Eddie Fatu

Eddie Fatu
Fatu as Umaga
Statistics
Ring name(s)	Ekmo Fatu O.G. Ekmo Ekmo Jamal Umaga
Billed height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)[1]
Billed weight	350 lb (160 kg/25 st)[1]
Born	March 28, 1973 (1973-03-28) (age 36) Samoa[2]
Resides	Houston, Texas
Billed from	The Isle of Samoa
Trained by	Afa Anoa'i, Tana Umaga
Debut	1995

Edward 'Eddie' Fatu (born March 28, 1973)^[2] is a Samoan professional wrestler better known by his ring names Jamal, Ekmo, and currently Umaga. He is currently signed to the Smackdown brand of the WWE

He is a member of the Anoa'i wrestling family, and before his current WWE role, he frequently worked as a part of a tag team — variously named The Island Boyz, the Samoan Gangstas, and 3-Minute Warning — with his cousin Matt Anoa'i.

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 World Wrestling Entertainment (first run) (2002-2003) 1.1.1 Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2003) 1.1.2 All Japan Pro Wrestling (2003-2004) 1.1.3 World Wrestling Entertainment (second run) (2005-Present) 1.1.4 Move to Raw (2006-2008) 1.1.4.1 SmackDown (2008-Present) 2 Personal life 3 In wrestling 4 Championships and accomplishments 5 References 6 External links

Biography

Fatu was born in American Samoa, a member of the famous Anoa'i wrestling family. His mother, Vera, is the sister of Afa and Sika of the Wild Samoans, and his later Umaga gimmick would be compared to their "wildness".^[3] His two older brothers, Sam (better known as Tonga Kid and Tama) and Solofa Jr. (Rikishi, the Sultan), are also professional wrestlers who have achieved success of their own.

World Wrestling Entertainment (first run) (2002-2003)

Fatu trained to become a professional wrestler at the "Wild Samoan Pro Wrestling Training Center" operated by his uncles, Afa and Sika. In 1995, with his training complete, he started wrestling for Afa's World Xtreme Wrestling (WXW). The next year, both Fatu and his cousin Matt were brought into the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) to take part in an angle with Solafa Fatu, Jr., Fatu's brother and Matt's cousin, that ended up being quickly dropped.^[2] Instead they were sent to the WWF's "farm territory" Heartland Wrestling Association, where they formed a tag team which stayed together through various promotions — including Memphis Championship Wrestling and Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling, holding championships in both^[4][5] — under the names Samoan Gangstas and Island Boyz. In 2002 the team was brought back to the (now renamed) World Wrestling Entertainment as 3-Minute Warning, a pair of enforcers for Raw brand General Manager Eric Bischoff. ^[6] The team lasted just shy of a year, with Jamal being released from his WWE contract in June 2003, reportedly after his involvement in a bar fight.^[2][7]

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2003)

After his release from WWE, Fatu reverted to the name Ekmo — used when he was a member of the Island Boyz team — and began working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). He worked for TNA between June and November 2003, during which time he was put into a tag team with Sonny Siaki. The team feuded with America's Most Wanted (Chris Harris and James Storm). Both the tag team and Fatu's time in TNA came to an end when he decided to take bookings in Japan.^[8]

All Japan Pro Wrestling (2003-2004)

Fatu left TNA for All Japan Pro Wrestling, where he used the name Jamal, the same name he'd used as a member of 3-Minute Warning. He was again used as a part of tag teams, first forming a short lived team with Justin Credible before forming a more permanent team with Taiyō Kea. With Kea he held the AJPW Unified World Tag Team Championship and won the World's Strongest Tag Team League tournament in 2004.^[9] The team also wrestled a stint in Hawai'i Championship Wrestling, holding the HCW Kekaulike Heritage Tag Team Championship once.

World Wrestling Entertainment (second run) (2005-Present)

In December 2005, Fatu re-signed with World Wrestling Entertainment.^[10] Initial signs pointed to a reunion of 3-Minute Warning, with the former team of Matt Anoa'i (Rosey) and Fatu (Jamal) wrestling in dark matches together before episodes of Raw.^[11] However, Rosey was released from WWE before the team could be brought to the main show.^[12]

Move to Raw (2006-2008)

Fatu re-debuted on the April 3, 2006 episode of Raw with a new gimmick and name.^[13] Now called Umaga — the same name of the final and most painful part of the Samoan tattooing process, meaning "the end"^[14] — he was depicted as a destructive savage who could only be controlled by his manager, Armando Alejandro Estrada.^[15][16] The pair started out feuding with Ric Flair, whom Estrada interrupted in the middle of a promo to tell how much of a fan of his he used to be, but that now he was old and needed to retire. It was in offering the fans a new "hero" to watch that he introduced Umaga, who proceeded to beat down Flair.^[13] For the next few weeks Umaga participated in squash matches, destroying various jobbers,^[17][18] until he dispatched Flair at Backlash at the end of the month.^[19]

Umaga then returned to defeating jobbers. His next actual feud started at August's SummerSlam, where he was supposed to be an enforcer on behalf of The McMahons (the heel gimmicks of Vince and Shane) during their match against D-Generation X (Shawn Michaels and Triple H), only to be attacked by then-babyface, Kane as he made his entrance.^[20] Kane and Umaga feuded for the next two months until Umaga won a Loser Leaves Raw match, sending Kane off of the brand.^[21] After being separated by different brands, Umaga and Kane had one final match at Cyber Sunday where Umaga again defeated Kane after fans selected him over Chris Benoit and The Sandman to be Umaga's opponent for the night.^[22]

Umaga, having still not been pinned in the WWE, was then deemed #1 contender for the WWE Championship and placed into a feud with then-champion John Cena over the title. Cena retained his belt at the New Year's Revolution pay-per-view by pinning Umaga with a roll-up, officially ending his streak — which had lasted 34 televised matches and spanned from his debut in April 2006 to January 2007.^[23] In that time Umaga was never pinned or made to submit on television, although he did lose two matches by disqualification and another went to a double countout.^[24] For the rest of the month, Estrada played down Cena's victory, claiming it was a fluke, until a Last Man Standing rematch was signed for the next pay-per-view, the Royal Rumble.^[25] On an episode of Raw between the two pay-per-views, Umaga attacked Cena causing a worked injury to his spleen and putting the match in jeopardy.^[26] Cena kayfabe refused a medical exam, the results of which could cause him to forfeit his title, and then defeated Umaga by submission, wrapping a loosened ring rope around his neck during an STFU.^[27]

Though he was out of the world title picture, Umaga was named Vince McMahon's "representative" for the WrestleMania 23 "Battle of the Billionaires" with Donald Trump. Immediately after choosing Umaga, McMahon "granted" him a match against the Intercontinental Champion, Jeff Hardy, which he won handedly to take the title.^[28] After Bobby Lashley was named Trump's representative, the two began a feud which lasted even beyond WrestleMania.^[29] Despite Umaga losing in the "Battle of the Billionaires" hair versus hair match and causing Vince McMahon to get his head shaved,^[30] the McMahons (Vince and Shane) continued to second him to the ring. Two weeks after WrestleMania, Lashley interfered in a match and helped a planted fan — Santino Marella — defeat Umaga for the Intercontinental title.^[31] At the April 29 Backlash event, the team of Umaga, Vince, and Shane McMahon wrestled Bobby Lashley for his ECW World Championship in a Handicap match, winning the title for Vince.^[32] While Umaga worked with the McMahons, Estrada became less and less involved until he stopped appearing altogether.

In June, Umaga was re-entered into a feud with Marella, the man who took his Intercontinental Championship earlier in April. When they met at the Vengeance pay-per-view, Umaga was solidly in control of the match, but lost by disqualification when he disregarded the referees instructions and continued to punch Marella.^[33] In a rematch on July 2, Umaga beat Marella to win the Intercontinental title back.^[34] Not long after, he seemingly started a face turn, joining forces with John Cena against Carlito and Randy Orton.^[35][36] After defeating both Kennedy and Carlito in a Triple threat match at SummerSlam,^[37] Umaga interrupted a Raw match between Kennedy and a returning Jeff Hardy, assaulting Hardy and leaving him lying in the ring.^[38] One week later, on the September 3 Raw, Umaga lost the Intercontinental title to Hardy in a singles match. Later that night, he teamed with Carlito in a handicap match against Triple H, after which Triple H struck him several times with his signature sledgehammer, injuring him.^[39] He was given a match against Triple H at No Mercy, which was changed to a title match for the WWE Championship during the event when Triple H won the title earlier that night. Fatu was defeated by Triple H in their match.^[40] At Survivor Series his team of MVP, Mr. Kennedy, Finlay and Big Daddy V lost to Triple H's team.^[41] Coming up to WrestleMania XXIV, Fatu started feuding with Batista, but he lost to him at Wrestlemania. At Jeff Hardy's return, William Regal sent Umaga into the ring to "punish" Jeff. Umaga was pinned after a whisper in the wind.

SmackDown (2008-Present)

On June 23, 2008, Umaga was drafted from the Raw brand to the SmackDown! brand, as a part of the 2008 WWE Draft.^[42] After having a short lived rivalry with Mr. Kennedy and The Big Show , Fatu suffered a torn PCL at a SmackDown live event in Johnson City, TN on August 2 during a match with Jeff Hardy.

Personal life

Articles posted by Sports Illustrated, the New York Daily News, and the Washington Post during the weekend of August 30, 2007, named Fatu as one of a number of superstars to have purchased pharmaceuticals from an online pharmacy, a violation of the WWE "Talent Wellness" program. Fatu specifically was said to have received somatropin — a growth hormone — between July and December 2006, after the "No drugs from online sources" rule was instituted.^[43][44]

On April 25, 2008, Fatu's mother Vera died after a seven year battle with cancer.^[45]

In wrestling

• Finishing and signature moves
  • Samoan Spike (High-speed thumb thrust to the throat)
  • Samoan Splash (Diving stretch out splash)
  • Super Samoan drop - 2002-2003
  • Backbreaker rack dropped into a neckbreaker - 2006
  • Diving headbutt
  • Giant swing, occasionally into an object such as ring steps or a barricade
  • Nerve hold
  • Reverse STO
  • Running jumping headbutt drop to the head of an opponent held in the tree of woe position
  • Samoan Wrecking Ball^[46] (Running hip attack to the head of an opponent seated and leaning against the bottom turnbuckle)
  • Samoan drop, sometimes preceded by a gorilla press
  • Savate kick
  • Spinning wheel kick
  • Swinging side slam
  • Turnbuckle powerbomb, usually preceded by an elevated three-quarter double arm choke

• Managers
  • Eric Bischoff
  • Rico
  • Armando Alejandro Estrada
  • Shane McMahon
  • Vince McMahon

• Entrance theme
  • "Three Minutes" by 2 Skinnee J's (as Jamal)
  • Virtual Voodoo Part 1 from the Extreme Music Library (as Umaga)

• Nicknames
  • During the early days of Fatu's time as Umaga he went by the nicknames "Samoan Wrecking Machine" and "Samoan Smashing Machine", both of which are believed to be parodies of "Samoan Submission Machine"; the nickname of Samoa Joe. He was later given the more consistent nickname of the "Samoan Bulldozer".
  • In AJPW, he was known as the "Samoan Typhoon", to go along with tag partner Taiyō Kea's nickname of "Hawaiian Tornado".

Championships and accomplishments

• All Japan Pro Wrestling
  • AJPW Unified World Tag Team Championship (1 time)^[9] - with Taiyō Kea
  • World's Strongest Tag Team League winner in 2004 - with Taiyō Kea

• Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling | World Entertainment Wrestling
  • FMW/WEW Hardcore Tag Team Championship (1 time)^[5] - with Matt Anoa'i

• Hawai'i Championship Wrestling
  • HCW Kekaulike Heritage Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Taiyō Kea

• Heartland Wrestling Association
  • HWA Tag Team Championship (1 time)^[47] - with Kimo

• Memphis Championship Wrestling
  • MCW Southern Tag Team Championship (3 times)^[4] - with Kimo

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked him #22 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2007^[48]

• World Wrestling Entertainment
  • WWE Intercontinental Championship (2 times)^[49]

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards

• Worst Tag Team (2002) with Matt Anoa'i

References

External links

• Eddie Fatu (Umaga) at WWE.com
• Eddie Fatu (Umaga) at Online World of Wrestling
• Eddie Fatu at the Internet Movie Database
• Eddie Fatu at TV.com

World Wrestling Entertainment employees Raw Batista • Beth Phoenix • Candice Michelle • Charlie Haas • Chris Jericho • CM Punk • Cody Rhodes • D-Lo Brown • Dolph Ziggler • Goldust • Hardcore Holly • Jamie Noble • JBL • Jerry Lawler • Jillian Hall • Jim Duggan • John Cena • JTG • Kane • Katie Lea Burchill • Kelly Kelly • Kofi Kingston • Layla • Lilian Garcia • Manu • Melina • Michael Cole • Mickie James • Mike Knox • Paul Burchill • Randy Orton • Rey Mysterio • Ron Simmons • Santino Marella • Shad • Shawn Michaels • Sim Snuka • Ted DiBiase • Val Venis • William Regal SmackDown Big Show • The Brian Kendrick • Brie Bella • Carlito • Curt Hawkins • D.H. Smith • Edge • Eve Torres • Ezekiel Jackson • Festus • The Great Khali • Hurricane Helms • Jeff Hardy • Jesse • Jim Ross • Jimmy Wang Yang • Justin Roberts • Kizarny • Kung Fu Naki • Maria • Maryse • Michelle McCool • Montel Vontavious Porter • Mr. Kennedy • Natalya • Nikki Bella • Primo • R-Truth • Ranjin Singh • Ryan Braddock • Scotty Goldman • Shelton Benjamin • Tazz • Triple H • Umaga • The Undertaker • Vickie Guerrero • Victoria • Vladimir Kozlov • Zack Ryder ECW Alicia Fox • Bam Neely • The Boogeyman • Chavo Guerrero • DJ Gabriel • Evan Bourne • Finlay • Gavin Spears • Hornswoggle • Jack Swagger • John Morrison • Mark Henry • Matt Hardy • Matt Striker • The Miz • Ricky Ortiz • Theodore Long • Tiffany • Todd Grisham • Tommy Dreamer • Tony Atlas • Tony Chimel

Persondata
NAME	Fatu, Eddie
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION
DATE OF BIRTH	1973-3-28
PLACE OF BIRTH	Samoa
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH