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Meltzer also revealed on WOR that Solo Sikoa is not expected to be the challenger for the undisputed WWE title at Bad Blood in Atlanta, but it could be Jacob Fatu.
Sikoa will challenge The American Nightmare for the championship on SmackDown’s USA Network debut Friday night. Rhodes, on the other hand, expressed his desire to square off with Fatu on the September 6 episode, only to see his request ignored by the self-proclaimed “Tribal Chief.”
Rhodes vs. Fatu would be an excellent main event, at least based on everything else we have seen out of the champion during this title reign, but one has to wonder if it is too early to run with that match at this point.
Fatu is special, the type of monster who can be built up for months, wreaking havoc and becoming more dangerous with every passing match.
Hot-shotting his title opportunity when it could easily be a significant part of the build to WrestleMania 41 would appear to be a mistake, but knowing the creative forces in place in WWE right now, the likelihood is that plans for every major PLE leading into the biggest show of the year are already laid out and intricately plotted.
If it does end up being Rhodes vs. Fatu, it would place the former in peril and force him to be the resilient champion he has been since winning the title and in front of an overwhelmingly positive audience in his hometown.
