Wild Samoans
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Wild Samoans | |
| Tag Team | |
|---|---|
| Members | Afa Sika |
| Name(s) | Wild Samoans The Islanders |
| Heights | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) - Afa 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) - Sika |
| Combined weight | 645 lb (293 kg/46.1 st)[1] |
| Billed from | The Isle of Samoa |
| Debut | 1970s[1] |
| Disbanded | 1990s |
| Promotions | Mid-South Wrestling NWA WWF |
| Trainer | Peter Maivia[1] Rocky Johnson[1] |
The Wild Samoans was the tag team of Afa & Sika in Mid-South Wrestling, the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). The Samoans have held a record twenty-one tag team championships around the world.
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[edit] Gimmick
In interviews the duo rarely spoke, only grunting in a primitive dialect that only manager Capt. Lou Albano could understand.[2] Completing their wild man image, the duo engaged in outrageous behavior such as nose picking and eating raw fish during interviews.[2][3]
[edit] History
The team began its career in Stampede Wrestling, where they won the Stampede International Tag Team Championship on two occasions.[1] They spent the majority of the 1970s in various National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) territories.[1]
[edit] World Wrestling Federation
In the early 1980s, the Wild Samoans joined the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF). They made their Madison Square Garden debut on January 21, 1980 in a WWF Tag Team Championship match against Tito Santana and Ivan Putski, who retained their title.[1] In the upcoming months, both men became contenders for Bob Backlund's WWF Championship, but neither man won the gold.[1] They, however, won their first championship in the WWF, the tag team championship, by defeating Santana and Putski on April 12, 1980.[1] They reigned as champions for approximately five months, until dropping the title to Backlund and Pedro Morales in a two out of three falls match at Showdown at Shea.[1] Because Backlund was already the reigning WWF Champion, the team had to forfeit the title, and a tournament was held to crown new tag champions.[1] On September 8, 1980, the Wild Samoans defeated Tony Garea and Rene Goulet in the tournament finals to win the title.[1] Their reign lasted for one month, until they lost to Garea and his new partner, Rick Martel.[1] The Wild Samoans feuded with the champions for the rest of the year, but they were not able to recapture the gold.[1]
[edit] Mid-South and Mid-Atlantic
In late 1981, the Wild Samoans joined Mid-South Wrestling. With, "Big Cat" Ernie Ladd as their financial adviser, they won the Mid-South Tag Team Championship and feuded with Junkyard Dog and Dick Murdoch.[1] After also attacking Ladd, the two began a feud with their former adviser.[1] In response, Ladd formed a team with "Iron" Mike Sharpe, with whom he forced the Wild Samoans to leave Mid-South.[1]
After leaving Mid-South, the duo appeared in Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling.[2] As part of the territory, they defeated the Fabulous Freebirds for the NWA National Tag Team Championship, which they later vacated.[2]
[edit] World Wrestling Federation
The Wild Samoans eventually ended up back in the World Wrestling Federation with their former manager Capt. Lou Albano.[2] Afa and Sika began their third WWF Tag Team Championship reign on March 8, 1983 by defeating Chief Jay and Jules Strongbow.[4] In a rematch on March 19, they were also victorious.[2] Also during this time, while feuding with Rocky Johnson, Jimmy Snuka, and André the Giant, the duo added Wild Samoan Samula to their team.[2]
They lost their tag team title to the team of Rocky Johnson and Tony Atlas on November 15.[2][4][5] During the match, Albano tried to interfere on the Samoans behalf by attempting to hit Johnson over the head with a chair.[2] He accidentally hit Sika instead, however, and Atlas covered him for the win.[2] The duo eventually left the WWF in 1984.[2]
[edit] Post-tag team careers
Both men went on to have successful careers, both as singles wrestlers and managers.[2]
During the 1990s, Afa Anoa'i opened the Wild Samoans Training Center, and the school's graduates include Paul Orndorff, Junkyard Dog, Sherri Martel, Michael P.S. Hayes, Yokozuna, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Batista.[2] They also promote live wrestling shows under the WXW banner.[2]
In 2007, on the eve of WrestleMania 23, the Wild Samoans were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. They were inducted by their sons Samula and Matt Anoa'i.
[edit] In wrestling
- Finishing and signature moves
[edit] Championships and accomplishments
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[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Shields, Brian. Main Event: WWE in the Raging 80s (p.143)
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Shields, Brian. Main Event: WWE in the Raging 80s (p.144)
- ^ The Wild Samoans. WWE. Retrieved on 2007-12-28.
- ^ a b World Tag Team Title history. WWE.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-31.
- ^ Foley, Mick (2000). Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks. HarperCollins, 36. ISBN 0061031011.
- ^ a b Wildest Stars #1: Mano a 'manu'. WWE.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-20.
[edit] References
- Brian Shields (2006). Main Event: WWE in the Raging 80s. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 1416532579.
[edit] Further Reading
- Greg Oliver and Steve Johnson (2005). "The Evil Foreigners: the Wild Samoans", The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Tag Teams. ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-5502-2683-6.
