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Afa Anoa'i Dead, WWE Hall Of Famer And Bloodline Elder Dies At Age 81

Posted: Aug 16th 2024 By: WrestlingInc.com Staff

WWE Hall of Famer Afa Anoa'i has died at the age of 80. Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer broke the news on X, formerly Twitter, that Anoa'i passed away, claiming confirmation from the Anoa'i family. He leaves behind his wife Lynn and seven children. Reports of Anoa'i's death spread the night before, based on a social media tribute from his son, Samu. Afa's death comes nearly two months after the death of Sika Anoa'i, his brother and tag team partner.

Afa had his first match in 1971 after receiving training from Rocky Johnson and Peter Maivia. Afa then started teaming with his brother Sika. The two formed The Wild Samoans and went on to compete for Stampede Wrestling and numerous NWA territories. By the late 1970s, Afa and Sika joined WWF and were initially managed by Lou Albano. In April 1980, they defeated Ivan Putski and Tito Santana to capture their first WWF Tag Team Championship.

After leaving WWF to spend time in Mid-South, The Wild Samoans returned in 1983 and quickly regained the tag gold by defeating Chief Jay Strongbow and Jules Strongbow in a two-out-of-three falls bout. During his third stint that began in 1992, Afa managed The Headshrinkers, Samu and Rikishi. Afa's last WWF match occurred in 1994 and The Wild Samoans were eventually inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007.

Afa's only worked a handful of matches since his initial retirement, with his last one taking place in 2014. Afa and Sika opened their own training facility and have been credited for their roles in training the likes of Hulk Hogan, Roman Reigns, and the Usos.