Wrestling icon Afa Anoa’i, uncle of former WWE champion and one half of the former tag team duo known as ‘The Wild Samoans’, has died at the age of 81.
This comes just after his brother and companion, wild 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 changed irrevocably. 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 hope for. I love you so much.”
Afa Anoa’i, one half of the wrestling team known as the Wild Samoans, has died at 81
Afa and his brother Sika (who passed away last June) won the WWF tag team titles three times.
Vale explained that he has been suffering from health problems lately, including two heart attacks and multiple major surgeries.
After leaving the Marines, Afa Anoa’i began training with his cousin Rocky Johnson (father of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson) and uncle Peter Maivia before wrestling his first match in 1971.
Two years later, his brother Sika joined him and together they formed the team The Wild Samoans.
They joined the World Wrestling Federation in 1979, where they won the WWF World Tag Team Championship twice in their first stint with the company and three overall WWF/WWE tag team titles.
After leaving the WWF, Afa began training wrestlers alongside his brother.
Both were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007.
In addition to the WWF Tag Team titles, the Wild Samoans have held the tag team titles of eleven other wrestling promotions.