Why WWE Is Booking Drew McIntyre vs Jacob Fatu Before WrestleMania 42

TLDR

Drew McIntyre vs Jacob Fatu is scheduled for the March 20 episode of Friday Night SmackDown, with WWE positioning this match as part of the build toward a WrestleMania 42 encounter rather than the final payoff. According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, the SmackDown bout is designed to escalate the rivalry and create momentum heading into WrestleMania, where the bigger version of the match will take place. The feud has been developing for months, including a March 13 confrontation where McIntyre "quit" before returning to cost Fatu a match.