Sika Anoa’i, the WWE Hall of Famer and father of Roman Reigns, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 79, his nephew, Jarlath Anoa’i, announced.
“It is with deep sadness that I announce the passing of former Hall of Fame player Pooraivao Leati Sika Anoa’i,” Jarlath posted on Instagram on Tuesday. “He passed away peacefully on June 25th. Sika was a notable figure whose contributions and accomplishments left an indelible mark. His memory will live on through his work and the lives of the many people he touched.”
A member of the legendary Anoa’i family, professionally known as Sika, Anoa’i rose to fame in the late 1970s when he formed the tag team “The Wild Samoans” with his brother Afa, who was trained by his uncle Peter Maivia and cousin Rocky Johnson, who in turn trained his brother.
The duo joined WWE (then known as the World Wrestling Federation) in 1979 and quickly became a dominant force, winning their first World Tag Team Championship in April 1980 and holding it for four months before regaining the title in September. They left the company that same year, but returned in 1983 to win the World Tag Team Championship for a third time.
Sika Anoa’i also competed in the battle royal at WrestleMania IV in 1988. He retired from competitive wrestling in the late 1980s but continued to influence the profession for decades, becoming a trainer and mentoring stars such as Yokozuna, Rikishi and Batista.
“The Wild Samoans’ influence as in-ring performers is immeasurable, and they continue to have a huge impact on the wrestling world long after their in-ring adventures have concluded,” WWE said in a statement. “While they no longer engage in the unconventional behavior that made them so dangerous in the ’70s, they still impart more than 30 years of wrestling knowledge to students at the Wild Samoa Training Center.”
Anoa’i was the father of two sons, Matthew and Joe, who later became wrestlers. Matthew went by the name Rosey and worked for WWE early in his career until his death in 2017. Joseph, better known as Roman Reigns, was a dominant force in WWE since his debut in 2012. Reigns was the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion for 1,316 days before losing the title at WrestleMania 40.
The Wild Samoans were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007. Anoa’i last appeared in WWE in 2020, appearing alongside his brother to celebrate Reigns’ victory at Hell in a Cell.
