. I think it's 84. But yeah, you'll get all of it. Everything that we've done right there on the YouTube page.

On behalf of myself and my tag team partner, make sure y'all have a good day. But not too good. Who the hell you think you are? And tell your mama we said Happy Mother's Day. That's right.

By the way, call if you can, if you have the ability. Make sure you. Call the woman, send her flowers, send her a plant. Talk to her for an hour. Let her know you love her, man, because there ain't nothing like moms.

We're two mama's boys right here, so I know what we're talking about. I'm gonna call mine right now. And as always. By Ms. Parker.

You know where my head is. Ma, what you doing?