Jacob Fatu Is The Franchise Of MLW
The Contra leader doesn’t need to go anywhere else.
Members of the media and wrestling fans alike have clamored for WWE or AEW to sign Jacob Fatu, suggesting that the former MLW World Heavyweight Champion deserves a promotion for his hard work over the past two years in the land of the renegades.
That sentiment doesn’t sit well with Court Bauer. After all, “dude was out there and neither billionaire signed him.” Meanwhile, the MLW CEO saw potential in the 6’1, 300-pound Samoan, took a chance on the 20-something and gave him the platform to be noticed around the world.
Bursting onto the scene at MLW SuperFight 2019, Fatu has wreaked havoc as a member of Contra Unit. He and grizzled veteran Josef Samael destroyed their competition to the roar of the Philadelphia crowd. Their attack was so henious that MLW couldn’t get clearance to air it on beIN Sports. The mysterious group, referred to as “global dealers in violence,” have since commandeered MLW broadcasts, airing threats and assaults at random.
“Filthy” Tom Lawlor was Contra’s first target, as they mauled the then-champion at MLW Intimidation Games. Fatu demonstrated his jaw-dropping agility by leaping off a steel cage and splashing Lawlor in a nod to his uncles Rikishi and Umaga. Four months later, the undefeated Fatu dethroned Lawlor to sit atop the MLW mountain.
Meanwhile, Contra’s carnage has intensified: they ran out the Lucha Brothers, burning Fenix’ mask off; bludgeoned Ace Romero; snapped Barrington Hughes’ undefeated streak in just 30 seconds; scalped Lawlor; and decimated the Von Erichs inside the War Chamber. Plus, Fatu headlined MLW: Saturday Night SuperFight, the company’s first pay-per-view, defeating L.A. Park.
“Court was really the only one who reached out and took me on this run,” Jacob Fatu told The Wrestling Estate. “But you know, it goes further than Court just having me roll with him. Court first started with my family, Uncle Afa and them up in Allentown. For Court to be the head honcho here in MLW, after getting his start within the Samoan dynasty, is awesome. So, (me being here) was meant to be. I believe things happen for a reason.”
As Fatu’s reign of dominance continues, it’s puzzling why WWE hasn’t scooped him up to join his relatives in The Bloodline (Fatu’s father is Tonga Kid). Vince McMahon’s affinity for the Samoan dynasty is well-documented and Fatu’s menacing presence is certainly marketable. He had a tryout prior to joining MLW, but WWE passed on him. No official explanation has ever been given, but Brian Last, Jim Cornette’s podcast co-host, said he was told Fatu’s criminal record prevented an offer. During a 2019 appearance on the Irish Whip Podcast, Fatu admitted to being arrested when he was 18 years old.
However, as Bauer pointed out during the MLW media call in October, WWE has hired numerous people with pre-existing issues. MVP and Booker T, whose story was showcased during the Biography: WWE Legends series on A&E, immediately come to mind.
“WWE had a few looks at Jacob Fatu, as well as Hammerstone, but they just didn’t see it for whatever reason, which is insane to me,” Bauer said. “So, there’s an appreciation for those who did see it in them, did give them a break and then they thrive in that system. That’s why guys like Fatu and Hammer have re-upped.”
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During a January appearance on Armbar Radio, Fatu revealed that both AEW and WWE reached out to him, but he had already signed a new deal in July 2020, extending his run in MLW through 2025.
“We took time during the pandemic to try and help these guys financially by offering new, better deals because we were getting new, better deals,” Bauer said. “I always say, if you come here and we grow, we’re going to grow together.”
If Fatu did jump to WWE or AEW, Contra would surely cease to exist. Conversely, it’s tough to picture the savage without Samael by his side. They’ve been Tag Team Champions in Los Angeles-based PCW Ultra for four years, and in MLW, Samael has served as the maniacal mastermind behind Contra and oftentimes as Fatu’s mouthpiece.
“Josef is my dawg,” Fatu says. “For shoot, man, he’s been helping me since I first touched the indies. I was doing my thing for four or five years under my uncles and when I finally decided to try and make my own way, he laced me up the right way – the old-school way. Ever since then, it’s been working out for me very well, very well.”
Samael met Fatu in early 2016 while launching PCW Ultra, and they’ve been a package deal ever since. “He’s such a phenom, such an incredible athlete, such a talented guy,” Samael told The Wrestling Estate in 2019. “There’s nobody in any company that is better than Jacob Fatu. There’s nobody as agile as him at his size, nobody that can do the things he can do. There’s nobody more dangerous and more vicious. And with me behind Jacob Fatu, I know every trick in the book and I’m pretty vicious myself.”
Fatu’s 819-day reign as MLW World Heavyweight Champion came to an end at Fightland in October. It was his first single’s loss in the company, and despite Hammerstone riding a wave of momentum, it was still a shock to see the unstoppable Samoan pinned. One month later at MLW War Chamber, Contra suffered another setback as Hammerstone’s team forced the nefarious unit to surrender inside the steel cage.
The group’s future seems in jeopardy, and you have to wonder how much adversity Contra can withstand before imploding. Perhaps when MLW returns to the 2300 Arena in 2022, the army of mercenaries will be refocused and refreshed, hellbent on continuing its path of destruction.
And with Jacob Fatu ruling MLW for the foreseeable future, you can bet it won’t be long before the gold is back around his waist.
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