Zilla Fatu has all the makings of being the next big Samoan star in WWE, but it seems the promotion is once again setting him up for failure.
Zilla Fatu debuted on last week’s episode of WWE NXT to some insane cheers from the fans and immediately turned heads by taking out two of the biggest stars on the brand, Grayson Waller and Cruz Montana. Whether you like the ever-growing dynasty in WWE or the random debut and then straight to the top title scene for many of these NXT recruits, Fatu is one of the biggest indie stars to have joined the promotion in a long long time. You could argue Mason Rook was another big indie name, but he is nowhere near popular or as big an attraction as Fatu.
Being part of the Fatus and the Anoa’is does come with a lot of eyeballs attached to it, but it also comes with exceptional natural talent and a flair for the game unlike any other. That being said, it also depends a lot on WWE regarding how they present another Samoan with a direct connection to The Bloodline. If he’s too overbooked and overpushed, fans may start to hate him, but keep him underbooked, and fans will have no reason to care.
Of course, Fatu debuting and going straight into the NXT Title scene makes things look like he will be pushed to the moon, but it also doesn’t mean he will win. However, there are factors that WWE will need to avoid so as not to set up Zilla Fatu for failure.
WWE Should NEVER Portray Zilla Fatu As A Discount Version Of The Rock
On the latest edition of WWE NXT Zilla Fatu came out dressed as The Rock from 2002. While it was fun and cool to see, it immediately created the impression that he was the next Rock, and that’s a tall hill to climb.
The company needs to understand and Dwayne Johnson was a once in a generation star and having anyway have the same mannerisms and outfit as The Brahma Bull doesn’t automatically change the person into him. As a matter of fact, very rarely do fans and audiences accept discounted or copied versions of their favorite superstars, let alone The Rock, who was one of the greatest entertainers this business has ever seen.
WWE could have easily turned the focus on Umaga, Zilla’s late father, his controversial past, or even how he is not the same as the rest of his family. A hint here, a tease there, and another couple of subtle mentions automatically get fans’ attention and pique the intrigue.
Instead, the discourse online immediately shifted to how much Zilla was looking like The Rock and cutting promos that were out of his depth.
The ‘Nympho Baby’ Promo Is A Disaster
OH BOY THE PROMO…
The Bloodline, and the entirety of the Samoan dynasty aren’t the best at reading promos off a paper. We have already established that with Mr Suffering Succotash, and now the same is being repeated for Zilla. Yes, he’s green, he’s only been on the circuit for three years, and needs a lot of training with the mic still. But feeding him promos that he can just mug up and vomit in front of audiences isn’t the best way forward.
As a matter of fact, the raw flair of the Samoan promo that we all love from Roman Reigns, Jacob Fatu, and the rest of the Bloodline is kind of dissipated and leads to disasters like “nympho baby” instead of ‘nepo baby.’ If you don’t know what ‘nympho’ means, please Google it.
Having your newbie superstar play the role of a generational talent while also asking him to cut promos out of his depth, is a recipe for disaster.
The balance between what Zilla Fatu can be taught, and how much he can be moulded in the WWE way combined with what is natural and raw in his character is a balance that will guarantee his success.
The biggest and best example of this is Solo Sikoa, whose transition from someone who barely spoke to the guy who is a natural babyface took years to come and it did not happen by making him dress like The Rock.
If the botches and the attires become the conversation surrounding Zilla Fatu, then failure will the price that both he and WWE will have to pay.
