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Legends:  Hall of Fame – The Wild Samoans

Gene Okerlund welcomes us to the show, and does a brief intro on the Samoans, Afa & Sika.

The show then starts off with the Wild Samoans video package produced for the 2007 Hall of Fame ceremony.  The video package is well produced, with comments from Vince McMahon, Tommy Dreamer, Jim Ross, Rikishi and others.  The most interesting comments come from The Rock, who speaks of his uncles, Afa & Sika, with great reverence.

Mean Gene then introduces a video of the Sika in Stampede Wrestling…

Sika Anoia & The Viking VS Gil Hayes & Benny Ramirez

Stampede Wrestling

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Early 1970s

We join the match in progress.  The Viking and Ramirez are chopping each other in the ring, before Viking tags out to Sika.   Sika comes in and chops Ramirez and then tosses him around with hair pull takedowns.  Hayes tries helping his partner, but he gets a chop to the chest as well.   Eventually, Ramirez escapes, tags out to Hayes, who hits the ring and attacks Sika with textbook heel tactics:  eye gouges, thumb jabs, back rakes.   Viking tags in and tosses Hayes around.  Benny tags himself in, only to get himself caught in a full nelson by the Viking.   Hayes makes the save, tags in, and gets a full nelson himself.  Now this time Benny interferes and breaks the hold.  Benny then gets locked in the full nelson… Hayes tries to break it, but Sika runs in and all four men start brawling.   Eventually the ref calls for the bell and several referees and other wrestlers pull apart the brawl.  Afterwards the (unnamed) announcer climbs in the ring and interviews the team.   Viking challenges Hayes & Ramirez to another match.  Stampede promoter Stu Hart hits the ring and agrees to have a match with all four men in the ring at the same time.   This was an odd match to include as Sika didn't really get much ring action, and it seemed more of a way for WWE to say "Hey look… look at all the footage we have!"

Back to Mean Gene who talks about the Samoans making their way to the WWF as they show clips of the Samoans squashing some jobbers.   After the match a young, canary-colored-wearing Vince McMahon interviews Captain Lou Albano, the Samoans' manager, who promises that his team will back down from no one.

Next is a short clip of the Wild Samoans beating Ivan Putski and Tito Santana for the World Tag Team Titles on April 12, 1980 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Following this was a short clip of the Samoans losing the belts to Bob Backlund and Pedro Morales at Shea Stadium on August 9, 1980.  Gene then informed us that Backlund and Morales would later vacate the belts, and a tournament was held, in which the Samoans made it to the finals.

The Wild Samoans VS Tony Garea & Rene Goulet

World Wrestling Federation Tag Team Championship Match

All Star Wrestling

Allentown, Pennsylvania

September 9, 1980

Vince McMahon is on commentary.  Afa and Goulet start the match off.  Afa tries to sucker Goulet in with a handshake, but Rene won't fall for it.  They lock up, but Afa shoves Rene back.  They lock up again, but again Afa shoves him back.   Afa runs off the ropes and takes Rene down with a shoulderblock.  Afa runs off the ropes again, but Rene hip tosses him down and goes for a quick pin.   Sika makes the save.  Garea tags in and goes for a submission with an abdominal stretch, but again Sika makes the save.   Goulet tags in, Afa shoots him into the ropes, but Goulet comes back with a sunset flip and gets a 2 count when Sika makes the save.  Goulet shoots Afa into the ropes, and Garea, having tagged in clamps on a sleeper, but Sika makes the save again.   Garea tries unsuccessfully to smash Afa headfirst into the canvas, but hits him with a knee and several chops for another failed pin attempt.  Garea clamps on a rear chinlock on Afa.  Boy, how times have changed… instead of chanting "boring," the fans actually were clapping and cheering the hold.   Goulet comes in without a tag and keeps the hold on.  Afa works to his feet, shoots Goulet into the ropes, but Goulet takes him down with a shoulder block, runs off the ropes again, but Afa catches him with a knee to the stomach.   Afa goes for an elbow drop, but misses.  Garea tags in, and cleans house on both Afa and Sika.  All four men are in the ring and a small brawl breaks out.   Eventually, Sika tags in officially and the Samoans double team Garea with stomps and chokes.  Sika works over Garea by basically kicking and stomping the crap out of him.   Afa tags in and does more of the same.  Garea eventually rolls to the outside, and Goulet helps him back in the ring.   Afa chokes Garea on the ropes, but Garea starts fighting back with a couple chops.  Sika tags in and puts a stop to his momentum by gouging his face (Vince:   Oh no… oh no…).  Sika pounds Garea in the corner, but Garea fights back with kicks and punches, but again Sika stops his momentum.  Afa tags in and headbutts Garea in the chest.   Afa shoots Garea into the ropes, but both men knock each other down.  Garea makes the hot tag to Goulet who hits the ring and nails Afa with several dropkicks and finally an elbow drop for a failed pin attempt.   Sika hits the ring, and Garea tries to stop him.  The ref gets involved and separates the two, leading Garea back to his corner.   While the ref's back was turned, the Samoans double bodyslammed Goulet and got the pin after about 9 minutes.  The Samoans win the Tag Team Titles.

Back to Mean Gene, who tells us the Samoans were a dominant team in the early '80s, becoming 3-time champs in the Spring of '83, beating the Strongbows.   Now it's time for a little comedy.  As we cut to the first episode of Tuesday Night Titans in May of 1984.  For those who don't know, TNT was kind of set up like a late-night talk show with Vince in the Johnny Carson position, and Lord Alfred Hayes playing Second Banana.  Vince walks over to a set where The Samoans are preparing a fish.   The Samoans proceed to gut the fish, then cut its head off as Lord Alfred looks on in disgust.  Afa throws the guts and head into a pot of boiling water.   The Samoans never break character and never speak English.  Vince asks Alfred if he'd like to taste the Samoans' concoction (Alfred:   Surely you jest?).  Alfred refuses, but Vince suggests he may offend the Samoans if he doesn't try it.  Alfred very hesitantly eats the fish, with a comical look of disgust.

Back to Mean Gene who talks about the Samoans' tag team career coming to an end.  They showed clips of Sika's singles career, and more clips of Afa managing The Headshrinkers (Samu and Fatu) later in the '90s WWF.  

The show closes with the entire 2007 WWE Hall of Fame induction speech of the Wild Samoans.  This is a very eloquent acceptance speech, mostly by Afa, and both Samoans came off extremely appreciative.  

Overall, this was a fun program, and you should rent it on your On Demand.  Watch the Stampede match if you are interested in seeing some old-school footage, but its not terribly exciting so you can probably fast forward through it.   The title match was interesting, even if it wasn't terribly exciting, but the highlights of the show are the TNT segment and the Hall of Fame speech.