Sika Anoa’i (1945–2024), WWE Hall of Famer
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2 min readSika Anoa’i was a professional wrestler best known as half of the Wild Samoans tag team and the father of current WWE superstar Roman Reigns.
- Died:e280afJune 25, 2024 (Who else died on June 25?)c2
- Details of death:e280afDied at the age of 79.
- We invite you to share condolencese280affor Sika Anoae28099i in oure280afGuest Book.c2
Sika Anoa’ie28099s legacy
Born in American Samoa, Anoae28099i began wrestling after moving to the U.S. with his family. He was trained by his brother, Afa Anoae28099i, and the two began wrestling together as the tag team the Wild Samoans in the 1970s. It was the early days of a Samoan wrestling dynasty that would come to dominate WWF and WWE wrestling, including both family members and e2809cblood brothers.e2809d The Anoae28099i family of wrestlers includes Sika Anoae28099ie28099s sons Leati e2809cRoman Reignse2809d Anoae28099i and Matthew e2809cRoseye2809d Anoae28099i (1970e280932017), as well as Rodney e2809cYokozunae2809d Anoae28099i, Solofa e2809cRikishie2809d Fatu Jr., and Dwayne e2809cThe Rocke2809d Johnson.
As the Wild Samoans, the Anoae28099i siblings played up stereotypes of their Pacific Islander heritage, including wrestling barefoot and eating raw fish in the ring. They debuted in the WWE in 1980, winning the leaguee28099s World Tag Team Championship that same year, their first of three championship wins. They became some of the WWEe28099s most popular heels, challenging stars like Hulk Hogan. After Afae28099s semi-retirement from wrestling, Anoae28099i wrestled in a tag team with James e2809cKamalae2809d Harris (1950e280932020) and competed in a battle royal at WrestleMania IV in 1988.
Anoae28099i retired from competition in the late 1980s, but he continued training wrestlers for many years, running the Wild Samoan Training Center in Florida. The Wild Samoans were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007.
Tributes to Sika Anoa’i
Full obituary: The New York Timesc2
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