00:00One, two, five, two.
00:38The following contest scheduled for
00:41one fall is for the United States Championship.
00:49Introducing first, the challenger from Sacramento, California.
00:55Weighted at 291 pounds,
01:01the Samoan Werewolf, Jacob Fatu.
01:10The question is, can Jacob Fatu follow in the footsteps of his family member,
01:18Jey Uso, who earlier tonight won the World Heavyweight Championship.
01:22Fatu seeking his first singles title here in WWE.
01:27Talk about unpredictable.
01:29Jacob Fatu does not view Jey Uso as a family member.
01:35Jacob Fatu is obsessed with winning gold for his family,
01:40and ushering in a new era of Samoan dominance built in his own image.
01:46Jacob doesn't say whatever he wants, but it's true.
01:48I know that his family is obviously very successful in this business.
01:53But whenever I say this guy might be the next one,
01:56I'm talking about the entire damn business, not just his family.
02:03I'm talking about the bloody gun.
02:10I know everybody can do!
02:12I guess he is a lemon, but I know that his family is going."
02:14Welyn division 7, vanilla Negeri.''
02:36Looks like you, McAfee, with the chauffeur driver.
02:40Never in a million years, but LA Knight's arriving in style.
02:49He said that that was too loud and too loud.
02:52It overheated Max's capacity of heat of LA Knight and the Maserati.
02:59Megastar entrance in the Maserati, which may well in part be due to the fact that Knight
03:04competed twice last night on SmackDown, and that body took a hell of a lot of punishment,
03:12and perhaps he needed a little assistance getting down to the ring this evening.
03:16Question the smarts of competing so close to this match.
03:21And his opponent from Los Angeles, California,
03:27weighing in for 240 pounds.
03:30He is the United States Champion,
03:37Hell, Hey, Knight!
03:40Yeah!
03:44Yeah!
03:47Yeah!
03:48Yeah!
04:11You know, the entrances really tell a story, Wade, of the contrasting styles of the two men in the
04:19match.
04:20Well, LA Knight got this place on their feet, and you like Bob Dylan, right?
04:25Exactly.
04:26Well, my loins, they are a-tingling!
04:29That was the famous Bob Dylan hit back in the 60s.
04:33And tonight, LA Knight wants to deliver a major hit of his own.
04:37It's actually the times they are changing.
04:38That's not how I heard.
04:40I get your point.
04:42Fatou, LA Knight for the United States Championship.
04:45Dozens of WWE Hall of Famers have held the gold over the years.
04:50Of course, the very first was mentioned by Triple H in his Hall of Fame speech last night,
04:54the great Harley Race.
04:55And tonight, LA Knight looks to retain.
04:58Jacob Fatou looks to win his first ever singles title in WWE.
05:03Jacob Fatou is not scared of friendship, coast to coast, coast to coast.
05:07He is everything that you would want in a champion here at the WWE.
05:12Last night, LA, I should say last month, LA Knight would knock off Shinsuke Nakamura.
05:19Look at that.
05:20Nice neck breaker by Knight.
05:22This is Knight trying to end things quick, I think.
05:25He took a hell of a beat.
05:26Went for the BFT and Fatou countered.
05:30And now Knight looking into the eyes of a werewolf.
05:34The game plan of LA Knight was perfect until Jacob Fatou had very different ideas
05:41and there is fear now in the eyes of the megastar.
05:43You know, Wade, I was gonna ask you, strategy for LA Knight against this crazy guy.
05:48Throw everything you can at the guy and hope whatever body weaknesses you have are not.
05:53Pop up to Bowen.
05:55Too late.
05:56And the ribs of LA Knight, look how badly he had to grab them there.
06:00That's because of the beatdown last night.
06:01That spine of LA Knight, especially the entire midsection, two matches, 24 hours before.
06:08This defense is absolute insanity.
06:10I love the megastar, but sometimes he is completely delusional with that confidence,
06:16and he's gonna pay the price here.
06:18Jacob Fatou is just a crazy individual.
06:22This guy has done stints in prison.
06:24When he got out the last time, he said he was gonna change his life around.
06:28Slept on a mattress in an abandoned home for a number of months just to get an opportunity
06:33to try to do this, get involved in combat sports, and he's trying to make the most of it.
06:38Had to learn a lot of lessons on his road to right now.
06:41You live that kind of lifestyle, it's gonna give you an insatiable hunger.
06:46That is the scariest part of Jacob Fatou.
06:49He went for the sunset flip, and LA Knight moves out of harm's way.
06:53Mentally, he's ready.
06:54Physically, he's ready.
06:55Is tonight the night where he gets gold or is LA Knight?
06:58No, turn it into a cross body lateral press kick out at two.
07:04That frenzy of energy that took over this stadium when the megastar arrived
07:09has completely been neutralized now.
07:12From Maserati to now, a lot less boom.
07:15This is Jacob's WrestleMania debut.
07:18A couple of important points here, Wade.
07:20He's never been pinned or forced to submit in WWE.
07:23And he beat Braun Strowman in a last man standing match to earn this opportunity tonight.
07:29Yeah, it was a match that the whole world thought Braun Strowman was simply unbeatable in.
07:34It was a match that Braun Strowman has made his own over the past ten years.
07:38Enter Jacob Fatou, rip up the record books.
07:42This guy is completely different to anything we've seen before.
07:45I mean, he's an uber athlete.
07:46He's got a killer instinct.
07:48Doesn't give a damn about anybody.
07:50His size and his proportion make him very tall to stop.
07:54And smart move by LA Knight.
07:55Go to the knee, take out Fatou.
07:56LA Knight now with a basement drop kick.
07:58Drives Fatou outside the ring.
08:01Fatou, no stranger to the outside of the ring.
08:03And LA Knight now drives Fatou right between the announce tables.
08:06It was an ugly landing for LA Knight.
08:09It may well have jarred those ribs once again.
08:12Caught the rope on the way through.
08:14Look at LA Knight, he's got about 3% body fat.
08:17The amount of work and discipline this man has to the craft of being our champion.
08:21It's certainly admirable, but he's in a dogfight with a hole.
08:23Look at that power slam.
08:25Caught night in midair.
08:26Fatou delivered it.
08:27Trying to win the United States Championship.
08:29Hooks the leg now, and a kick out.
08:32Jacob Fatou just has that intangible quality that terrifies and captivates in equal measures.
08:41Natural born fear factor for the entire locker room due to his abilities to pull up moves like that in
08:48the blink of an eye.
08:48I like that Wade, fear factor.
08:51I mean he defeats opponents before they even get in the ring with him.
08:55Went for the running senton and Knight desperately got the knees up to the spine of Fatou.
09:00Literally anything can happen with Jacob Fatou.
09:03He's athletic enough to be able to accomplish any move he wants to beat your ass.
09:07But then he can also ground and pound you out of here.
09:09You get the sense the game plan of LA Knight is gone and now it's just a scramble for survival.
09:15LA Knight though, no stranger guess had to fight.
09:17Pop up Samoa and tried it again, this time Knight able to counter.
09:20Went to the well once too often, well maybe not.
09:23LA Knight, nice arm drag.
09:26What a move by LA Knight.
09:28How much is left in this tank of Knight?
09:30He simply can't follow it up.
09:32He can't follow it up, but he's getting a little bit of a breather.
09:35Yeah, but Wade, you're a five time Intercontinental Champion.
09:38That's what being a champ's all about, right?
09:40Digging down when you have to.
09:41Ability to dig deep when it matters most.
09:44The problem is can you dig as deep as Jacob Fatou?
09:48That could be the opening.
09:49The answer may be yes.
09:50Yeah, Fatou went face first off the steel post.
09:52And now LA Knight with some body shots kicked out of the midsection.
09:55And Knight starting the attack on Fatou.
09:57That's our US champion.
10:02LA Knight into the corner with a running knee.
10:05And from looking sluggish to looking like a perpetual motion machine once again.
10:11A lot of years in Las Vegas.
10:13Shoulder to the post.
10:16Now on the other side, and LA Knight starting to put the beating on Jacob Fatou.
10:22Knight now turns him inside out.
10:25LA Knight with an opportunity.
10:27LA Knight knew he was in for a fight and he was ready for it.
10:30Now he's going to the sky.
10:32Yeah.
10:33Top rope by Knight, takes down Fatou.
10:35Big elbow cover for his retention at Vegas and a kick out at two.
10:39Well how clever was that of LA Knight adapting mid air.
10:44Clearly Jacob Fatou was supposed to be lying flat on his back like most opponents.
10:50Gets up to his feet but Knight still connects with that elbow.
10:54Just goes to show you simply can't keep Jacob Fatou down for long and back again on the offense.
11:01LA Knight just threw his absolute best shot at Fatou.
11:05Fatou just has this beyond human ability to regenerate in record time.
11:12All those lessons we talked about earlier.
11:14Toughness grid.
11:15And LA Knight, he knew it was coming.
11:17And again, Knight knows Fatou well, great defense there.
11:21Great defense, but how do you follow it up when you've got the stuffing knocked out of you and your
11:26ribs are on fire?
11:27Go for broke LA Knight.
11:29That's what he's trying to do here.
11:31Trying to hook Fatou.
11:31He's hung up on the top rope, big elbow drops Knight.
11:37LA Knight now.
11:39Incredible athleticism.
11:40And he turns it around.
11:42Fatou face first.
11:43Knight for the win.
11:44What a move by LA Knight.
11:47Fatou kicks in two and a half.
11:49Senior official Charles Robinson was right there with the call.
11:55Incredible athleticism balance.
11:56And raw power from the megastar.
11:59That really should have been enough.
12:01But Fatou once again equal to it.
12:04LA Knight at this stage of the match.
12:07Being able to jump all the way up to the top rope.
12:09It's that Kvorka that's thick in the air here in Las Vegas.
12:13For the BFT, the blunt force trauma.
12:15Fatou follows it up with a super kick.
12:17Drop side of the corner.
12:18LA is in trouble.
12:19Back him on up.
12:21Looking fresh as a daisy once again is Fatou.
12:24And again.
12:28Cage of Rikishi.
12:30Just eating Fatou for dinner.
12:32And the late great Umaga.
12:33The nephew of both men is Jacob now heads out to the apron.
12:37Fatou heading up to the top rope.
12:39Jacob Fatou from the top.
12:41Swanton.
12:43For the United States Championship.
12:46Cover by Fatou.
12:47Kick out by nine and two.
12:49What a matchup for the United States title.
12:522.99 after Jacob Fatou did the unthinkable with a beautiful maneuver.
12:59That swanton from the top that really should have put the megastar away.
13:04But the megastar just grows into the brightest of spotlights.
13:09And it gets no brighter than WrestleMania.
13:13I don't know how the hell LA Knight still fight.
13:16First singles championship match in WWE for Fatou.
13:24L.A. Knight with much more experience when it comes to that at this level.
13:29Absolutely.
13:32Jacob Fatou just throwing heads.
13:34But L.A. Knight as the crown's coming alive here.
13:40Split crown.
13:41Captivated by Jacob Fatou.
13:46And his insane abilities.
13:49Top rope.
13:50Moves up.
13:50Caught him with a BFT.
13:52L.A. Knight with a BFT.
13:54Only attempted.
13:55Moves up.
13:56And Jacob Fatou stays alive.
13:59Holy hell.
14:01L.A. Knight picked Fatou out of mid air.
14:06And a Moves up with a BFT.
14:08One of the biggest BFTs of his career.
14:13From unbelievable to unfortunate in the space of three seconds.
14:19A perfectly executed BFT against a flying opponent.
14:24Just landed so badly for L.A. Knight.
14:28Kicked off.
14:29Jacob Fatou in the sky.
14:31That may have been L.A. Knight's last hurrah or was it?
14:34Will Knight still fighting back?
14:36Fatou is hurting in a big way here.
14:37Unsurprisingly after that BFT.
14:40A kick.
14:41L.A. Knight ribs.
14:41Ribs first on the top buckle.
14:44And now Fatou right to the small of the back.
14:47The ribs again.
14:49Wearing down the champion.
14:50Who would think of hitting a Centon in that position?
14:53Jacob Fatou obviously.
14:55And there's the Samoan drop from the top.
14:58Every move so powerful and devastating.
15:01Fatou top rope moves off connects.
15:05Fatou's not done yet.
15:07Jacob's gonna go up top again with another moonsault.
15:11Cover by Fatou.
15:13Jacob Fatou is the United States champion.
15:17Here is your winner, the new United States champion,
15:28the Samoan werewolf, Jacob Batou.
15:32Here to celebrate the legendary Haku.
15:43As Jacob Batou wins the first singles gold of his career in WWE.
15:54First of many, we all assume.
15:59But you have to appreciate your first ever title, Jacob Batou.
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