To the entire world he was Afa, The Wild Samoan, the WWE Hall of Famer.
To everyone who met him, especially his family, he was Pops.
Gataivasā Afa Amituanaʻi Anoaʻi was the patriarch of the Samoan Wrestling Dynasty.
Even alongside his brother, the late, great Sika, Afa came first. He was Wild Samoan #1. He was the leader of the team, the trainer of a generation of talents that came through his doors and one of the toughest men and greatest heels who ever hit the ring.
He controlled the ring. He controlled the crowd.
Anoa’i passed away at 81 years old today, because not even one of the most ferocious talents who ever lived could control Father Time, although if there was ever one man who fought all the way to the end, it was Afa.
Whether it was heart procedures or back surgeries or falls that placed him in the hospital, in the end, Afa came out triumphant. Worn and weary from a life of fighting off heroes and fans and Father Time alike, but still triumphant.
Father Time won the final battle, but Afa certainly took his share of victories in that war.
Everyone who knew him expected nothing less.
In his youth, Afa was so fearsome that he and his brother Sika regularly beat the hell out of heels in San Francisco, so often that those in the business decided to impart a better strategy - if you can’t beat them, let them join. They broke Afa and Sika into the business, having them train under the late Kurt Von Steiger. Before their run, Afa served in the United States Marines. He later admitted that his Uncle Peter Maivia had smarted him up, but they never smartened up Sika during the time period where they were assaulting the heels.
The team debuted for Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling and being a product of the times, played up the wild, stereotypical over the top presentation of savage Samoan villains - wild hair and wilder brawling, accentuated by over the top promos with wide-eyes showing how menacing and evil they could truly be. In one of those only in wrestling stories, they ran out of gas on the way to their first booking and later claimed they pushed the van into the parking lot of the venue.
On camera, they were the worst fans could ever expect, but behind the scenes, Afa and Sika were loved for being absolute gentlemen and family men. Indeed, The Bloodline doesn’t just run through them - they birthed it. From Roman Reigns to Rikishi to The Usos to Solo Sikoa and an infinite amount of cousins all connected through some link, without The Wild Samoans, none of the engine that helps today’s WWE run so marvelously would have never existed. Not hype. Not hyperbole. Fact.
The Wild Samoans built that legacy the same way everyone from their era did, fighting across every territory you would imagine, from Japan's IWE and New Japan Pro Wrestling to Stampede to Puerto Rico's WWC, Big Time Wrestling, the Continental Wrestling Association, Mid-South Wrestling, Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling, NWA All-Star Wrestling, NWA Mid-America and beyond. They battled Ernie Ladd and Junkyard Dog for Bill Watts. They feuded with the Fabulous Freebirds in Georgia.
Of course, as a tag team they will be forever connected to the WWF, where they, under the on-screen tutelage of Captain Lou Albano, won the WWF Tag Team titles on three occasions and became one of the most famous teams of that era. They were so dominant as a team and as villains that each challenged Bob Backlund for the WWF Championship - and when Hulk Hogan later won the WWF title, they also each challenged him.
The Wild Samoans were regularly main eventers everywhere and every WWF market, great and small, from Madison Square Garden to tiny house shows. From Andre the Giant and Bruno Sammartino on down to Ivan Putski and Dominic Denucci, the Wild Samoans were the villains who the heroes had to try and vanquish.
The Wild Samoans won the WWF Tag Titles from Ivan Putski and Titio Santana in April 1980 before losing them in Shea Stadium to Bob Backlund and Pedro Morales at Shea Stadium. Since Backlund was the reigning WWF title holder at the time, the belts were vacated with The Samoans winning a tournament to capture them for the second time. They left and when they returned, it was a new WWF, now presided over by Vince McMahon. They captured the belts for the third time and added a third member, Samula (Samu) when Sika was hurting.
The Wild Samoans lost the titles for the final time to Tony Atlas and Rocky Johnson, a major milestone moment as the new champions were the first Black WWF Tag Team Champions, a moment that would be celebrated as part of the company history and is still promoted as such today. The crowd reaction in Allentown, PA when Albano accidentally struck his charge with a wooden chair, splintering it to set up the finish, was as electric as any moment from that era.
The team turned babyface after, having a brief feud against Albano’s charges Dick Murdoch and Adrian Adonis, but in that era, it didn’t have long legs and soon Afa exited WWF, stating years later that he was fired because he chose to be present for the birth of his son instead of wrestling.
No matter the reason, he was soon setting up his next life as a trainer and promoter. Whether it was The Trans-World Wrestling Federation, The Wild Samoan Training Center or World Xtreme Wrestling, Afa, his school and promotion were synonymous with Allentown, PA. That was his territory, his home and that’s where you went if you wanted to become a professional wrestler.
“When I met Afa in Nov 1982 he was known simply as Afa The Wild Samoan #1,” Sal Corrente remembered. "Since I was introduced to him by someone he trusted, Mike D'Avanzo, I was immediately accepted. When he recognized my passion for the business, he started teaching me about the business. We did some training in the ring but very little. It was more school sessions. I used those lessons to become a referee. It wasn't long after that Afa had me on my first plane flights to Doha, Qatar, Dubai in the U.A.E and Cairo Egypt. He eventually had me working as an agent on his events after he left the WWF. At this point he and the rest of the Anoai crew were more like family than friends. Over the years, we worked for each other and became tag team partners on various occasions with and without his brother Sika, The Wild Samoan #2.”
Afa is credited with breaking in a ton of talents who went on to great success in the pro wrestling world, including Afa’s son Afa Jr., Sika’s son Roman Reigns, Dave Bautista, the late Yokozuna, Rikishi, Virgil, Billy Kidman, and his nephew The Tonga Kid among so many others.
Even before he opened the school in Allentown, Afa and Sika helped break in Michael Hayes and The Junkyard Dog, among others. The galaxy of names he had a hand in drew an insane amount of money over different time periods the last few decades.
Afa's ability to oversee and mentor others is where the "Pops" nickname came from, likely derived from a t-shirt Corrente gifted Afa that read "Popa Bear."
“He was a man who protected and appreciated the Pro Wrestling business,” remembered Corrente. “Afa was his own man, and along with his brother Sika, both were great teachers and a tag team respected by all.”
When Darren Aronofsky wanted to make The Wrestler, he sent Nicolas Cage to learn under Afa. When Cage opted out of the film after a few training sessions, Mickey Rourke showed up to replace him and learned so well, he ended up nominated for an Academy Award for his turn as Randy the Ram. It all started with Afa’s lessons.
There are countless others who not only trained under Afa from scratch, but who also regularly went to work for him in Allentown to sharpen their own skills. His fingerprints would be on entire generations of the business, a legacy as strong as Afa’s own bloodline. To every single one of them, he was Pops, very much the Godfather of professional wrestling in his area, spearheading as many charitable drives as he did independent wrestling shows.
"It's heartbreaking that the Anoa'is and Fatus, who are still reeling from the death of Sika, now have to grieve the loss of his brother Afa, " former WWE NXT star Bull Dempsey told PWInsider.com. "The legacy these two men left behind will never be matched. Pops helped so many of us throughout his life, without ever asking anything in return. The Samoan Dynasty has always treated me like family and my heart breaks for Afa Jr., Sam, Lance, Lynn, Tovale, Lloyd and the entire family."
Afa made very occasional appearances wrestling, last performing in the ring in 2014.
Outside of professional wrestling, Afa made a few television and film appearances, including Hulk Hogan’s Mr. Nanny and Roddy Piper’s Bodyslam - The Movie.
While his brother Sika did return to the WWF for a singles run after the team exited, Afa’s returns to the company were much later, playing more of a managerial role for The Headshrinkers, Samu and Fatu in the mid-90s. He did step back into the ring a few times in that era, having his final WWF bout in 1994 in Chicago.
In recent years, the rise of Roman Reigns as the leader of The Bloodline as well as The Wild Samoans' inclusion in all four seasons of NBC's Young Rock continued to elevate the legacy of The Wild Samoans, making it stronger than even when they were active members of the WWF roster. The Wrestlemania 40 storyline was literally built on the backs of Anoa’i family legacy, and rightfully so.
In 2007, Afa and Sika were rightfully inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
In recent years, health issues began to take their toll, including a replacement for his heart valve and a fall that caused several fractures to his back. He had made it through the surgeries and physical therapy but of late, had been battling a bad case of pneumonia.
“Since he has been in ill health in recent months, I have had to come to grips with someone who seemed invincible and eventually wouldn't be able to kick out again,” Sal Corrente said. “Now that he and Sika are both gone, it just puts me in touch with my own mortality. I love these guys. They had faith in me and gave me a chance most young wrestling fans could only dream about.”
As the inevitable reality came ever closer, tributes began to pour in, sparked by his son Samu's comments online:
"As we embark on your final journey home, we express our heartfelt gratitude for the unwavering love and guidance you have bestowed upon us throughout our lives. We find solace in knowing that you will soon be reunited with the Lord Jesus, your parents, siblings, and friends who have gone before us. We have no doubt that you will establish a Wild Samoan training center in the sky, bringing us all together once again. We believe in the power of your love and legacy, and we will continue to honor it in all that we do."
The legacy of Afa Anoa’i is more than just another tough guy who ravaged opponents and frightened fans. Instead, the true legacy is one of a stoic oak tree, as the tall and proud roots for countless individuals who took his lessons and imparted them in their own lives - and whether they ended up headlining Wrestlemanias or their local independents, they represented Afa and carried him into the next generation - and that legacy will continue on long after his passing.
On behalf of everyone at PWInsider.com, we send our deepest condolences to the entire Anoa'i family.
Farewell Pops.
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