When Roman Reigns became the World Heavyweight Champion at WrestleMania 42, fans were ecstatic. The OTC was at the “Head of the Table” again. Almost immediately, the WWE Universe began lining up a list of dream opponents for the new World Champ. To everyone’s surprise, Jacob Fatu emerged as the OTC’s first challenger.
The Samoan Werewolf also came off a major victory at Mania. Fatu defeated Drew McIntyre in an Unsanctioned match, closing the chapter on their heated feud. Alongside Reigns, Fatu is also one of the most protected stars on the main roster. Therefore, WWE has put itself in a unique position.
One man has to take the pinfall, which would definitely hurt their momentum. Furthermore, the Samoan Werewolf left SmackDown for RAW. It would make little sense for WWE to draft Fatu to the red brand without a long-term feud.
However, Reigns vs. Fatu could prove to be a stellar feud. Truth be told, Triple H has several reasons to book this feud. On that note, let’s look at why the OTC vs. the Samoan Werewolf is happening at Backlash 2026.
#3. Roman Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu Feels Fresh
Let’s start with one of the most obvious reasons. Many fans wanted Roman Reigns to revisit his rivalries with the likes of Seth “Freakin” Rollins, Jey Uso, and Cody Rhodes as World Heavyweight Champion. As great as these rivalries could and would be, it’s always good to have variety and freshness in the mix.
Reigns has interacted extensively with Jacob Fatu in the past. Fatu was Solo Sikoa’s enforcer during the Bloodline: Civil War saga. The Samaon Werewolf was a major thorn in Reigns’ side and had laid the OTC out several times at Sikoa’s behest. However, they never battled in a one-on-one contest as WWE was saving the feud for a bigger occasion.
Post WrestleMania season signals a new start. Newer faces emerge, and fresh rivalries are born. In line with this spirit, Triple H has catapulted Fatu into the main event scene, pitting him against a fresh foe in Reigns.
