Jacob Fatu Reportedly Facing Long-Term Injury Layoff

It looks like WWE might be losing another major name to injury — and this one could have big implications for SmackDown storylines moving forward.

According to a new report from BodySlam, Jacob Fatu has suffered an injury that’s expected to keep him out of action for an extended stretch, potentially sidelining The Samoan Werewolf well into 2026.

While the exact details surrounding Fatu’s condition haven’t been made public, sources indicate that it’s a non-wrestling-related injury and serious enough to take him off WWE programming for the foreseeable future.

The timing couldn’t be worse for Fatu, who was gaining major momentum as part of his heated feud with Drew McIntyre. Many fans believed he was on the verge of breaking into the Undisputed WWE Championship picture alongside Cody Rhodes. After dropping the United States Title to Solo Sikoa back in June, it seemed WWE was positioning him for a main event push — plans that now appear to be on hold.

This isn’t the first health setback Fatu has dealt with since joining WWE. He missed brief time last year due to a foot injury following SummerSlam, and later tweaked something again during Survivor Series: WarGames, though he managed to bounce back quickly on both occasions. At this point, it’s unclear whether his latest issue is connected to either of those earlier incidents.

As for what this means for Drew McIntyre’s ongoing storylines, nothing has been confirmed. WWE hasn’t provided an update on McIntyre’s next feud or when Fatu was originally expected to challenge for the Undisputed WWE Title.

Hopefully, Fatu’s recovery goes smoothly — he’s been one of the most talked-about additions to the roster in recent months, and his absence will definitely be felt on SmackDown.