Due to requiring dental work, Jacob Fatu took several months off WWE television, with the company using a scripted backstage attack on SmackDown to explain his absence. And now, while appearing on Busted Open, he has revealed he had to have 11 teeth removed, noting that the number was initially 12, but seemingly, his dentist managed to save one. This amount of work explains why he was gone for so long, and therefore, an angle was needed.
“11 teeth. I was supposed to get 12 teeth. I got 11 teeth pulled out in the back. So got 11 teeth.” – Jacob Fatu
33-year-old Fatu made his shocking return on January 9, 2026, on SmackDown during the Three Stages of Hell match for the Undisputed WWE Championship between Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre. Covered in black, he attacked both men in the steel cage, targeting McIntyre first, then Rhodes. This chaos helped McIntyre escape and win the title from Rhodes, and subsequently altered the anticipated creative direction of WrestleMania 42.
