The Anoa'i family (Samoan: [anoˈaʔi] ah-noh-AH ee) is a family of professional wrestlers originating from American Samoa. Family members have comprised several tag teams and stables within a variety of promotions. Famous members of the family include Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Roman Reigns, and WWE Hall of Famers Rikishi, Yokozuna, and the Wild Samoans (Afa and Sika). Other notable members include The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso), Umaga, Rosey, Jacob Fatu, and Solo Sikoa, among others.

Reverend Amituana'i Anoa'i and Peter Maivia were blood brothers,[1] a connection that continued with Amituana'i's sons Afa and Sika, who regard Peter as their uncle. Peter married Ofelia "Lia" Fuataga, who already had a daughter named Ata, whom he adopted and raised as his own. Ata married wrestler Rocky Johnson, and the couple became the parents of Dwayne Johnson, who wrestled as Rocky Maivia and The Rock before establishing himself as an actor. Peter's first cousin Joseph Fanene was the father of Savelina Fanene, who is known in WWE as Nia Jax. Trinity Fatu, known in WWE as Naomi, married into the family by marrying Jimmy Uso. Jimmy Snuka is related by marriage, having been married to Peter Maivia's niece Sharon.[2] Jimmy's children Sarona Snuka, known as Tamina, and Jimmy Snuka Jr, known as Deuce or Sim Snuka, have both wrestled for WWE.[3] Dwayne Johnson considers Tonga 'Uli'uli Fifita, known in wrestling as Haku, his uncle.[4] Tonga's sons Alipate, known as Tama Tonga, Tevita, known as Tanga Loa, and Tautuiaki, known as Hikuleo, and their cousin Simi, known as Bad Luck Fale, all wrestle for New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

Anoa'i family tree

Tovaleomanaia Amituana'i (Leoso Ripley)(1920–1988)Amituana'i Anoaʻi (1914–1994)Fanene Anderson
(Peter Maivia)
(1937–1982)		Ofelia Fuataga
(1927–2008)
Lynn AnoaʻiAfa Anoaʻi Sr.
(Afa Anoaʻi)		Tumua AnoaʻiAfoa AnoaʻiLeati Anoaʻi Amituana'i
(Sika Anoaʻi)		Lisa Anoaʻi Sr.Sipa AnoaʻiElevera Anoaʻi (Vera)[5]
(1947–2008)		I'aulualo Folau Solofa Fatu Sr. (1945–2020)[5]Toa MaiviaMataniufeagaimaleata Fitisemanu (Ata Maivia)Rocky Johnson
(1944–2020)
Reno Anoaʻi
(Black Pearl)		Rodney Anoaʻi
(Yokozuna)
(1966–2000)		Matthew Anoaʻi
(Rosey)
(1970–2017)		Leati Joseph "Joe" Anoaʻi
(Roman Reigns)		Samuel Fatu
(Samoan Savage/Tonga Kid/Tama)		Edward Fatu
(Umaga/Jamal)
(1973–2009)		Solofa Fatu Jr.
(Rikishi/Fatu)		Talisua FuavaiDwayne Johnson
(Rocky Maivia/The Rock)		Dany Garcia
Samula Anoaʻi
(Samu)		Afa Anoaʻi Jr.
(Manu)		Bernadette Anoaʻi-ShroyerLloyd Anoaʻi
(L.A. Smooth)		Monica AnoaʻiGary Albright
(1963–2000)		Jacob FatuTrinity Fatu
(Naomi)		Jonathan Fatu
(Jimmy Uso)		Joshua Fatu
(Jey Uso)		Thavana MonalisaJeremiah Peniata FatuJoseph Yokozuna "Sefa" Fatu
(Solo Sikoa)		Simone Johnson (Ava Raine)
Lance Anoaʻi

Other members

Peter Maivia Jr., son of Peter Maivia, wrestled for NWA Polynesian Pro Wrestling.[6][7] Hollywood stuntman Tanoai Reed (known as Toa on the American Gladiators) is the great nephew of Peter's wife Lia Maivia,[8][9] while professional wrestler Lina Fanene (Nia Jax) is Dwayne Johnson's second cousin once removed.[10] Ricky Johnson, Rocky Johnson's brother, was also a professional wrestler.[11]

Johnson's daughter Simone performs in WWE's developmental league NXT as Ava (shortened from her previous ring name Ava Raine). She currently acts as Shawn Michaels' assistant in NXT.[12][13] Afa Anoaʻi's daughter Lynn Toval Anoa'i (Vale Anoa'i) is an author and artist.[14] Vale's husband wrestles for World Xtreme Wrestling as Vertigo "The Cure" Rivera.[15]

Journey Fatu, son of Sam Fatu, wrestles primarily in deathmatches.[16][17]

Isayah Fatu (Zilla Fatu), son of the late Eddie "Umaga" Fatu, wrestled in Booker T's Reality of Wrestling.[18]

Jeremiah Peniata Fatu (Thamiko T. Fatu), son of Rikishi, wrestles on the independent circuit.[19]

Sean Maluta, Afa's nephew, was a participant in WWE's Cruiserweight Classic tournament.[20] Afa's nephew David Tua is a professional boxer.[21]

Tag teams and stables

The Wild Samoans

The Samoan SWAT Team/The Headshrinkers

3-Minute Warning

In WWE from 2002 to 2003, Matt Anoaʻi and Eddie Fatu formed a tag team using the names Rosey and Jamal, respectively. 3-Minute Warning acted as enforcers for Raw brand General Manager Eric Bischoff. The team was used to squash any activity in the ring that Bischoff deemed "boring". Bischoff would often cue the team's surprise entrances by uttering the phrase "three minutes."

Samoan Gangstas

Samoan Gangstas
Tag team
MembersMatt E. Smalls[22]
L.A. Smooth[23]
Name(s)Samoan Gangstas[24]
Billed heights6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) - Matt
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) - Lloyd
Combined
billed weight		713 lb (323 kg; 50.9 st)
Debut1997
Disbanded1998
TrainerWild Samoan Training Center[22][23]

Samoan Gangstas was a tag team in the independent promotion World Xtreme Wrestling (WXW).[24] The tag team consisted of members from the Anoaʻi family.[22][23]

Samoan Gangstas was a tag team made up of brothers from another mothers Matt E. Smalls and Sweet Sammy Silk (Matt and Samu Anoaʻi).[25] Their tag team was formed in 1997 in WXW, the promotion of one half of The Wild Samoans, Samu's father and Matt's uncle Afa Anoaʻi. The duo received success in WXW in the tag team division.[24] On June 24, they won their first WXW Tag Team Championship by beating Love Connection (Sweet Daddy Jay Love and Georgie Love).[24] However, they were temporarily suspended and the title was declared vacant.[26] 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.[24]

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.[24] He left WXW while Smooth focused on a singles career. After a short while, Smalls returned 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 (Eddie Fatu) 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.

The Sons of Samoa

The Sons of Samoa are a tag team currently wrestling in the Puerto Rican wrestling promotion World Wrestling Council and WXW. The team consists of Afa Jr. and L.A. Smooth.

The team was formed at WXW in 1998, briefly as a stable with Samu. The team reformed in April 2009 at a WXW show with Afa Jr. and L.A. Smooth. In 2013, they began wrestling at the WWC promotion in Puerto Rico. At Euphoria 2013, they lost to Thunder and Lightning. They won the WWC World Tag Team Championship from Thunder and Lightning on February 9, before losing the titles back to Thunder and Lightning on March 30 at Camino a la Gloria. However, they won the titles on June 29, 2013, at Summer Madness.

The Usos

The Usos (born August 22, 1985) were a Samoan American professional wrestling tag team consisting of twin brothers Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso, who appear in WWE where they were three-time Raw Tag Team Champions (during their first two reigns, it was called the WWE Tag Team Championship). They were also five-time SmackDown Tag Team Champions—their fifth reign is the longest reign for the title as well as the longest male tag team championship reign in WWE history.. The pair were previously managed by Tamina Snuka and are one-time FCW Florida Tag Team Champions.

The Bloodline

The Bloodline is a villainous professional wrestling stable performing in WWE. The group is led by Roman Reigns, who is recognized as the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, as he concurrently holds both the WWE and Universal Championships. Also in the group is Reigns' cousin Solo Sikoa, who is a former NXT North American Champion. The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso), who previously held the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship, left the group, though Jimmy subsequently rejoined. Paul Heyman, who is the special counsel to Reigns, is also a member of the group.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Hall of Fame: High Chief Peter Maivia". WWE. Archived from the original on 20 February 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-16.
  2. ↑ "Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson Family Tree - The Anoa'i Dynasty". September 22, 2023. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  3. ↑ Wrestlemania 39: How a Samoan dynasty became the greatest wrestling family of all time - ESPN.com
  4. ↑ "Dwayne Johnson's Uncle Bit A Guy's Nose Off". Jimmy Kimmel Live! on YouTube. April 2, 2015. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  5. 1 2 Green, John (2014). Historical Dictionary of Wrestling. Scarecrow Press. p. 28. ISBN 978-0810879263.
  6. ↑ Shannon, Jay (March 27, 2009). "The Peter Maivia Jr. Interview". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Matches fought by Peter Maivia Jr". Cagematch. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  8. ↑ Liane Bonin (2003-09-24). "Rock Candy". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2008-01-09. ...The Rock's double, his cousin Tanoai Reed, shattered an ankle.
  9. ↑ Tenley Woodman (2008-01-03). "Red, white and bruised". Boston Herald. Retrieved 2008-01-09. Among the new gladiators are Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's cousin Tanoai Reed as Toa, an island warrior who intimidates opponents by performing a tribal war dance...
  10. ↑ "The Rock Police Chase Preceded Mom's Head-On Car Accident". TMZ. August 11, 2014. Retrieved May 29, 2016.
  11. ↑ Oliver, Greg (June 30, 2022). "DNA Says These Five Strangers Were All Fathered by the Same Wrestler—and The Rock Is Their Half Brother". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  12. ↑ Mrosko, Geno (25 October 2022). "Ava Raine debuts in NXT ... as a member of The Schism". Cageside Seats. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  13. ↑ Lambert, Jeremy; Russell, Skylar (2023-12-09). "Shawn Michaels Says Ava Raine Has Been Incredible In Assisting Him | Fightful News". Fightful. Retrieved 2023-12-11.
  14. ↑ "The Art of Vale". Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Vale Anoa'i on Facebook". December 10, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  16. ↑ Phillips, Jim (March 10, 2023). "Sam Fatu | The Tonga Kid – Wrestling in His Bloodline". prowrestlingstories.com.
  17. ↑ "Journey's Cagematch profile page". Cagematch: The Internet Wrestling Database.
  18. ↑ Rueter, Sean (2022-12-07). "Umaga's son starts training at Booker T's wrestling school". Cageside Seats. Retrieved 2022-12-07.
  19. ↑ Murray, Dylan (May 5, 2023). "Rikishi Introduces Newest Wrestler From The Anoa'i Family". Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Sean Maluta". Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  21. ↑ "David Tua". The Wild Samoan Training Center. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  22. 1 2 3 "Rosey Bio". Wild Samoan. Archived from the original on 10 April 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
  23. 1 2 3 "L.A. Smooth Bio". Wild Samoan. Archived from the original on 2 March 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "WXW World Tag Team Title History". Solie's Title Histories. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  25. ↑ "Samoan Dynasty". Wild Samoan. Archived from the original on 16 March 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
  26. ↑ "Samoan Dynasty's first WXW Tag Team Championship summary". WXW Wrestling. Archived from the original on 20 February 2008. 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)

Further reading

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