The Rock's post-WrestleMania XL run is a major "What If" angle of modern day WWE, especially after "The FinalBoss" made a return at Bad Blood 2024, seemingly teasing a storyline that fans are still waiting to see materialize. In spite of this, WWE storylines haven't been waiting around for the return of "The Brahma Bull," especially amongst the Anoa'i family, with Jacob Fatu has specifically rising up through the ranks.During an interview on the "CheapHeat" podcast, Fatu looked back at The Rock's return."Man, Bad Blood? Me and Solo versus Cody [Rhodes] and Roman [Reigns]? InAtlanta?" he exclaimed. "I was so happy to have that moment, just to hear Rock's music ... we didn't know he was coming out!"Fatu admitted that he was so excited to see The Rock back that he was jumping up and down, and in hindsight he's happy he wasn't recorded."I was happy just to be a part of that, even though I wasn't in the ring, it was between Roman, and Rock, and Cody," he admitted. "Man, just to see that? ... It was really dope."
One of The Rock's biggest rivals during the peak of his WWE career was undoubtedly StoneCold Steve Austin. According toJacob Fatu, he once met both veterans backstage decades before he would someday be signed by WWE."As a kid, [I saw Austin] leaning over the table, just talking smack," he recalled. "I remember The Rock Nation ofDomination I'm backstage, he just like fresh out the shower ... I asked him for like a couple of autographs!"Fatu claimed he asked The Rock for three different autographs, and while he ended up getting annoyed, "The People'sChamp" just gave him a "People's Eyebrow" and continued to sign away."Man, shout out to The Rock! He actually signed all of them, and man, he was the first person that gave me a hundred dollars," Fatu further stated, clarifying that he was just a kid a the time, and since The Rock was closing in on his Corporation Rock years, he thought the veteran had a lot of money to give away."I think I asked him for a dollar," he said. "'Rock? You got a dollar?' Man, he pulled out a hundred, gave me and my brother a hundred dollars!"When asked if he's seen The Rock lately, Fatu shared a brief recent memory with him."I seen him at Netflix, you know what I mean? Just gave him a hug, man," he recalled. "One thing I learned aboutThe Rock, he knows everybody's name, it's just love, you know, he's not scared to speak about our culture."Fatu also added that he saw The Rock backstage at WrestleMania XL, and he was just happy to see "The FinalBoss" in person.If you use any quotes from this article, please credit the "Cheap Heat" podcast, and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
