Sika Anoa’i, WWE Hall of Famer and one-half of The Wild Samoans, died on June 25, 2024, at age 79. He was the father of WWE star Roman Reigns. WWE announced his death; the Los Angeles Times reported that his nephew Jahrus Anoa’i made the family announcement.
What happened to Sika Anoa’i?
The Los Angeles Times reported that Sika died on June 25, 2024. Jahrus Anoa’i, his nephew, announced the death publicly and said, “He passed away peacefully on June 25th,” according to the newspaper. The report did not provide a medical cause of death.
Who was Sika Anoa’i?
His full name was Polaivao Leati Sika Anoa’i. The Los Angeles Times reported that he was born on April 5, 1945, on Tutuila in American Samoa. He moved with his family to San Francisco at 14, joined the Merchant Marines in 1963, and left in 1969 to become a professional wrestler.
How did Sika become famous with The Wild Samoans?
Sika and his older brother Afa formed The Wild Samoans, a prominent tag team known for its forceful style. WWE says the pair won the World Tag Team Championship three times. The brothers began in Stampede Wrestling before reaching WWE prominence in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
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The sources differ on the team’s WWE debut: WWE’s team biography says 1979, while the Los Angeles Times says the brothers joined the company, then called the WWWF, in 1980. The available accounts do not resolve the discrepancy. WWE’s biography places their first World Tag Team Championship victory in April 1980.
What was Sika Anoa’i’s legacy beyond the ring?
Sika and Afa later operated a wrestling training facility. WWE credits them with training future performers including Batista, Yokozuna, Rikishi, Billy Kidman, Virgil, Michael P.S. Hayes, Tonga Kid and Roman Reigns. The Wild Samoans were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007; WWE’s biography says their sons Samu and Rosey inducted them.
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Sika and Afa also appeared in the 1987 film Body Slam, a small part of a career more widely remembered for the tag team’s championships and the wrestlers they helped train.
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- Reenact favorite WWE Main Event matches or create new rivalries and moves for play and display!
- WWE fans can find their favorite Superstar figure or can collect them all (each sold separately, subject to availability).
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Rank #3
- WWE action figures bring fan-favorite Superstars to life in 6-inch scale!
- Each figure is detailed with TrueFX technology for a life-like face and added collectability!
- Fans can recreate signature moves with 14 points of articulation for dynamic posing!
- Reenact favorite WWE Main Event matches or create new rivalries and moves for play and display!
- WWE fans can find their favorite Superstar figure or can collect them all (each sold separately, subject to availability).
Sources
- WWE: “WWE Hall of Famer Sika Anoa’i passes away” (June 25, 2024)
- WWE: “The Wild Samoans”
- Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times: “Sika Anoa’i, WWE Hall of Famer and father of Roman Reigns, dies at 79” (June 25, 2024)
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