Sami Zayn to lose the US Title on SmackDown tonight after top WWE star betrays him? Exploring the potential

Sami Zayn’s victory over Solo Sikoa in the main event of last week's episode of Friday Night SmackDown gave him his first taste of the United States Championship, but it may have put him in the crosshairs of an apparent ally: WWE’s most unpredictable star, Jacob Fatu.

With Jimmy Uso quietly drifting to RAW if the conclusion of this week's episode of the red brand is any indication, the Bloodline landscape has shifted again. Fatu began trusting Sami partly because of that Ucey connection, and because Solo Sikoa and the MFTs had made his life hell over the past few months.

But with Jimmy Uso now seemingly gone, Jacob Fatu, who has grown awfully white-meat of late, is likely to regain his edge, and rightfully and necessarily so, because the character of The Samoan Werewolf demands that. His unpredictable, no-nonsense character is what makes Jacob Fatu special.

However, with Fatu set to truly stand alone for the first time in WWE, what if Uso's absence completely unhinges him, physically and mentally?

Sami Zayn stands alone as champion. Fatu's character, despite his unselfish demeanor of late, clearly should have his eye on the prize. What if tonight's SmackDown opens the door for Fatu to strike? From a psychological standpoint, look at it this way: consciously, Fatu does not want to destroy Sami. But his personal ambitions are high, and his attitude, deep down at the bottom of his soul, is too far gone.

Consider this: Sami, in true fighting-champion fashion, issues an open challenge. Fatu answers. At first, fans expect respect, but instead, The Samoan Werewolf reverts to his violent instincts. He brutalizes Zayn, and perhaps Sami's fighting spirit even pushes him over the edge to the point he cheats to win. Either way, fans shower boos upon Fatu as he destroys The Ultimate Underdog in Sami Zayn. In doing so, Fatu reclaims the aura that made him so feared in the first place.

As for Solo Sikoa and his MFTs, Jacob Fatu does not need to go anywhere near them in the near future. Turning heel doesn't have to mean a rekindled alliance. The focal point of Fatu's character is the desire for freedom, something he didn't have when allied with Solo Sikoa as a member of the Bootleg Bloodline, or now with Jimmy Uso and Sami Zayn.

Decoding the psyche of Jacob Fatu: Why turning on Sami Zayn wouldn't feel forced, but rather, completely logical

Jacob Fatu's betrayal of Solo Sikoa, after all, did not happen due to moral qualms he had with what Solo did, or underlying philosophical differences that eventually came to the surface, but because he felt trapped and disrespected. Fatu's desires are apparent: he wants to run his life on his time and by his decisions.

He wants to inflict pain, punishment, and violence, not at someone's behest, and not hindered by any moral scruples, but simply because he so chooses; he chooses the time, the place, and the victim. Jacob Fatu needs to establish that he does what he wants, when he wants, and to whomever he wants, and unfortunately for Sami Zayn, that could spell disaster for the reigning United States Champion on SmackDown tonight.