Anoaʻi family
The Anoa'i family, originating from Samoa, is a family of professional wrestlers. Family members have comprised several tag teams and stables within a variety of promotions.
Family members
The patriarch and matriarch of the family, Reverend Amituanai Anoa'i and his wife Tovale, had nine children: six sons, Afa, Afoa, Tumua, Peteroni, Sipa, and Sika; and three daughters, Matalima, Lia, and Vera, who died April 25, 2008.
Afa and Sika became wrestlers, forming the tag team the Wild Samoans. Afa's three sons are also all wrestlers — Samula (best known as Samu), Afa Jr. (known as Manu) and Lloyd (best known as L.A. Smooth). His eldest daughter Monica Anoa'i is the widow of wrestler Gary Albright. His youngest daughter is Lynn Tovale Anoa'i.
Sika's older son Matt Anoa'i wrestled under the name Ro'Z and Rosey, while his younger son Joe played football for Georgia Tech and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Minnesota Vikings. Their oldest sister Elevera gave birth to four sons, who all but one would become wrestlers: Sam Fatu (known as Tama and Tonga Kid), Solofa Fatu Jr. (as Fatu and Rikishi and Junior Fatu ) and Eddie Fatu (known as Jamal and Umaga. Eddie died on December 4, 2009). Solofa Jr. has five children. Two of his sons, Jonathan and Joshua, are now wrestlers under WWE contract, wrestling for WWE's developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling as Jimmy and Jules Uso, respectively.
The oldest brother Afoa is father to Rodney Anoa'i also known as "Yokozuna" who died in October 2000. His daughters are Komiti Panama and Bernadette Anoa'i.
Afa and Sika's father considered Peter Maivia his "blood brother",[1] a connection that continued to Afa and Sika, who regard Peter as their uncle. Peter and his wife Leah Maivia had a daughter, Ata Maivia, who married wrestler Rocky Johnson. The couple became the parents of Dwayne Johnson, who was better known as The Rock before establishing himself as an actor. Peter's youngest son Toa is in training to wrestle and his oldest son Peter Fanene, Jr. is in the real estate business.
Linked to the family by marriage but not actually a blood relative is wrestler "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka. Snuka's son Jimmy Snuka Jr. used to wrestle for Raw as Sim Snuka.
In addition, Hollywood stuntman Tanoai Reed (aka Toa on the 2008 version of American Gladiators) is the great nephew of Leah. Boxer David Tua and actor Solo Siaopo are also related to the Anoa'i family.[2]
Family tree
| Leah Maivia | Toa Maivia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Blood brothers | {{{}}}} | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Toale Anoa'i | Amituanai Anoa'i | Peter Maivia | Ata Maivia | Rocky Johnson | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lynn Anoa'i | Afa Anoa'i | Tumua Anoa'i | Junior Anoa'i | Sika Anoa'i | Patricia Anoa'i | Afoa Anoa'i | Vera Anoa'i | Solofa Fatu | Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) (1972) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reno Anoa'i (Black Pearl) | Rodney Agatupu Anoa'i (Yokozuna) (1966–2000) | Matt Anoa'i (Rosey) | Joe Anoa'i | Sam Fatu (Tama/Tonga Kid) | Eddie Fatu (Umaga) (1973–2009) | Solofa Fatu, Jr. (Rikishi) | Talisua Fuavai | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Samula Anoa'i (Samu) | Afa Jr. (Manu) | Lynn Tovale Anoa'i | Lloyd Anoa'i | Monica Anoa'i | Gary Albright | Jonathan Solofa | Joshua Sammy | Thavana Monalisa | Jeremiah Peniata | Joseph | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Samuel | Angelica | Alexandria | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tag teams and stables
3-Minute Warning
Samoan Gangstas
| Samoan Gangstas | |
|---|---|
| Tag team | |
| Members | Matt E./Matty Smalls/Big Mattie Smalls[3] L.A. Smooth[4] |
| Name(s) | Samoan Gangstas[5] |
| Billed heights | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) - Matt 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) - Lloyd |
| Combined billed weight | 713 lb (323 kg; 50.9 st) |
| Debut | 1997 |
| Disbanded | 1998 |
| Trainer | Wild Samoan Training Center[3][4] |
Samoan Gangstas was a tag team in the independent promotion World Xtreme Wrestling (WXW).[5] The tag team consisted of members from the Anoa'i family.[3][4]
Samoan Gangstas was a tag team made up of cousins Matt E. Smalls and L.A. Smooth (LA stands for Lloyd Anoa'i).[6] Their tag team was formed in 1997 in WXW, the promotion of one half of the Wild Samoans, Afa Anoa'i, who is also L.A. Smooth's father. The duo received success in WXW in the tag team division.[5] On June 24, they won their first WXW Tag Team Championship by beating Love Connection (Sweet Daddy Jay Love and Georgie Love).[5] However, they were temporarily suspended and the title was declared vacant.[7] Matt was repackaged as Matty Smalls. They returned in the summer of 1997 and defeated Siberian Express (The Mad Russian and Russian Eliminator), on September 17 to win their second WXW Tag Team Championship.[5][8]
Problems began between Smalls and Smooth. The two partners began feuding with each other and could not focus properly on their tag title. On March 27, 1998, Smooth defeated Smalls in a Loser Leaves Town match. As a result of losing this match, Smalls was forced to leave the promotion.[5][8] He left WXW while Smooth focused on a singles career. After a short while, Smalls returned back to WXW and the two partners reunited again as Samoan Gangstas and began teaming in the tag team division. They feuded with several tag teams in WXW and focused to regain the WXW Tag Team Championship. However, due to their family disputes and problems with each other, they did not take part in the tournament for the vacated tag title, and instead feuded with each other. Samoan Gangstas feuded with each other after their splitting until Smalls left WXW and began wrestling as Kimo. He began teaming with Ekmo as The Island Boyz and the duo worked in Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW) before signing with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and working in its developmental territories.
Championships and accomplishments
Wild Samoans
References
- ^ "Hall of Fame: High Chief Peter Maivia". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2010-02-16.
- ^ http://wildsamoan.wxwwrestling.com/Davidtua.htm
- ^ a b c "Rosey Bio". Wild Samoan. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
- ^ a b c "L.A. Smooth Bio". Wild Samoan. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
- ^ a b c d e f g "WXW World Tag Team Title History". Solie's Title Histories. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
- ^ "Samoan Dynasty". Wild Samoan. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
- ^ "Samoan Dynasty's first WXW Tag Team Championship summary". WXW Wrestling. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
5/24/97: Samoan Gangstas (LA Smooth & Matt E. Smalls) beat Love Connection. 6/97: (Samoan Gangstas are temporarily suspended, titles vacated)
- ^ a b "Samoan Dynasty's second WXW Tag Team Championship summary". WXW Wrestling. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
9/17/97: Samoan Gangstas beat Siberian Express. 3/27/98: After a family feud, LA Smooth beat Matt E Smalls (loser leaves Top Rope) BELTS VACANT