{"id":257382,"date":"2026-08-12T13:38:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T13:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/12\/could-zilla-fatus-wwe-debut-on-nxt-have-a-major-purpose-exploring-the-possibility\/"},"modified":"2026-08-12T13:38:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T13:38:00","slug":"could-zilla-fatus-wwe-debut-on-nxt-have-a-major-purpose-exploring-the-possibility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/12\/could-zilla-fatus-wwe-debut-on-nxt-have-a-major-purpose-exploring-the-possibility\/","title":{"rendered":"Could Zilla Fatu&#8217;s WWE Debut on NXT Have a Major Purpose? Exploring the Possibility"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-content\" data-postid=\"5203590\" data-slug-id=\"2821236\">\n<div class=\"vidazoo-player-container\">\n<span class=\"vidazoo-close-btn  hidden \"><br \/>\n<img data-lazy=\"\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/cmc-predictor\/v2\/cross-icon.png?w=40\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" alt=\"close\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Zilla Fatu has officially arrived in WWE. The August 11 episode of NXT saw a No. 1 Contender&#8217;s match between <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/player\/grayson-waller\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">Grayson Waller<\/a> and Cruz Montana (fka Mike Santana) for the NXT Championship.<\/p>\n<p>Despite taking each other to the limit, no clear winner was declared, and the No. 1 Contender&#8217;s spot is still vacant thanks to The Main One. Zilla interfered in the match, first connecting a Samoan drop on Montana before delivering a Superman punch on Waller.<\/p>\n<p><template id=\"template__newsletter-inline-banner-form-combo-widget\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<p><img id=\"subscribe-img\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\nThanks for the submission!\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<p>The Main One then connected with a frog splash on both stars, sending a direct warning to NXT Champion Tony D&#8217;Angelo, who was watching the match from the announcer&#8217;s desk. The two had a cold stare-down.<\/p>\n<p><template id=\"also-read-articles-template\"><\/p>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<p>Many may be wondering why Zilla Fatu didn&#8217;t debut in The Bloodline and instead arrived on NXT. His arrival on the developmental brand could have a major purpose \u2013 WWE has directly placed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/player\/umaga\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">Umaga<\/a>&#8216;s son in the title picture.<\/p>\n<p>Thus, it would seem that WWE has brought Zilla to NXT only for him to beat Tony D&#8217;Angelo, become the NXT Champion, rule the developmental brand, and eventually get called up to the main roster later this year. By then, he would have developed an aura of invincibility and may enter The Bloodline saga as a great threat rather than another sidekick. Therefore, the company may have brought him to NXT first to elevate The Main One.<\/p>\n<p>That said, the angle proposed above is speculative, and nothing is confirmed as of now.<\/p>\n<h2>Zilla Fatu Sent a Warning Immediately After His WWE Debut<\/h2>\n<p>Following his blockbuster debut and face-off with reigning NXT Champion Tony D&#8217;Angelo after destroying Grayson Waller and Cruz Montana,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/wwe\/news-off-air-zilla-fatu-sends-warning-immediately-after-his-wwe-debut\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\"> WWE posted an exclusive clip after the show went off the air of The Main One leaving the ring.<\/a> As he headed backstage, Zilla sent a warning.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;New sheriff in town. The Main One. Zilla Fatu,&#8221; Fatu said before leaving the NXT arena.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>That said, with NXT Heatwave 2026 approaching, it will be interesting to see what plans Shawn Michaels, Triple H and the creative team have in store for Zilla fatu in the coming months.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-post-rating-widget\">\n<p><template id=\"post-rating-feedback-modal-template\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-feedback-box\">\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-content\">\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-data\">\n<p>Why did you not like this content?<\/p>\n<p><textarea id=\"dislike-feedback-text\" rows=\"4\" placeholder=\"Please type your feedback...\"\/>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<button class=\"close\">Cancel<\/button><br \/>\n<button class=\"submit\">Submit<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-widget-parent hidden\">\n<div class=\"rating-parent-container\">\n<div class=\"rating-content-holder\">\n<p>Was this article helpful?<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-action-container\">\n<div class=\"like-container\">\n<button class=\"post-rating-like-button post-rating-button\" data-action=\"like\" title=\"like article\"><br \/>\n<img class=\"post-like-image post-rating-image\" data-lazy=\"\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/like-articles\/upvote-icon-grey.svg\" height=\"20\" width=\"20\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"like selected\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dislike-container\">\n<button class=\"post-rating-dislike-button post-rating-button\" data-action=\"dislike\" title=\"dislike article\"><br \/>\n<img class=\"post-dis-like-image post-rating-image\" data-lazy=\"\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/like-articles\/upvote-icon-grey.svg\" height=\"20\" width=\"20\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"avatar selected\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\nThank You for feedback\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bottom-tagline bottom\" data-tab=\"bottom\">\n<p>Get all the hottest wrestling news FIRST by clicking <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=sportskeeda.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\" class=\"bottom_tagline_link\" data-tab=\"bottom\">here<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tag-cloud\">\n<div class=\"tags-text\">\n<div class=\"scrollable-content-holder  article-padding\">\n<p class=\"article-p  \">Quick Links<\/p>\n<p><button id=\"pnAdvancerLeft\" class=\"pn-Advancer pn-Advancer_Left \" type=\"button\"><br \/>\n<img style=\"background: none;\" data-lazy=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/skm\/assets\/article\/article-scroll-left.svg\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button><\/p>\n<nav id=\"pnProductNav\" class=\"pn-ProductNav\">\n<\/nav>\n<p><button id=\"pnAdvancerRight\" class=\"pn-Advancer pn-Advancer_Right \" type=\"button\"><br \/>\n<img style=\"background: none;\" data-lazy=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/skm\/assets\/article\/article-scroll-right.svg\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<p>More from Sportskeeda<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<span class=\"publisher-name\">Edited by Steffi<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/wwe\/could-zilla-fatu-s-wwe-debut-nxt-have-major-purpose-exploring-possibility\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Zilla Fatu has officially arrived in WWE. The August 11 episode of NXT saw a No. 1 Contender&#8217;s match between Grayson Waller and Cruz Montana (fka Mike Santana) for the NXT Championship. Despite taking each other to the limit, no clear winner was declared, and the No. 1 Contender&#8217;s spot is still vacant thanks to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":257383,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6806],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-257382","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-gossip"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/257382","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=257382"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/257382\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/257383"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=257382"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=257382"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=257382"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}