It's never an easy time when a family has to mourn the loss of a loved one, and the Anoa'i family has had quite the summer in that regard. On Friday, legendary wrestler Afa Anoa'i, 81, one half of the Hall of Fame duo The Wild Samoans, passed away. Earlier in the summer his brother and tag-team partner Sika Anoa'i, succumbed to the fight as well.
WWE issued an official statement on the loss.
WWE is saddened to learn that Afa Anoa’i Sr. — a WWE Hall of Famer and one-half of the iconic Wild Samoans tag team — has passed away.
Anoa’i was best known for teaming alongside his brother Sika Anoa’i as the legendary tag team The Wild Samoans. The siblings began teaming up in the 1970s, collecting accolades and championships in Stu Hart’s Stampede Wrestling promotion and the National Wrestling Alliance before debuting in WWE in 1979. The brothers dominated WWE in the 1980s, capturing the World Tag Team Championship three times and becoming known as one of the most feared teams in WWE history.
Afa returned to WWE in 1992 as the manager for The Headshrinkers, a team comprised of his son Samu and nephew Fatu, aka Rikishi, before retiring from WWE in 1995.
Afa and Sika later opened The Wild Samoan Training Facility, where the legendary duo would train future generations of WWE Superstars, including Batista. In 2007, The Wild Samoans were bestowed with the highest honor in sports-entertainment when they were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, where they will be forever enshrined as one of the greatest tag teams of all time.
WWE extends its condolences to Anoa’i’s family, friends and fans.
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