Add Jacob Fatu to the list of wrestling stars telling fans to quit complaining.
Speaking to the No-Contest Wrestling podcast, Fatu responded to fans critical of Jey Uso, his yeeting, and his running back of said yeeting:
“Enjoy the show. Man, just shut the hell up. Just enjoy the show. Listen, obviously, you keep watching it. Obviously, if you’re complaining, you’re watching. Man, just chill. Just chill! Enjoy the show, okay? Obviously, if you’re complaining about him yeeting, that means you’re watching him yeeting.
As a viewer, I get the criticism of Uso’s routine. I’ve also seen arenas erupt and happily yeet along because, frankly, it’s fun.
Watching the Royal Rumble in a movie theater last month, my wife and I shrugged and yeeted, too. I also pumped my fist and yelled “Yeah!” when Roman Reigns popped him in the mouth for running it back.
Still, we yeeted.
All that to say, I understand all sides. And I’m not piling on Fatu for an unpolished answer. The “Samoan Werewolf” isn’t exactly a PR machine, and he’s defending his family. But we’ve heard similar sentiments before from those at WWE, notably from Chief Content Officer Paul Levesque, who last year said, “I wish I could tell people ‘fuck off’ being a critic. Be a fan. Go watch this and be a fan.”
That mindset doesn’t anger me. It disappoints me. Why? Because ultimately, it’s poor customer service. The fans are your customers. And in real life, wrestlers are customers, too.
Seth Rollins complains about the Chicago Bears. Chris Jericho once blasted a bad hotel stay. Ric Flair went off on a pizza restaurant. And let’s not forget the countless wrestlers who ever vented about delayed flights.
Ironically, they air their frustrations just as fans do: on social media.
When fans critique a storyline, the response is usually some form of: “You’ve never done this. You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Yet, I’ve never seen Bears QB Caleb Williams tell Rollins, “You never played pro football — stay out of it.”
No one tells a wrestler stuck on a runway, “Flying’s tough. Eat some peanuts and relax.” In the same way wrestlers value their time at the airport, some fans value their time on Monday nights watching Netflix.
The reality is everyone complains — be it about airlines, sports, McDonald’s botching the order (again), or the shake machine still being down. Some even gripe about a wrestler chewing up TV time with the same routine.
So the solution is simple: either none of us complains, or we all get to vent. What’s good for the goose is good for the pro wrestler.
So maybe, just let fans be fans, laugh it off, and enjoy your life. Besides, if you’re Jey Uso, former world champion, current tag team champion, and serious merch mover, you’ve got a lot to smile about.
Yeet.
