Solo Sikoa to replace Jacob Fatu with 33-year-old star on SmackDown? Exploring the possibility

The latest episode of WWE SmackDown witnessed Solo Sikoa embarrassed in front of the crowd at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Canada. In the opening segment of the show, when everyone thought Cody Rhodes was set to give Sikoa a title shot, it turned out that Rhodes choose Jacob Fatu instead.

While Sikoa eventually got his title match booked against Rhodes for next week, he could look to replace Jacob Fatu with a 33-year-old star because Fatu listened to Rhodes and almost accepted The American Nightmare's title shot. The star in question is Tama Tonga's brother, Hikuleo, who is reportedly signed with WWE earlier this year.

During the above-mentioned segment, when Rhodes asked Fatu to step up, the Enforcer without putting any thought simply followed The American Nightmare's order. While it may not seem like much, Sikoa was visibly frustrated by The Samoan Werewolf's action and immediately asked him to step down.

Even though the act by Jacob Fatu may seem small, it may be enough to plant a seed of doubt in the mind of Solo Sikoa. Also, by replacing Fatu with Hikuleo, Sikoa's Bloodline will be an all-Tongan faction, and Hikuleo's physicality might be what Solo needs in his bid to maintain his spot as The Tribal Chief.

---

Cody Rhodes spoke about his upcoming Steel Cage match against Solo Sikoa

This Friday on Season Premiere of SmackDown on USA Network, Cody Rhodes will defend his Undisputed WWE Championship against Solo Sikoa in a Steel Cage match. Given The Bloodline are known to interfere in matches that involve Sikoa, a Steel Cage would seem apt for Rhodes.

After the conclusion of SmackDown's recent episode, The American Nightmare was spotted in a conversation with WWE Correspondent Byron Saxton. During this conversation, Rhodes shared his thoughts on his upcoming match against The Tribal Chief.

"Byron, I almost have a soft spot for Solo Sikoa. He's a legacy wrestler in a faction where everybody's saying, 'No, I'm the guy.' Every fan is pointing out and saying, 'No, he's the guy.' I feel for Solo Sikoa. I don't know what I was thinking challenging any of them to a fight. The truth is if you're fighting any member of The Bloodline, you're fighting them all. So there is nothing more perfect, there is nothing more destination for this type match than a Steel Cage." [From 03:48 to 04:23]

Next week, it will be interesting to see if Sikoa can win the title, or whether the favorite Cody Rhodes continues his winning streak. It will also be worth observing the role The Bloodline plays in this match.