Sika Anoa'i

Leati "Sika" Anoa'i^[4] (born April 5, 1945)^[1] is a former professional wrestler and a member of the Anoa'i family.

Career

Sika teamed with his brother Afa to form the tag team the Wild Samoans.^[4] They teamed in various promotions including WWF and Mid-South. In 1979, they signed with the World Wrestling Federation (now World Wrestling Entertainment).^[5] Along with Afa, Sika held the WWF Tag Team Championship on three occasions.^[6] They won their first title in the WWF by defeating the team of Ivan Putski and Tito Santana on April 12, 1980.^[7] The Wild Samoans held the belts for almost four months before losing them to Bob Backlund and Pedro Morales on August 9.^[7] The title was vacated the following day, however, because Backlund already held the WWF Championship and could not defend both titles. A tournament was held to select the new champions, and The Wild Samoans defeated Tony Garea and Rene Goulet to regain the belts.^[7][8]

After losing the title to Garea and Rick Martel, the Wild Samoans left the WWF to compete in Bill Watts' Mid-South Wrestling. They won the tag team championship three times before leaving the promotion to wrestle in the National Wrestling Alliance's Mid-Atlantic territory.^[8] While there, the Wild Samoans defeated the Fabulous Freebirds to win the NWA National Tag Team Championship.^[8] Sika and Afa soon left the promotion and vacated the championship.^[8]

Following their stint in the NWA, the Wild Samoans returned to the WWF. They won their third and final WWF Tag Team Championship on March 8, 1983 by defeating Jules Strongbow and Chief Jay Strongbow.^[7] Four days later, Sika sustained an injury during a match. As a result, he was forced to take time off while his nephew Samula Anoa'i helped defend the title in his place.^[9] After Afa left the WWF, Sika teamed with Kamala and was managed by King Curtis Iaukea until Mr. Fuji took over management of the team.^[10] Sika also headlined the October 3, 1987 edition of Saturday Night's Main Event against Hulk Hogan.^[11] On March 27, 1988 Sika was a part of the battle royal at WrestleMania IV, but he did not win.^[12]

Anoa'i also appeared alongside Roddy Piper and other WWF wrestlers in the 1987 film Body Slam.^[4][5] In 1988, Sika teamed up with another relative, Kokina (better known as Yokozuna). The pair wrestled as a tag team in Continental Wrestling Federation and were managed by Alan Martin.^[13]

On the March 23, 2007 edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown, it was announced that Afa and Sika would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2007.^[14] On March 31, 2007, the Wild Samoans were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by Afa's son, Samu, and Sika's son, Matt.^[15]

Sika and Afa now run The Wild Samoan Training Center, a wrestling school that has produced such alumni as Umaga and Batista, Rikishi, Billy Kidman, Chris Kanyon...^[2] In March 2002, Sika suffered head and facial injuries when a beer truck hit his car near Pensacola, Florida.^[4]

In 1999, Sika started up an independent wrestling promotion in Pensacola, Fl called XW 2000, along with its co-founders and original members, Sam Anoai aka Samu, Matt Anoai (aka Rosey aka Roz), Steve Savage, Maxwel E Payne, Eddie Pitman aka Chief Iron Claw, Rick Lamb (with Manager Mike "Romeo" Flynn), Chris Cody, Deuce Mason among a plethora of young talent whose mission was to help the Community and Non Profit Organizations through Fund Raising/Pro Wrestling Events. From 1999 until 2008, the promotion had a successful run, along with WWE, AWA, WWA, WXW and NWA Legends and Superstars such as Don Fargo, Rikishi, Luna Vachon, Gangrel, The Island Boyz Ekmo(aka Umaga) and Kimo (aka Rosey/Roz), Grandmaster Sexay and Black Pearl among others. XW 2000 also featured quite a few Legends and Independent Stars such as Doctor X, Bobby Doll(Former WWE Star) Gino Galento/Wendy G Kennedy (retired Pro Wrestler turned Actor and Formerly known as Fabulous Fabio) B.A.D. (aka Bolo ), Heavy B, D Ray 3000 (formerly known as Don Crisis and Kid Crisis),Ron Fargo, Steve Fury, James Ryker, Cameron Frost, Billy Rayz, Scotty Rayz, Sirus LaVaye ( aka Mister Omega ), DJ Pringle, Jerry Reiner (formerly known as 123 Kidd and Mr Electricity)Chris Tighe, Big E and Miss Fire just to name a few talented performers... Since 2010 XW 2000 run Shows with the same noble purpose from its first day of creation which is to help the Community with Family oriented Pro Wrestling Shows for Fund Raising Events to our War Veterans and help the Community in general across the Florida Panhandle.

Personal life

One of 4 children, Sika moved to the United States when he was 14. His father was a pastor and was transferred to San Francisco.^[1] To help feed his family, Sika joined the Merchant Marine.^[1] Eventually, he followed Afa's lead and began wrestling professionally.^[1]

Sika has two sons, Matt and Joe.^[5][16] Matt is a professional wrestler, who briefly wrestled in WWE under the name "Rosey". He currently works out of All Japan Pro Wrestling. Joe played college football for Georgia Tech from 2003-2006.^[17] Joe has also followed the family legacy and entered the squared circle, working for WWE under the name Roman Reigns. He and his brother Afa are related to heavyweight boxer David Tua .^[18]

In wrestling

• Finishing moves
  • Samoan drop
  • Stomach vice

• Signature moves
  • Headbutt
  • Multiple suplex variations
    • German
    • Snap
    • Super

• Managers
  • General Skandor Akbar^[8]
  • Lou Albano^[19]
  • Ole Anderson
  • Brother Ernest Angel^[20]
  • Abdullah Farouk, Jr.
  • Mr. Fuji^[10]
  • Ben Flaherty
  • King Curtis Iaukea^[10]
  • Ernie Ladd^[8]
  • Alan Martin^[13]
  • Saul Weingeroff^[21]
  • Harvey Wippleman^[22]

Championships and accomplishments

• Cauliflower Alley Club

• Other honoree (1997)

• Continental Wrestling Association

• AWA Southern Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Afa^[23]

• Georgia Championship Wrestling

• NWA National Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Afa^[24]

• Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling

• NWA Gulf Coast Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Afa^[25]

• International Wrestling Alliance

• IWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Afa^[4]

• Mid-South Wrestling Association
  • Mid-South Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Afa^[4]
• NWA All-Star Wrestling
  • NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (1 time) - with Afa^[4]
• NWA Detroit
  • NWA Detroit World Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Afa^[4]
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked him # 462 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003.^[26]
  • PWI ranked him # 93 of the 100 best tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Afa in 2003.^[27]
• Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame

• Class of 2012 - Inducted as a member of the Wild Samoans

• Stampede Wrestling
  • Stampede International Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Afa^[4]
• World Wrestling Federation
  • WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2007)^[28]

• WWF World Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Afa^[6]

References

External links

• Sika at Wild Samoan.com, his brother's site
• WWE Hall of Fame Profile