Aside from being a sport, pro wrestling is also a tradition that has been carried on for generations. It is deep-seated in famous wrestling families. One of the most revered families in pro wrestling is the Samoan clan. During the Attitude Era, The Rock and Rikishi were the most influential members of the Samoan tribe. Today, Roman Reigns, the Usos, Tamina, Nia Jax, Samoa Joe, and more are some of the wrestlers continuing the tradition. Leati Joseph “Joe” Anoa’i, better known as Roman Reigns, is arguably the only Samoan wrestler after the Rock to have achieved the most success in his wrestling career.
The reigning WWE Undisputed Universal Champion’s success in wrestling is partly attributed to his DNA. The acclaimed Anoa’i clan is a well-established fixture in WWE. Roman Reigns is enjoying a run as the longest-reigning Universal Champion, having held the title for over 860 days.
At this juncture in his career, Roman Reigns is virtually invincible. After defeating the greatest wrestlers in the industry, Reigns still has one major mountain to climb. And that is to defeat a revered member of his own tribe, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. But before Roman Reigns dipped his toes into wrestling, his predecessors ruled the roost.
Who is Roman Reigns’ father?
The Tribal Chief’s father, Sika Anoa’i, was born in 1945. Before tapping into wrestling, he enlisted himself in the US Merchant Marine and worked on ships sailing to Japan and the Philippines. In 1973, Sika made his wrestling debut after getting trained by his older brother. He was one half of the famous wrestling tag team, The Wild Samoans, alongside his brother, Afa Anoa’i.
The Wild Samoans were famously known for their stint in NWA and WWF. Although Sika never held a top title during his career, he won multiple tag team titles with his brother. However, Sika did get a title shot at Bob Backlund’s WWE Championship. The Wild Samoans wrestled for various territories before landing a job in WWE in 1980.
Interestingly, The Wild Samoans lost their Championships to The Rock’s father, Rocky Johnson, and his tag team partner Tony Atlas during their last run as champions.
After Afa retired from wrestling in 1986, Sika was focused on having a career as a singles competitor. He left WWE in 1988 after having a moderately successful run and continued wrestling in the Indies.
Later, Sika joined his older brother’s wrestling training center as a coach. In 1999, he founded his very own independent wrestling promotion, XW 2000. Aside from being the father of Roman Reigns, he is also the father of the late wrestler Rosey.
Is Sika Anoa’i a WWE Hall of Famer?
Sika Anoa’i had a two-year run as a singles competitor in WWE. However, his career in WWE was mostly recognized for his contribution as one-half of The Wild Samoans. Although Sika did not get a solo induction, The Wild Samoans were inducted into the Hall of Fame class of 2007. The Wild Samoans made a rare appearance on WWE TV during the Hell in a Cell PPV when Roman Reigns vanquished Jey Uso and became the Tribal Chief.
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