WWE Rumor Roundup: Additional update on plans for Jacob Fatu as in-ring return nears, Huge deal set to last until 2028

Welcome to the Friday edition of the WWE Rumor Roundup, which serves as the second edition of the year 2026. Ahead of a big weekend, we have some of the big scoops for you as usual.

Some of those scoops include a big update on the plans for Jacob Fatu as his in-ring return approaches, a huge deal that is expected to last until 2028, a big injury to a star who has been in the World Title picture, and also a crucial update on Chris Jericho's status as his time in AEW seemingly comes to a close.

So, without dragging it much further, let's jump right into it!

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#4. A Jacob Fatu update

From Night of Champions 2025 (Picture Courtesy: WWE.com)

Jacob Fatu has been a key part of WWE television, and in 2025, he rose to the occasion by winning his first silverware - defeating LA Knight at WrestleMania 41 to become the United States Champion.

Following a prolonged story with Solo Sikoa, the tables finally turned, but it was Sikoa who walked out of their feud as the victor and the United States Champion. After that, Fatu teased going after Cody Rhodes, but would instead get into a feud with Drew McIntyre. That ended abruptly due to an injury, and he has been out of action since then.

According to a report from Bodyslam, the dental surgery took Fatu out of what was otherwise going to be a signature year for him. However, WWE is reportedly committed to pushing the Samoan Werewolf and plans to give him a huge push in 2026 are still intact. He is not only expected to return in early 2026, but is expected to have a breakout year.

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#3. Huge update on the WWE-TNA deal

The partnership will go on (Picture Courtesy: WWE.com)

The WWE-TNA partnership has been an interesting one, bearing fruit in some very interesting crossover moments. NXT stars have held the top TNA titles, while the Hardy Boyz briefly became NXT Tag Team Champions. Overall, there has been a mixed reaction about the partnership, with many fans believing that TNA is constantly getting the short end of the stick.

However, according to a report from Bodyslam, this hasn't been the case according to those high up in TNA, and the belief is that the partnership has worked out very well mutually. Not only this, but the deal is reportedly set to extend into 2028, which means that the "multi-year" agreement was for three years.

It's going to be interesting to see how things continue to play out between the two companies and how it all ends up working out in the end. The pinnacle moment of this partnership was undeniably the decision to put Joe Hendry against Randy Orton at WrestleMania 41.

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#2. Michin injured amidst World Title aspirations

Mia Yim (Pic Courtesy: WWE.com)

Michin has been drifting into the WWE Women's Championship picture as Jade Cargill's first big feud since dethroning Tiffany Stratton in November. While she has made a mark, things could come to an abrupt end sooner than expected.

According to a report from Fightful Select, Michin suffered a shoulder injury during a live event and, as a result, has been pulled from the rest of the tour. We can only hope that the injury isn't as bad as stated, but there is no word on the official injury announcement or when she could return.

Perhaps it's just a precaution that is being taken to make sure that she can appear on SmackDown, but if she disappears without a trace and her feud with Cargill ends abruptly, then we know that the injury is a lot more serious than first anticipated.

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#1. An update on Chris Jericho

The long-standing rumor has been that Chris Jericho is set to end his AEW tenure after 7 years with the company, returning home to WWE, where he became the big star that he is today.

For months now, there have been rumors after rumors seemingly confirming Chris Jericho's AEW exit, and it looks like it will be a case of him simply letting his contract expire so that he can jump ship. What his role could be is uncertain, but Mike Johnson on PWInsider Elite revealed that Chris Jericho's contract with AEW is set to expire very soon and that the growing belief within the WWE is that Y2J will make his return.

One thing is for sure - Chris Jericho will be welcomed back with open arms. Now that this rumor is out, we expect the floodgates to open about speculation regarding a Royal Rumble return in Saudi Arabia later this month.

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Edited by Rohit Nath