Sika Anoaʻi

Sika Anoaʻi
Birth name Leati Anoaʻi
Born April 5, 1945[1]
Leone, American Samoa[1]
Resides Gulf Breeze, Florida[2]
Children Matthew Anoaʻi
(born April 7, 1970)
Leati Joseph Anoaʻi
(born May 25, 1985)
Family Anoaʻi
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s) Sika
Billed height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Billed weight 319 lb (22 st 11 lb; 145 kg)
Billed from The Isle of Samoa
Trained by Afa Anoaʻi[3]
Debut 1974

Leati "Sika" Anoaʻi[4] (born April 5, 1945)[1] is a professional wrestler and a member of the Anoaʻi 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 Anoaʻi helped defend the title in his place.[9] After Afa left the WWF, Sika teamed with Kamala and was managed by The Wizard 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]

Anoaʻi 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 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 aka Lord Humongous(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, Matthew and Leati Joseph.[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. Leati Jr., who goes by the nickname, 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

Championships and accomplishments

  • Other honoree (1997)
  • WWC North American Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Afa
  • IWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Afa[4]
  • Class of 2012 – Inducted as a member of the Wild Samoans

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Sutter, Frederic Koehler (1989). The Samoans: A Global Family. Honolulu, Hawaii: University of Hawaii Press. p. 195. ISBN 0-8248-1238-7.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Wild Samoans: Tag Team Legends". Spasifik. Retrieved 2007-10-11.
  3. ↑ "Ten Questions With Afa the Wild Samoan". Wrestling Clothesline. Retrieved 2007-10-11.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 "Online World of Wrestling – Sika Anoai". Retrieved 2007-09-08.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Biography: The Wild Samoans". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2007-10-11.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "History of the World Tag Team Championship". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2007-10-11.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 "WWWF/WWF/WWE World Tag Team Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2007-12-26.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 "Tag Team Profiles: The Wild Samoans". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2007-12-25.
  9. ↑ "WWF World Tag Team Title History". Wrestling Information Archive. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 "Wrestler Profiles: Curtis Iaukea". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
  11. ↑ "WWE Saturday Night's Main Event results – September 23, 1987". Retrieved 2007-09-08.
  12. ↑ "WWE WrestleMania IV results – March 27, 1988". Retrieved 2007-09-08.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Eddie Gilbert Page 2". Kayfabe Memories. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
  14. ↑ "WWE SmackDown results – March 23, 2007". Retrieved 2007-09-08.
  15. ↑ "Hall of Fame 2007". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2007-09-08.
  16. ↑ "Wild Samoan Sika". The Wild Samoan Training Center. Retrieved 2007-10-11.
  17. ↑ "Player Bio: Joe Anoai". Ramblin Wreck. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
  18. ↑ "David Tua". The Wild Samoan Training Center. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
  19. ↑ "Biography: Captain Lou Albano". World Wrestling Entertainment. Archived from the original on July 5, 2007. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
  20. ↑ "Continental Wrestling: November 1987 – May 1988". Retrieved 2001-10-12.
  21. ↑ "Memphis/CWA #3 Page #2". Kayfabe Memories. Retrieved 207-10-12. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  22. ↑ "Bruno Lauer's profile". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2009-08-03.
  23. ↑ "N.W.A. (Mid-America)/A.W.A. Southern Tag Team Title". Wrestling-Titles.com. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
  24. ↑ "N.W.A. National Tag Team Title". Wrestling-Titles.com. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
  25. ↑ "Gulf Coast Tag Team Title". Wrestling-Titles.com. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
  26. ↑ Royal Duncan and Gary Will (2000). "Tennessee: U.S. Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 194. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  27. ↑ "NWA United States Tag Team Title (Mid-America)". wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  28. ↑ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Top 500 Wrestlers of the PWI Years". Wrestling Information Archive. Retrieved 2007-10-11.
  29. ↑ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Top 100 Tag Teams of the PWI Years". Wrestling Information Archive. Retrieved 2007-10-11.
  30. ↑ "The Wild Samoans". World Wrestling Entertainment. Archived from the original on 2007-07-18. Retrieved 2007-10-11.

External links