Anoaʻi family

The Anoaʻi family, originating from American Samoa, is a family of professional wrestlers. Family members have comprised several tag teams and stables within a variety of promotions. Famous members of the family include Rikishi, Yokozuna, Roman Reigns and The Usos.

In addition, Reverend Amituana'i Anoa'i and Peter Maivia were "blood brothers",[1] a connection that continued with Afa and Sika, who regard Peter as their uncle. Peter married Ofelia "Lia" Fuataga, who already had a daughter named Feagaimaleata (Ata), whom he adopted and raised as his own. Ata married wrestler Rocky Johnson, and the couple became the parents of Dwayne Johnson, who wrestled under the names Rocky Maivia and The Rock, before establishing himself as an actor.

Family tree

Tovale Anoa'i
 
Amituana Anoa'i
 
 
 
Blood brother
 
 
 
Peter Maivia
(1937–1982)
 
Lia Maivia
(1927–2008)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Lynn Anoa'i
 
Afa AnoaʻiTumua Anoa'iAfoa Anoa'iSika Anoa'i
 
Lisa Anoa'iSipa Anoa'iElevera Anoa'i[2]
(1947–2008)
 
I'aulualo Folau Solofa Fatu[2]Toa MaiviaAta Maivia
 
Rocky Johnson
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Reno Anoa'i
(Black Pearl)
Rodney Anoa'i
(Yokozuna)

(1966–2000)
Matthew Anoa'i
(Rosey)

(1970-2017)
Leati Anoa'i
(Roman Reigns)
Sam Fatu
(Tonga Kid/Tama)
Eddie Fatu
(Umaga/Jamal)

(1973–2009)
Solofa Fatu Jr.
(Rikishi/Fatu)
 
Talisua FuavaiDwayne Johnson
(The Rock)
 
Dany Garcia
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Samula Anoa'i
(Samu)
Afa Jr.
(Manu)
Deon Anoa'iLloyd Anoa'i
(L.A. Smooth)
Monica Anoa'i
 
Gary Albright
(1963–2000)
Jacob FatuTrinity Mccray
(Naomi)
 
Jonathan Solofa Fatu
(Jimmy Uso)
Joshua Samuel Fatu
(Jey Uso)
Thavana MonalisaJeremiah PeniataSimone Alexandra Johnson
 
 
 
 
Lance Anoa'i

Other members

Hollywood stuntman Tanoai Reed (known as Toa on the new American Gladiators) is the great nephew of wrestling promoter Lia Maivia (Peter Maivia's wife),[3][4] while professional wrestler Lina Fanene (Nia Jax) is Dwayne Johnson's cousin.[5] Other members of the Anoa'i family include NFL player Kaluka Maiava, the nephew of Dwayne Johnson. Sean Maluta, nephew of Afa Anoa'i, was a participant in WWE's first Cruiserweight Classic tournament.[6]

Linked to the family by marriage but not actually a blood relative is wrestler "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka, Snuka's son Jimmy Snuka Jr. formerly wrestled for WWE as Deuce,[7] his daughter Penina who attends the University of Arizona, where she plays volleyball for the Arizona Wildcats[8] and his daughter, Sarona Reiher, currently wrestles for WWE as Tamina Snuka.[9]

Tag teams and stables

The Wild Samoans

The Headshrinkers

3-Minute Warning

Samoan Gangstas

Samoan Gangstas
Tag team
Members Matt E. Smalls[10]
L.A. Smooth[11]
Name(s) Samoan Gangstas[12]
Heights 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) - Matt
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) - Lloyd
Combined
weight
713 lb (323 kg; 50.9 st)
Debut 1997
Disbanded 1998
Promotions WXW
Trainer Wild Samoan Training Center[10][11]

Samoan Gangstas was a tag team in the independent promotion World Xtreme Wrestling (WXW).[12] The tag team consisted of members from the Anoa'i family.[10][11]

Samoan Gangstas was a tag team made up of cousins Matt E. Smalls and Sweet Sammy Silk (Matt and Samu Anoa'i).[13] Their tag team was formed in 1997 in WXW, the promotion of one half of The Wild Samoans, Samu's father and Matt's uncle Afa Anoaʻi. The duo received success in WXW in the tag team division.[12] On June 24, they won their first WXW Tag Team Championship by beating Love Connection (Sweet Daddy Jay Love and Georgie Love).[12] However, they were temporarily suspended and the title was declared vacant.[14] Matt was repackaged as Matty Smalls. They returned in the summer of 1997 and defeated Siberian Express (The Mad Russian and Russian Eliminator), on September 17 to win their second WXW Tag Team Championship.[12][15]

Problems began between Smalls and Smooth. The two partners began feuding with each other and could not focus properly on their tag title. On March 27, 1998, Smooth defeated Smalls in a Loser Leaves Town match. As a result of losing this match, Smalls was forced to leave the promotion.[12][15] He left WXW while Smooth focused on a singles career. After a short while, Smalls returned to WXW and the two partners reunited again as Samoan Gangstas and began teaming in the tag team division. They feuded with several tag teams in WXW and focused to regain the WXW Tag Team Championship. However, due to their family disputes and problems with each other, they did not take part in the tournament for the vacated tag title, and instead feuded with each other. Samoan Gangstas feuded with each other after their splitting until Smalls left WXW and began wrestling as Kimo. He began teaming with Ekmo (Eddie Fatu) as The Island Boyz and the duo worked in Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW) before signing with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and working in its developmental territories.

The Sons of Samoa

The Sons of Samoa are a tag team currently wrestling in the Puerto Rican wrestling promotion World Wrestling Council and WXW. The team consists of Afa Jr. and L.A. Smooth.

The team was formed at WXW in 1998, briefly as a stable with Samu. The team reformed in April 2009 at a WXW show with Afa Jr. and L.A. Smooth. In 2013, they began wrestling at the WWC promotion in Puerto Rico. At Euphoria 2013, they lost to Thunder and Lightning. They won the WWC World Tag Team Championship from Thunder and Lightning on February 9, before losing the titles back to Thunder and Lightning on March 30 at Camino a la Gloria. However, they won the titles on June 29, 2013, at Summer Madness.

The Usos

The Usos (born August 22, 1985) are a Samoan American professional wrestling tag team consisting of twin brothers Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso, who appear in WWE where they are former three-time WWE Tag Team Champions. They are also former WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champions. The pair were previously managed by Tamina Snuka and are one-time FCW Florida Tag Team Champions.

Team B.A.D.

Team B.A.D. was a stable composed of female wrestlers Naomi and Tamina Snuka, both of whom are a part of the Anoa'i family (Naomi as the wife of Jimmy Uso, Tamina as the daughter of Jimmy Snuka, who in turn is also related to the Anoa'i family by marriage). Sasha Banks, who was the NXT Women's Champion when the stable was formed, was the third member.

Championship and accomplishments

Other awards and honors

See also

References

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