Latest news with #Fatu
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
WWE Smackdown results: Andrade defeats Carmelo Hayes and Jacob Fatu to book Money in the Bank Ladder Match spot
Andrade has officially qualified for the 2025 Money in the Bank ladder match. He scored a big win on SmackDown by pinning Carmelo Hayes in a wild triple-threat match that also featured Jacob Fatu. The match kicked off with all three Superstars flying into action. Andrade and Fatu briefly worked together before turning on each other. Hayes tried to stay in the mix but was knocked aside several times. On the outside, Fatu ran over The Miz with a brutal hip attack into the barricade just before the first commercial break. Andrade takes advantage of Solo Sikoa and JC Mateo's interference WHAT A MATCH! 👏@AndradeElIdolo is heading to #MITB! 🪜#SmackDown Back in the ring, Andrade landed a Spanish Fly, and Hayes connected with a Codebreaker. Fatu tried to end things with a double jump moonsault, but Andrade broke up the pin. Solo Sikoa and JC Mateo walked to the ringside as the match heated up. Fatu delivered another big moonsault on Hayes but looked toward Sikoa and Mateo for approval instead of going for the win. That gave Andrade his chance. As Jimmy Uso ran down to take out Mateo, Hayes got back in the ring and landed a Codebreaker on Fatu. But Andrade was one step ahead. He grabbed Hayes and smashed him with The Message, his spinning back elbow, to get the three count and punch his ticket to Los Angeles. With this victory, Andrade joins LA Knight, Penta, Seth Rollins, and Solo Sikoa in the Men's Money in the Bank 2025 ladder match. It was a win that proved timing is everything, and Andrade picked his moment perfectly.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Family ties bring rising WWE superstar to Knoxville for Smackdown
KNOXVILLE (WATE) – WWE Smackdown rolls into Knoxville Friday night. WWE Superstar Jacob Fatu says he's never been to Knoxville and he's excited for it. Fatu also said professional wrestling was a lifeline for him. 'Man, it's keeping me out of jail,' said Fatu. 'I was 18 and sitting in county and who did I see on the screen, Jimmy and Jey (Uso). I couldn't believe my cousins were on their though.' John Cena to return to Knoxville for a final time in May After Fatu was release from jail, he moved to Los Angeles and began training with his family. Fatu's family includes Roman Reigns, Jimmy and Jey Uso and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. 'Man, we grew up around it without knowing we grew up around it. In our culture, we are very family oriented. Wrestling has always been around but it was always normal to us,' Fatu said. Fatu debuted last year – and just like his catchphrase – he been 'all gas, no brakes' ever since. Since his debut he has become Tag Team Champions and more recently he beat L.A. Knight at Wrestlemania for the United States Championship. 'My love and support from my family was in the building that day. Shout out to L.A., man. When you hear that L.A. Knight music and the roar of the crowd, there's no other person that I'd want to do it with. Very thankful for the opportunity, very thankful for WWE,' he said. Fatu had this message for Knoxville as WWE Smackdown is live at Food City Center Friday night. WWE star Bianca Belair encourages public input for Knoxville parks master plan 'Man, if you know Jacob Fatu, Jacob Fatu is gonna tell you the truth. There ain't no other way, It's Friday night. We movin' and groovin',' Fatu said promoting the upcoming show. 'Of course, I'm gonna be there. Solo is gonna be there. We are gonna have the triple threat Money In The Bank triple threat qualifying match. If you're a wrestling fan, it don't matter what you watch, it's time for you to pull up.' WWE Smackdown airs Friday night at 8 p.m. on USA. If you're going to the show at Food City Center, doors open at 6:30 p.m. and will feature John Cena, Cody Rhodes and Knoxville's own Bianca Belair. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
USC football countdown to kickoff continues—Alex Morrow in focus
USC football countdown to kickoff continues—Alex Morrow in focus USC No. 97 memories are hard to find, but Alex Morrow was part of the Pete Carroll era The countdown to USC's 2025 football season is officially on! The Trojans kick off their new campaign 97 days from today. You need something to help you while away the days and hours in the spring and summer. This is one way to do so. In this new series, countdown to kickoff, we will be counting down the days by highlighting a notable Trojan who wore each number. The options for number 97 are quite limited, but today, we will be looking back at Alex Morrow. Position: Defensive lineman Years played at USC: 2003-2007 Career highlights: After redshirting his first year at USC in 2003, Morrow served as a key backup defensive lineman for the Trojans from 2004-2007. Over those four years, he recorded 14 total tackles and three sacks. Had he come to USC in a different era, Morrow may well have been able to crack the starting lineup. However, Pete Carroll's Trojans teams were stacked on the defensive line with stars such as Shaun Cody, Sedrick Ellis, and Lawrence Jackson, relegating Morrow to a reserve role. After USC: Despite never starting in college, Morrow earned a tryout with the New York Giants during the leadup to the 2008 NFL season. However, he did not make the team's final roster, and never played a snap in the countdown to USC's 2025 football season is officially on! The Trojans kick off their new campaign 98 days from today. You need something to help you while away the days and hours in the spring and summer. This is one way to do so. In this new series, countdown to kickoff, we will be counting down the days by highlighting a notable Trojan who wore each number. The options for number 98 are fairly limited, but today, we will be looking back at Josh Defensive linemanYears played at USC: highlights: Fatu spent the first two years of his college career at Long Beach City College, before transferring to USC in 2016. After mostly serving in a reserve role in his first year on campus, Fatu took on a bigger role as a senior in 2017. That year, he recorded 34 tackles, six sacks, a forced fumble, and a pass defended. He was named all-Pac-12 honorable USC: Fatu signed with the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent following the 2018 NFL Draft. However, he did not make the roster, and never played a snap in the and SEOGO TO QUICK EDITLast updated 05/24/2025 07:24am PDT by Matt ZemekMain HeadlineUSC football countdown to kickoff continues -- Josh Fatu in focusFront HeadlineUSC countdown to kickoff series continues with Josh Fatu recollectionsPage TitleJosh Fatu is part of 99 USC football players and moments from the pastURL Endingcelebrating-99-usc-football-players-josh-fatuBriefWith 98 days to go until the start of USC's 2025 season, we take a look back at former Trojans defensive lineman Josh a number attached to many different Trojans in history. Today's USC player: Josh HeadlinePrintExport to PrintPlanningSlugName your story. This text will not be viewable to DescriptionWhat will your story be about?Plan Date05/23/2025 07:12 PMDay when story will be ready for editor/reporter is done. 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USA Today
24-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
USC football countdown to kickoff continues -- Josh Fatu in focus
USC football countdown to kickoff continues -- Josh Fatu in focus There's a number attached to many different Trojans in history. Today's USC player: Josh Fatu. The countdown to USC's 2025 football season is officially on! The Trojans kick off their new campaign 98 days from today. You need something to help you while away the days and hours in the spring and summer. This is one way to do so. In this new series, countdown to kickoff, we will be counting down the days by highlighting a notable Trojan who wore each number. The options for number 98 are fairly limited, but today, we will be looking back at Josh Fatu. Position: Defensive lineman Years played at USC: 2016-2017. Career highlights: Fatu spent the first two years of his college career at Long Beach City College, before transferring to USC in 2016. After mostly serving in a reserve role in his first year on campus, Fatu took on a bigger role as a senior in 2017. That year, he recorded 34 tackles, six sacks, a forced fumble, and a pass defended. He was named all-Pac-12 honorable mention. After USC: Fatu signed with the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent following the 2018 NFL Draft. However, he did not make the roster, and never played a snap in the league.
USA Today
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
WWE SmackDown takeaways: Tiffany Stratton retains; Alexa Bliss, Solo Sikoa win MITB spots
WWE SmackDown takeaways: Tiffany Stratton retains; Alexa Bliss, Solo Sikoa win MITB spots WWE Friday Night SmackDown on May 16 took place at First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C., and featured a women's title match between Tiffany Stratton and Nia Jax. This week, we saw Fraxiom continue their hot streak by defeating DIY to earn a title shot against the Street Profits, R-Truth land a match against John Cena at Saturday Night's Main Event, Drew McIntyre accept a challenge from Damian Priest, and the first round of Money in the Bank qualifiers. Check out the top takeaways from this episode: Tension rises between Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu Kicking off the show was a promo segment featuring Solo Sikoa, United States champion Jacob Fatu, and newcomer Jeff Cobb, who was dubbed "JC" by Sikoa (officially named JC Mateo). Despite Sikoa leading the way to the ring and standing front and center on the mic, the crowd chanted for Fatu. Sikoa introduced JC as the man who helped keep the US title in the Bloodline. Then the mic got yanked away when Sikoa started to recite Fatu's taglines. The champ can speak for himself, after all. But when Fatu got to his "yadada mean" line, Sikoa hilariously joined in with him. Sikoa then wanted to hear something from Fatu he hasn't heard in a while. Fatu said, "I love you, Solo," but it wasn't in the enthusiastic manner he used to say it. Sikoa playfully asked him to do it the old way, but quickly ramped up to a sterner tone, along with a push. Fatu removed his sunglasses and appeared to bed fed up with Sikoa, but then LA Knight's music hit. Knight dragged JC out of the ring, got a few licks in, and then escaped before the numbers game could catch up. Eventually, Fatu is going to snap on Sikoa, and the pop for that will be insane. This was a solid opening segment because Sikoa is great on the mic when he starts acting silly, and we saw a lot of that here. When that snap eventually happens, expect to see Fatu vs. JC first, which will be an incredible match. Alexa Bliss wins Money in the Bank qualifier The first match of the night was a women's Money in the Bank qualifier between Alexa Bliss, Chelsea Green and Michin. These triple-threat matches provide an opportunity for creativity, and the crowd appreciated what these ladies offered with "this is awesome" chants. We saw a double Long Back Attack from Michin, but that wasn't enough to get the job done. Bliss became the first to qualify for MITB by hitting the Sister Abigail DDT on Green for the pin. This one wasn't a surprise. Even Joe Tessitore commented on Bliss' two big returns this year during her entrance. Despite the great work Green has recently done with the women's US title and Michin improving as well, fans would probably riot if Bliss didn't get the win here. The Miz ruins another Carmelo Hayes vs. Aleister Black match It appears we're getting what I hoped for in recent weeks: a series of matches between Carmelo Hayes and Aleister Black. Hayes even directly addressed it (not my previous takeaway column, unfortunately), as he said he and Black were in the playoffs. With two of the roster's most talented wrestlers repeatedly going at it, who could get upset? Well, fans could if these matches keep getting ruined by outside interference from The Miz. For the second time in a row, The Miz directly led to a premature ending to a Hayes vs. Black match. The match was cooking. The fans were chanting. But then, The Miz happened. I get it, though. It prolongs the series and helps form a story. Hopefully, wherever the story takes us, it will lead to a clean match between Hayes and Black, which will be sure to tear the house down. Solo Sikoa qualifies for Money in the Bank The second MITB qualifier of the night was for the men's side of things, between Rey Fenix, Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso. This one wasn't as predictable as the women's match earlier. Fenix and Uso worked together to take Sikoa out early, but quickly broke that alliance after he was down outside of the ring. Sikoa returned to regain control a few moments later. As the back-and-forth ramped up, the referee missed a rollup pin attempt by Fenix on Sikoa. Everyone, including Wade Barrett on commentary, wondered why the ref fell asleep at the wheel. A few moments after Jacob Fatu caused interference, Sikoa hit Fenix with a Samoan Spike out of nowhere for the pin to qualify for MITB. Immediately after the match, LA Knight appeared again to attack JC, which led to Nick Aldis creating a match to take place on the spot. While it would have been nice to see Fenix enter the MITB fray as a high-flying thriller, it's also nice to see things make sense. Sikoa had support from Fatu and JC outside of the ring, so naturally, the numbers game should help him find the victory, and it did. To be clear, it would have been better if JC and Fatu were banned from ringside, but since that wasn't the case, heel tactics prevailed. Jeff Cobb, aka JC Mateo, wins impromptu debut JC Mateo, formerly known as Jeff Cobb, had his debut match on SmackDown take place against LA Knight immediately after the men's MITB qualifier. This was a grueling match in which JC showed off his power and durability while dealing with Knight's explosiveness. He also broke out a standing moonsault, which drew a shocked reaction. Knight was hunting for a finish, but of course, he was distracted by Sikoa and Fatu, and decided to launch himself onto both with a springboard crossbody. The distraction left an opening for JC to recover, and he was able to catch Knight with a Tour of the Islands, his twisting powerslam finish. It was good to see JC Mateo (I'm not feeling this new name at all, for what it's worth), get plenty of time to work against a well-established name for his debut. He looked great, and the win helps solidify the trio of him, Sikoa, and Fatu as a real force – even if it's short-lived, as the Fatu fracture is very apparent. Tiffany Stratton retains title Once again, Tiffany Stratton and Nia Jax met with the Women's Championship on the line. The match served as the main event of this week's episode. Despite the frustration from some online ahead of this, Stratton and Jax turned in probably their best match together yet. This match also featured something that hasn't happened before: a kick out of The Prettiest Moonsault Ever. Naomi attempted to interfere in the match. Her music hit, and she marched to the ring with a chair in hand, but was promptly chased away by Jade Cargill. The chair was left behind, though. After Jax failed to get a pin after hitting an Annihilator, she went for the chair while the referee was distracted, but Stratton countered by kicking the chair into her face, and then hit another moonsault finisher, this time for the pin. You have to give it up to Stratton and Jax here. It wasn't a perfect match, to be clear. There were a few timing issues, but it was still good, and the crowd stayed invested. The Annihilator connecting was a legit false finish that popped the crowd, and Jax's reaction to the rope break was great. Some may be over the idea of seeing Stratton and Jax go at it, but they can put on solid matches together. To the IWC's point, though, let's keep them separated for a while now.
