Tonga Loa debuted during the Backlash Premium Live Event earlier this month, stirring anticipation among fans for his in-ring debut. Although he was slated to debut on SmackDown this week, his match was unexpectedly pulled. The reason behind this last-minute change has now been revealed.
At first, The Street Profits’ Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins were scheduled to face The Bloodline’s Solo Sikoa and Tonga Loa. This was supposed to be Tonga Loa’s in-ring debut, but WWE mishandled the announcement in a surprising turn of events.
On the May 24th episode of Friday Night SmackDown, Paul Heyman explained that Tonga Loa couldn’t clear customs due to his criminal record, which prevented him from traveling to Saudi Arabia for the match. As a result, the match was pulled from the card.
Ringside News reached out to the WWE writing team to clarify Tonga Loa’s unexpected absence. They confirmed Heyman’s account, stating that WWE encountered difficulties getting Tonga Loa into Saudi Arabia because of his criminal record, deeming him “non-visa-able.”
“Exactly what Heyman said. They could not get him into the country. I do not know why. He was deemed non-visa-able!”
WWE opted to incorporate this real-life issue into a storyline to accurately reflect the circumstances surrounding Tonga Loa’s absence.
Fans remain excited to see when Tonga Loa will finally make his in-ring debut. There is some skepticism about his ability to perform, considering his previous run in NJPW. For now, his debut is on hold as WWE navigates these unforeseen complications.
