Jacob Fatu's Non-Wrestling Injury, Timeline for WWE Return Reportedly Revealed

Jacob Fatu was reportedly not cleared to compete on Friday night's episode of SmackDown, but his injury may not be as significant as what was initially reported.

According to PWInsider Elite's Mike Johnson (h/t WrestlePurists), Fatu is recovering from a dental procedure, and WWE is hopeful he will be back "very soon."

Fatu has been embroiled in a rivalry with Drew McIntyre for the past few weeks, and they were scheduled to face off in the main event of SmackDown on Friday with the winner becoming the No. 1 contender for the WWE Championship.

However, when Fatu was supposed to make his entrance, the camera cut to the backstage area, and The Samoan Werewolf was trapped underneath a steel truss. Fatu was laying on the floor beside a pool of his own blood and some of his teeth.

WWE champion Cody Rhodes confronted McIntyre and had an impromptu title match against him that ended in a disqualification.

Prior to Friday's SmackDown, BodySlam.net (h/t Steve Carrier of Ringside News) reported that Fatu was dealing with a "non-wrestling-related injury," and there was concern it would keep him out of action "well into 2026."

That would have represented a significant, long-term loss for the blue brand, but Johnson's report indicates that Fatu may not miss much time.

Since making his WWE debut last year, Fatu has established himself as one of the most exciting and popular Superstars in WWE.

He started off as a heel in Solo Sikoa's Bloodline, and while with the stable, he won the United States Championship at WrestleMania 41 by beating LA Knight.

With the fans getting more and more behind him, though, the decision was made to make Fatu a babyface, and he completed the transition at Money in the Bank by turning on Solo.

Fatu eventually dropped the U.S. title to Sikoa, but he came out of that rivalry for the better, as he is now in the main event mix for SmackDown.

While Fatu has hit a bit of a speed bump, all signs point toward him being in the WWE Championship picture once he is cleared to return from whatever is ailing him.