Jacob Fatu, Real Winners and Losers of WWE Saturday Night's Main Event 2 Match Card
WWE returned to the NBC airwaves for its second Saturday Night's Main Event of this era, headlined by a World Heavyweight Championship defense by Gunther against Jey Uso and the contract signing for the Undisputed WWE Championship Ladder Match between Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens at the Royal Rumble.
Did one of those Superstars steal the headlines or was it someone like Jacob Fatu, who appeared for the first time on a broadcast TV special?
On a star-studded night, full of the best and brightest in the company, who emerged as a winner, and who did fare quite as well?
Find out with this look at the real winners and losers from the marquee event.
Winner: Bron Breakker
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Bron Breakker retained the Intercontinental Championship Saturday night on broadcast television in one of the most important matches of his young career.
We had seen the second-generation star battle Sheamus on several occasions, so the chemistry was apparent. However, on a massive stage, he once again performed up to the moment and further proved to the wrestling world that he is one of the faces of the future.
He won fairly, despite Jesse 'The Body' Ventura spinning a narrative about a controversial referee's count that simply was not. This only enhanced his star and gave the impression that The Badass is an unstoppable force in the here and now.
While the match with Sheamus was not up to their previous contests, thanks to time constraints and the commercial break right in the heart of it, it was still a great introduction for a wider NBC and Peacock audience to a man who will be fighting for world championships for years to come.
Winners: Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens
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Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens had one job as they took to the squared circle to sign the contract for their Undisputed WWE Championship Ladder Match at Royal Rumble: sell the match and their story to the masses.
They succeeded.
Rhodes showed great fire as the pissed-off babyface, tired of listening to every excuse and misplaced justification by his former friend for his recent actions. Owens, conversely, spoke with great conviction as he recapped his issues with The American Nightmare and even knocked on hometown hero Shawn Michaels, who oversaw the proceedings.
The physicality was mostly limited but the promo featured just the right amount of intensity from both men and sold the importance of their upcoming championship match.
Given that there is just one more opportunity for the company to hype the fans up enough to convince them to tune into the Rumble on February 1 via the go-home episode of SmackDown, this was an important segment in front of a potentially larger, broadcast audience than normal.
Loser: Nia Jax
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Nia Jax enjoyed a career year in 2024 and, as evidenced by the reaction to her Saturday night on NBC from the fans in San Antonio, she is as over as a heel as she has ever been.
Yet, after suffering a defeat to Rhea Ripley in the opening contest, it is hard to label her as anything but a loser.
As strong a performer as Jax has been and as many strides as she has made as an in-ring performer, a clear path to WrestleMania 41 is not immediately recognizable.
That does not erase all that she has accomplished over the last year but it does beg the question: what's next for The Irresistible Force?
It would be a massive disappointment for Jax to accomplish what she has and be left of the biggest card of the year. After all, one's WWE journey is hardly defined but what its stars accomplish at SummerSlam or Elimination Chamber. They are, and always have, been judged by their performances on the biggest stage.
One can only hope that Jax has the opportunity to return to The Showcase of the Immortals. For now, however, she is one of a few competitors who appear to be on the outside looking in.
Considering Charlotte Flair's return is on the horizon, there will be fewer opportunities for a roster brimming with talent.
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Winner: Jacob Fatu
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Welcome to superstardom, Jacob Fatu.
Less than a year into his main roster stint in WWE, The Samoan Werewolf had his breakout moment on Saturday Night's Main Event, brutalizing and bloodying Braun Strowman. Despite a disqualification loss that occurred after he assaulted the referee, the crowd in San Antonio rained down on the second-generation star, greeting him with chants of "one more time" and "Fatu! Fatu! Fatu!"
As has been the case throughout wrestling history, fans appreciate badasses who wreak havoc and beat people up. Despite Strowman's relative popularity, the fans in Texas gleefully rejoiced over his suffering at the hands of Fatu, who is, and has been, poised to be a top star of the future from the moment he first appeared on June 21.
The reaction from the fans was not one of anger directed toward the ferocious attacker of a former universal champion in Strowman but, rather, one of appreciation for a legitimate badass the likes of which they had not seen in quite some time.
The question is how WWE responds to that reaction and whether they ultimately adapt any long-term plans for him as a result.
Loser: Jey Uso
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There are only so many times a show can be built around the idea of Jey Uso winning the big one, only to lose, before the fans become numb to it.
The immensely popular babyface was the centerpiece of all of the marketing materials for Saturday Night's Main Event and his pursuit of his first world title was one of the primary stories to follow on the NBC special.
Fans who never watched the show before tuned in and were introduced to that narrative and proceeded to watch as Uso fell short of winning.
Again.
No, it was not time for Gunther's championship run to end. Yes, it would have felt like a sudden title change rather than the organically built championship victory befitting a star as over as Uso is.
Still, the fans have watched this story play out a few times with him now, each time ready to watch Uso achieve his dream, only to be left dismayed by the latest loss.
WWE has a mega-popular star on its hands right now and while not everyone can be the guy, there is no denying the connection with the fans. If he continues to lose as he has over the last year, it will only be a matter of time before those fans invested in Uso lose faith and ultimately, interest, in that particular story.
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