WWE Hall of Famer Afa Anoa’i dies at 81; uncle of Roman Reigns | News, results, highlights, stats and rumors
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WWE Hall of Famer Afa Anoa’i, one half of the Wild Samoans tag team and uncle of WWE Superstar Roman Reigns, has died at the age of 81.
WWE @WWE
WWE is saddened to hear of the passing of Afa Anoa’i Sr., WWE Hall of Fame member and one half of the legendary Wild Samoans tag team. WWE extends its condolences to Anoa’i’s family, friends and fans.https://t.co/HJ8nUhvOXY pic.twitter.com/a8trH9RcAs
All Elite Wrestling @AEW
AEW and the wrestling world mourns the passing of the legendary Wild Samoan Afa. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and fans. pic.twitter.com/053EKcrAVm
Afa Anoa’i teamed up with his brother Sika Anoa’i (Reigns’ father), who passed away in June at the age of 79.
Reigns released a statement on his uncle’s death in a post on his X-Account:
The Wild Samoans won the WWE World Tag Team Championship three times in the 1980s. After his wrestling career, Afa and Sika Anoa’i opened the Wild Samoan Training Facility. The two trained a number of future WWE Superstars, including Batista.
The Wild Samoans were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007.
The Wild Samoans were 21-time World Tag Team Champions in various promotions, including Stampede Wrestling (twice), and faced Hall of Famers such as Bob Backlund, Tony Atlas, and Rocky Johnson (The Rock’s father).
As good as they were in the wrestling ring, their greatest impact was probably as trainers. WWE.com provided a snapshot of their tremendous success in developing talents into stars.
“Afa & Sika have trained many of the Superstars WWE fans have come to know over the years, including former WWE Champion Yokozuna and former WWE Superstars Rikishi, Tonga Kid, Virgil, Michael PS Hayes and Billy Kidman. Afa & Sika are also credited with training Snitsky, as well as multiple World Champion Batista and most recently Sika’s son Roman Reigns. All in all, between ring action, managerial services and their training, the Wild Samoans have won or produced winners over 50 championships.”
Their last appearance in WWE was in 2020, when they named Reigns Tribal Chief following his victory over his cousin Jey Uso at Hell in the Cell.
