“It Was Impossible To Watch!” – Jacob Fatu Bloody Angle Prompts German Newspaper Outrage (WWE News) – WhatCulture
German tabloid Bild has field day with Jacob Fatu’s bloody beating of Braun Strowman at WWE SNME.German tabloid newspaper Bild has published an insane article lambasting Jacob Fatu’s post-match attack on Braun Strowman at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event as “almost impossible to watch” and “too brutal.”Bild, notorious for its sensationalist slant and deliberate use of inflammatory language, titled its piece “Scandal! Ex-con beats WWE star bloody.” (Paywall) Enrico Ahlig wrote on Sunday, 26 January that Strowman was “brutally beaten” by Fatu after their SNME match the day before, which ended as a disqualification in Strowman’s favour after Jacob attacked the referee in a scripted angle. With the match over, Fatu repeatedly attacked Strowman with Moonsaults and corner hip attacks, with Braun popping a blood capsule in his mouth to add heft via colour.Or, as Bild described it:Fatu’s attack saw a growing number of WWE officials try to stop him, to limited effect. Jacob continually broke away from the group, hitting three Moonsaults on Braun, even while medics were tending to him. “One more time!” chants rung out from around the building. The crowd were fully into it, which Bild noted, branding them “morally bankrupt”:Reminder: Wrestling is scripted.In Bild’s eyes, WWE created a problem with the incredibly well-received angle. They interpreted the crowd’s reaction as a babyfacing of Fatu when the angle was designed to make him look like a monster heel, potentially for an eventual showdown with Roman Reigns.Wrote Ahlig:There is a semblance of a point in there. Ideally, yes, heelish acts would be booed, not cheered. Heinous acts would conjure hatred and bile while the babyfaces would be showered in sympathy. In an angle such as this, a hushed silence as medics tended to the fallen face may have been sought, with the crowd cast as concerned onlookers as Strowman was loaded onto a stretcher.But this isn’t the reality of WWE in 2025. Increasingly, these audiences behave unlike traditional wrestling crowds who get worked by face and heel shenanigans. These days, they are closer to participants in the scene. WWE has captured their complete devotion and created a new paradigm in which fans are loud, engaged, and switched on, albeit to more of a celebratory tone than cheering the goodies and booing the baddies.This is simultaneously good and bad, but it feels appropriate for a promotion like WWE, which, for much of its existence, has endeavoured to distance itself from traditional wrestling as much as possible.The idea that WWE would see Fatu’s reaction as anything but a huge positive is laughable. A babyface turn on Solo Sikoa is likely in his future, but not yet. Especially after such a brutal, transgressive assault.Jacob Fatu’s Saturday Night’s Main Event assault was broadly praised by fans and critics alike.For WhatCulture, Scott Carlson wrote:Bronson Reed’s turn on Seth Rollins is an appropriate touchstone. Reed gained immense traction after his multi-Tsunami assault of Rollins in August, catapulting him towards the main event scene before injuries shelved him after a cage dive gone awry at Survivor Series: WarGames on 30 November 2024.But where Reed was starting from the lower midcard, Fatu was already identified as a future main-eventer before his big angle. The ‘Samoan Werewolf’ has added a real, tangible element of danger to WWE programming since debuting last June, aligning himself with Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Tonga Loa. His role has slowly grown over the months, too, with Fatu going from a largely silent enforcer to flexing his chops on the microphone weekly, while still steadfastly showing where his flag is planted with declarations of “I love you Solo!”.Strowman was only Fatu’s second WWE singles opponent after a November win over Jey Uso. In 2025, fans should expect his schedule to increase in parallel with the size of his opportunities.All translations provided via Google Translate.
Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture’s Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE – just don’t make him choose between the two. 10 WWE Innovations That Nobody Wanted
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