Afa Anoa’i was a professional wrestler, manager, and promoter who was one half of the famed WWF duo The Wild Samoans and the uncle of WWE champion Roman Reigns.
- Died: August 16, 2024 (Who else died on August 16?)
- Details of death: Died of a heart attack at the age of 81.
Afa Anoa’i’s legacy
Born in Samoa and raised in San Francisco, Afa Anoa’i served in the United States Marines before beginning to train as a wrestler under mentors Rocky Johnson (father of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) and Peter Maivia. When he began training with his younger brother, Sika Anoa’i (1945–2024), they created the pairing that would solidify the two as wrestling legends. Dubbing themselves The Wild Samoans, the siblings toured through the 1970s on the road to subsequent stardom.
In 1979, Anoa’i and his brother made the leap to the World Wrestling Federation (now called the WWE, for World Wrestling Entertainment). Managed by “Captain” Lou Albano (1933-2009), they became the league’s World Tag Team champions. As the wrestling scene went mainstream throughout the 1980s, The Wild Samoans were regularly featured in the ring and on television.
Anoa’i stopped wrestling in 1994 and moved into management, promotion, and training; he and Sika founded their Wild Samoan Training Facility. He even provided wrestling training for the acclaimed 2008 film, “The Wrestler,” starring Mickey Rourke. Anoa’i also operated the nonprofit Usos Foundation, aimed at helping at-risk youths, gifting scholarships to the training center. He and his brother were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007.
Afa died just two months after Sika. Sika’s son and Afa’s nephew is Roman Reigns, a WWE superstar.
Tributes to Afa Anoa’i
Full obituary: Page Six
