WWE Rumors on Jacob Fatu, Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, The Rock; Cena Talks Retirement

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

WWE's Reported Plans for Reigns vs. Fatu

WWE reportedly has long-term plans in place for Roman Reigns to face Jacob Fatu, which is why they have been kept apart thus far.

According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News), WWE is building toward a big showdown between Reigns and Fatu, and that is part of the reason why Fatu is being kept off WWE programming right now.

Meltzer noted that WWE is having Fatu "completely avoid" Reigns and doesn't want him to bump for The Original Tribal Chief, unlike the other Bloodline members in Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa.

At SummerSlam, Reigns appeared for the first time since dropping the WWE Championship to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 40.

During Reigns' absence, Sikoa appointed himself as Tribal Chief and took some major shots at Reigns, so Roman responded by spearing Sikoa and costing him in his WWE title match against Rhodes at SummerSlam.

Fatu made a sizable impact during the match as well, hitting Rhodes with a splash through the announce table. However, Fatu appeared to injure his leg and didn't get involved again, as he watched from outside the ring while Reigns took out Solo.

It remains unclear if Fatu was actually injured or just selling the effects of the move, but PWInsider Elite (h/t Mukherjee) reported that there are no internal concerns about Fatu's health in WWE, and he is expected to return to in-ring action by the end of August.

Meltzer suggested that WWE wants to do Reigns vs. Sikoa before getting to Reigns vs. Fatu, meaning there should be plenty of time for Fatu to get healed up and ready to face Reigns.

WWE's Reported Original Plans for Rhodes, The Rock at WrestleMania 40

Before the decision was made to have Cody Rhodes headline WrestleMania 40 against Roman Reigns, Rhodes was reportedly going to be left off the WrestleMania card completely.

Speaking Tuesday on Wrestling Observer Radio (beginning at the 8:45 mark), Dave Meltzer reported what WWE's original intention was for Rhodes at WrestleMania:

Meltzer said that once WWE decided to go with Reigns vs. The Rock in the main event of WrestleMania, WWE was going to run an injury angle with Rhodes as an explanation for why he would not compete at WrestleMania.

The Rock then would have stepped up to take his place against Reigns, making The Rock a clear babyface in that scenario.

Meltzer noted that WWE went away from the plan when CM Punk got injured during the men's Royal Rumble match due to the idea that it could pivot and have Rhodes challenge Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship.

In the end, WWE settled on Rhodes vs. Reigns either by long-term design or as a reaction to the fans making it clear that they wanted Rhodes over The Rock as Reigns' opponent.

That choice paid dividends, as The Rock turned heel and had one of the most entertaining runs of his illustrious career, while Rhodes ended Reigns' 1,300-day run as WWE champion in an all-time WrestleMania moment.

Cena Doubles Down on Retirement Decision

John Cena announced at Money in the Bank that he is going to retire from in-ring competition at the end of 2025, and the 16-time world champion isn't backing down from his decision.

In an interview this week with ComicBook.com's Liam Crowley, Cena insisted that once he retires, he will be done with wrestling from an in-ring standpoint for good:

"There isn't a check writer with enough money to change my mind when I hang it up in December. I don't want to continue for ego or financial gain. I built a relationship of trust and authenticity over the years with the WWE, and that's people who think I suck and people who believe in me, they know that I shoot them straight and I'm trustworthy. I mean what I say: when I'm done in December, I am done. It is the last time I will perform in a ring."

Cena is poised to have a memorable retirement tour in 2025, as he will wrestle throughout the year and intends to appear fairly regularly on WWE programming.

All signs point toward him being a key part of major events such as WrestleMania, Royal Rumble and SummerSlam that year, and the possibility exists that he could potentially become a 17-time world champion and break his tie with Ric Flair for the all-time record.

In pro wrestling and other sports, it isn't uncommon for an athlete to retire, later change their mind and return to action, but Cena clearly wants everyone to know that won't be the case with him.

The knowledge that Cena is done once 2026 rolls around will create even greater incentive for fans to enjoy his work while they can, and it figures to make his retirement tour that much more special.

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