Wrestling icon Afa Anoa’i, the uncle of the former WWE Champion and half of the former tag team duo ‘The Wild Samoans’, has died at the age of 81.
This happened shortly after his brother and fellow Samoan Sika Anoa’i passed away in late June.
The news was confirmed by Afa Anoa’i’s daughter, Vale, who posted on Twitter: “Today all of our lives were changed beyond repair. I love you so much, Dad. More than any words could ever express.”
‘Your strength was absolutely superhuman. You fought to the end, and the end was peaceful.
“That’s all I could have hoped for. I love you so much.”
Afa Anoa’i, half of the wrestling tag team Wild Samoans, has died at the age of 81
Afa and his brother Sika (who passed away last June) won the WWF Tag Team title three times
Vale explained that he has been struggling with health problems recently, including two heart attacks and several major surgeries.
After leaving the Marine Corps, Afa Anoa’i began training with his cousin Rocky Johnson (father of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) and his uncle Peter Maivia before wrestling his first match in 1971.
Two years later, his brother Sika joined him and together they formed the tag team The Wild Samoans.
In 1979, they joined the World Wrestling Federation, where they won the WWF World Tag Team Championship twice during their first stint with the company and a total of three tag team titles in the WWF/WWE.
After leaving the WWF, Afa began training wrestlers with his brother.
They were both inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007.
In addition to the WWF Tag Team Title, the Wild Samoans also won the tag team titles of eleven other wrestling organizations.