Zilla Fatu felt that his late father, Umaga, was with him during his debut in NXT. The 26-year-old became the latest member of the Bloodline family to join WWE when he debuted on NXT last week. During a brief appearance on Booker T's Hall of Fame podcast, Fatu reflected on how much that moment meant to him.
“I did exactly what I was told and put my own style into it. I put my style into it and we did it like that, and we had fun”, Fatu declared. “Right before going out, I said a quick prayer for myself. And I knew my father was there, because I felt it. I felt it. And right before going out, it just happened. I can't even explain it. The entrance sliding, everything I did. And right before sliding, I looked at Book. I saw him. I thought: 'Okay, yeah, we're good'. As long as he's watching, we're good. But other than that, I can't explain it. It's a memory I'll never forget. I'm ready to start this new journey and, like I said, buckle up. It's going to be a long ride”.
Booker T stated that he knows Umaga, who passed away in 2009 when Fatu was young, is watching from above and is "incredibly happy" for him. When Fatu began his wrestling career after spending six years in prison for armed robbery, he did so under the guidance of Booker T at his Reality of Wrestling school. Some differences between Fatu and Booker T led to both parties parting ways, but they have since reconciled, and Booker T advocated for WWE to sign Fatu.
Booker T pointed out that he doesn't think he has ever been as tough on a student as he was with Fatu because he sees a lot of himself in him. Both were "troublemakers" and "rebellious" when they were younger, and Booker T also lost his father early in life. Booker T felt he needed someone to set him straight back then.
He is proud of how Fatu has straightened his path and believes the sky is the limit for him. “I was tough on Zilla, man. I was tough on that kid because I could see he had a lot of potential”, Booker T said. “But he had to believe in himself and he had to make other people believe in him. He had to make people trust him”.
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