Afa Anoaʻi

Afa Amituana'i "Arthur" Anoaʻi (born November 21, 1942) is a Samoan-American retired professional wrestler and professional wrestling manager. Since retiring, he has operated the World Xtreme Wrestling promotion and trained wrestlers at the Wild Samoan Training Center.

Early life

Anoaʻi was born on an island in Western Samoa, a trust territory that was then administered by New Zealand, and his family relocated to San Francisco, California in the United States when he was young. At the age of 17, Anoaʻi enlisted in the United States Marine Corps.

Professional wrestling career

Upon leaving the Marine Corps, Anoaʻi began training as a wrestler under family relatives Rocky Johnson (cousin) and Peter Maivia (uncle). He later received supplementary training from Kurt Von Steiger. He wrestled his first match in 1971 in Phoenix, Arizona. He then trained his brother Sika, and the siblings formed a tag team known best as The Wild Samoans.

Throughout the 1970s, The Wild Samoans wrestled for the Canadian Stampede Wrestling promotion (where they received further training from Stu Hart) and for numerous National Wrestling Alliance affiliates. In 1978, The Wild Samoans traveled to Japan to wrestle for International Wrestling Enterprise, winning the IWA World Tag Team Championship.

World Wrestling Federation

In 1979, The Wild Samoans joined the World Wrestling Federation, where they were managed by Lou Albano and referred to as "Albano's Wildmen". The "wild" nature of the brothers was conveyed through their unorthodox behavior (which included communicating only in unintelligible grunts and consuming unprepared raw fish, during interviews and while approaching the ring). While in the WWF, The Wild Samoans won the WWF World Tag Team Championship. Both members also challenged Bob Backlund for the WWF Heavyweight Championship on several occasions. They left the promotion in 1980.

The Wild Samoans then wrestled in Mid-South Wrestling and Jim Crockett Promotions, before returning to the WWF (renamed from WWWF in 1979) in 1983 and regaining the WWF World Tag Team Championship. After Sika suffered an injury, the tag team was supplemented by Afa's son Samu (the relationship was not acknowledged on TV). The trio remained in the WWF until 1984. According to Afa, he lost his job because he missed work to attend the birth of his son.

Anoaʻi returned to the WWF for a third time in 1992, as the manager and occasional tag partner of The Headshrinkers (Samu and Anoai's nephew, Fatu). He wrestled his final match on May 22, 1994, teaming with The Headshrinkers to defeat The Quebecers and Johnny Polo at the Rosemont Horizon. When Samu left WWF in 1994, he also managed Sionne. Anoaʻi left the WWF in mid-1995.

Post-WWF career

After leaving the WWF, he began training wrestlers at his Wild Samoan Training Facility, along with Sika. On August 15, 1997, both men reunited for one night teaming with Disco Inferno, Gene Ligon, and the Big Cheese as they defeated Ken Timbs, George Love, Jay Love, Gary Royal, and Kane Adams at IWA Night Of The Legends in Kannapolis, North Carolina.

On March 31, 2007, the Wild Samoans were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by Samu and Sika's son, Matt. He was the wrestling trainer for Darren Aronofsky's 2008 film, The Wrestler.

In 2013 and 2014, Afa came out of retirement to wrestle for his promotion World Xtreme Wrestling at age 71.

The Wild Samoans appeared at Hell in a Cell in 2020 to celebrate Roman Reigns' victory.

Other work

In 1999, Afa and Lynn Anoaʻi started the Usos Foundation, a non-profit organization aiming to turn youth away from drugs, gangs and poverty by providing scholarships to the Wild Samoans Training Center.

Championships and accomplishments

• Big Time Wrestling
  • NWA World Tag Team Championship (Detroit version) (2 times) – with Sika
• World Wrestling Council
  • WWC North American Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Sika
• Continental Wrestling Association
  • AWA Southern Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Sika
• Georgia Championship Wrestling
  • NWA National Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Sika
• Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling
  • NWA Gulf Coast Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Sika
• International Wrestling Enterprise
  • IWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Sika
• Mid-South Wrestling Association
  • Mid-South Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Sika
• NWA All-Star Wrestling
  • NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (1 time) – with Sika
• NWA Mid-America
  • NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Mid-America version) (1 time) – with Sika
• Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
  • Class of 2012 – Inducted as a member of the Wild Samoans
• Southeastern Championship Wrestling
  • NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (Southern Division) (2 times) – with Sika
• Stampede Wrestling
  • Stampede Wrestling International Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Sika
• World Wrestling Entertainment / World Wrestling Federation
  • WWF Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Sika
  • WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2007)

Acting career

• Body Slam (1987)
• Miami Vice (1987) in the episode "By Hooker by Crook" as "Henchman #2"
• Mr. Nanny (1993)

See also

• Anoaʻi family
• The Wild Samoans
• World Xtreme Wrestling

References

External links

• Official website
• Afa Anoaʻi at IMDb
• WWE News
• Afa Anoaʻi's profile at Cagematch.net
• Wild Samoan at AllMovie

1. Afa Anoa'i Jr.
2. Anoaʻi family
3. Sika Anoaʻi
4. Lloyd Anoa'i
5. Wild Samoans
6. Rosey (wrestler)
7. Lance Anoa'i
8. Sam Fatu
9. AFA
10. Samu (wrestler)
11. Roman Reigns
12. Yokozuna (wrestler)
13. Gary Albright
14. Umaga (wrestler)
15. Dave Bautista
16. World Xtreme Wrestling
17. Gary Albright Memorial Show
18. Billy Kidman
19. List of Samoans
20. Rikishi (wrestler)