The September 9th edition of WWE SmackDown had everything: drama, confrontation, and a Roman Reigns return that had fans buzzing. But if you were hoping to see the full might of The Bloodline, you were probably left scratching your head and wondering, “Where on earth is Jacob Fatu?” It seems the “Samoan Werewolf” has been more of a “Samoan No-Show” lately, leaving Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Tonga Loa to fend for themselves against the Big Dog. According to our pals over at PWInsider Elite, Fatu’s absence wasn’t just him pulling a Brock Lesnar vacation special—his SummerSlam 2024 injury is reportedly legit.
For those who missed it (and for the one person who might still be rewatching the footage frame by frame), Fatu hurt himself while trying to defy gravity at SummerSlam. The spot, which had him leaping onto the announcer’s table during Solo Sikoa’s bout against Cody Rhodes, went wrong, leading to what WWE’s COO Paul “Triple H” Levesque described as Fatu getting “banged up.” No official timetable has been set for his return, but with Fatu recently grabbing tag team gold alongside Tama Tonga, this injury comes with the worst timing imaginable—like showing up to the Royal Rumble at entry number one.
But wait, there’s more! Dakota Kai, who was last seen kicking her way through WWE’s Japanese tour in July, has also been MIA. The Damage CTRL dynamo hasn’t competed since, and while speculation runs rampant about her condition, no one’s been able to get a clear answer. Is she nursing an injury, or did she just decide to take an extended vacation in Parts Unknown? Only time (and perhaps an inside source or two) will tell.
And then there’s AJ Styles—wrestling’s version of the elusive Bigfoot. The former WWE Champion was supposedly set to make his grand return on the latest SmackDown, but he must have taken a wrong turn at the gorilla position, because “The Phenomenal One” was nowhere to be seen. Don’t worry though; this isn’t a case of Styles pulling a Houdini act. PWInsider assures us that AJ’s highly anticipated comeback is still on the horizon, likely before WWE Bash in Berlin on August 31.
Plans for Styles are reportedly locked in tighter than Roman Reigns’ guillotine choke, which means we could see him make a major splash sooner rather than later. His last televised bout, where he had to say “I Quit” to Cody Rhodes at Clash at the Castle in June, might not have gone his way, but that hasn’t stopped him from keeping busy. He’s been tearing it up at live events and even hopped across the pond to face Naomichi Marufuji at Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Destination event in July. So, while we wait for Styles to grace our screens again, we can rest easy knowing he’s still phenomenal—just somewhere else for the time being.
So, if you’re one of those fans who’s been frantically checking Twitter to see where your favorite stars have disappeared to, you’re not alone. Whether it’s Fatu licking his wounds, Kai keeping us guessing, or Styles making us all wait, WWE’s current game of “Where’s Waldo?” is keeping everyone on their toes. Stay tuned, because this rollercoaster of no-shows is far from over.