Matt Anoa'i
Encyclopedia
Matthew "Matt" Anoa'i is a professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...

, best known for his time on the independent circuit
Independent circuit
In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...

 under numerous ring names, and his time in World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...

 (WWE), where he competed as Rosey.

Anoa'i, along with his late cousin Eddie Fatu
Eddie Fatu
Edward Smith "Eki" Fatu was a Samoan-American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Umaga...

, was trained at the Wild Samoan Training Facility headed by his uncle, Afa Anoa'i
Afa Anoa'i
Arthur "Afa" Anoa'i, Sr. is a Samoan American retired professional wrestler and professional wrestling manager. Since retiring in the 1990s, he has operated the World Xtreme Wrestling promotion and trained wrestlers at the Wild Samoan Training Facility.-Early life:Anoa'i was born in Samoa, but...

. Following his training, he competed in Afa's World Xtreme Wrestling
World Xtreme Wrestling
World Xtreme Wrestling is a Northeastern-based independent professional wrestling promotion which has held events across the United States and have toured in Japan, the Middle East and South Pacific region including American Samoa and Guam....

 (WXW) promotion. He began competing in tag team competition with Samu
Samula Anoa'i
Samula Anoa'i is a professional wrestler best known as one half of The Headshrinkers/Samoan Swat Team under the name Samu. His father is Afa Anoa'i who trained Samula for his professional wrestling debut....

 as the Samoan Gangsta Party
The Headshrinkers
The Headshrinkers were a professional wrestling tag team in the World Wrestling Federation that consisted of Fatu and Samu. They previously competed under the name The New Wild Samoans in the National Wrestling Alliance , and as The Samoan Swat Team in World Championship Wrestling , World Class...

. The team had a brief stint in Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...

 (ECW). Throughout the mid-1990s, Anoa'i competed in various independent promotions, winning various tag team championships. In 2001, Anoa'i signed with the WWE and was assigned to Heartland Wrestling Association
Heartland Wrestling Association
The Heartland Wrestling Association is a Midwestern independent professional wrestling promotion based in Cincinnati, Ohio. A former developmental territory for both World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation during the 1990s, it was listed as one of the top independent...

 (HWA) in Cincinnati, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

. While situated at HWA, he was placed in tag team competition, alongside Fatu, in which they won the HWA Tag Team Championship
HWA Tag Team Championship
The HWA Tag Team Championship is the tag team titles contested for in the Heartland Wrestling Association. It was established in 1996 when the Head Bangers became the first champions.-Title history:...

.

After signing with WWE in 2002, Anoa'i and Fatu were called up to the Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...

 roster and were known as the 3-Minute Warning. They were brought in as enforcers for then-General Manager Eric Bischoff
Eric Bischoff
Eric Aaron Bischoff is an American entrepreneur, and professional wrestling booker and on-screen personality currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...

. Following the release of Fatu in 2003, Anoa'i was "discovered" by The Hurricane
Gregory Helms
Gregory Shane Helms is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment where he wrestled as The Hurricane and Gregory Helms. He is also known for his time with World Championship Wrestling where he wrestled as "Sugar" Shane Helms...

 and from there on they would compete together as a team, known as Rosey and The Hurricane. After two years of teaming, they won the World Tag Team Championship, but disbanded shortly after losing the championship. Anoa'i was then released from his WWE contract in March 2006.

Following his stint with WWE, Anoa'i continued his wrestling career, appearing at several independent promotions, including AJPW, Great Championship Wrestling, BAW Championship Wrestling, Appalachian Wrestling Federation, and Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. OVW is run by owner Danny Davis and was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance from 1997 until 2000...

. Aside from professional wrestling, Anoa'i was a featured contestant on the reality television series Fat March
Fat March
Fat March is an American reality television series on the ABC network, based on the U.K. Channel Four series Too Big To Walk. It premiered on August 6, 2007 and ended on September 10, 2007.The show had received mixed reactions from fitness experts....

.

Training and early career

Anoa'i trained with his cousin Eddie Fatu
Eddie Fatu
Edward Smith "Eki" Fatu was a Samoan-American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Umaga...

 at the Wild Samoan professional wrestling school operated by members of their family
Anoa'i family
The Anoa'i family, originating from American Samoa, is a family of professional wrestlers. Family members have comprised several tag teams and stables within a variety of promotions.-Family members:...

. When their training was completed, they debuted in their uncle Afa's
Afa Anoa'i
Arthur "Afa" Anoa'i, Sr. is a Samoan American retired professional wrestler and professional wrestling manager. Since retiring in the 1990s, he has operated the World Xtreme Wrestling promotion and trained wrestlers at the Wild Samoan Training Facility.-Early life:Anoa'i was born in Samoa, but...

 World Xtreme Wrestling
World Xtreme Wrestling
World Xtreme Wrestling is a Northeastern-based independent professional wrestling promotion which has held events across the United States and have toured in Japan, the Middle East and South Pacific region including American Samoa and Guam....

 (WXW) promotion. He later began teaming with Samu
Samula Anoa'i
Samula Anoa'i is a professional wrestler best known as one half of The Headshrinkers/Samoan Swat Team under the name Samu. His father is Afa Anoa'i who trained Samula for his professional wrestling debut....

 as the Samoan Gangsta Party, using the name Mack Daddy Kane. They had a brief stint in ECW
Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...

 in the summer of 1996, feuding with various tag teams, including The Gangstas
The Gangstas
The Gangstas was a professional wrestling tag team and stable, most notably consisting of New Jack and Mustafa Saed in Extreme Championship Wrestling...

, as well as the Eliminators and the Bruise Brothers, and wrestled against Axl Rotten
Axl Rotten
Brian Knighton is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name, Axl Rotten.-Early years:After watching a professional wrestling match on television, Knighton decided to become a wrestler...

 and Hack Meyers
Hack Meyers
Donald Haviland is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Hack Meyers. A mainstay in Florida independent promotions during the 1990s, he is best known for his time in Extreme Championship Wrestling from 1993 to 1996.-Career:Haviland made his wrestling debut as Bronco...

 at Hardcore Heaven in June 1996. He returned to WXW in 1997, where Anoa'i held the WXW Tag Team Championship as one half of the Samoan Gangstas with his cousin L.A. Smooth
Lloyd Anoa'i
Lloyd Anoa'i is a Samoan American professional wrestler and professional wrestling manager who has performed under numerous ring names. He is one of the three sons of professional wrestling patriarch Afa Anoa'i, and a member of the Anoa'i family.-Career:...

 on two occasions. They defeated the Love Connection to begin their first title reign on May 24, and the Mad Russian and the Russian Eliminator on September 17 to begin their second. He also competed in the World Wrestling Council
World Wrestling Council
The World Wrestling Council is one of Puerto Rico's two main professional wrestling promotions, the other one being the International Wrestling Association....

 (WWC) in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...

 during 1997, winning the WWC World Tag Team Championship
WWC World Tag Team Championship
The WWC World Tag Team Championship is the tag team title contested for in the Puerto Rican professional wrestling promotion, the World Wrestling Council.-Title history:-External links:***...

 with Tahiti
Lloyd Anoa'i
Lloyd Anoa'i is a Samoan American professional wrestler and professional wrestling manager who has performed under numerous ring names. He is one of the three sons of professional wrestling patriarch Afa Anoa'i, and a member of the Anoa'i family.-Career:...

 as The Islanders on June 22.

In June 2001, he travelled to Japan to wrestle for Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling
Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling
Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling was a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded on July 28, 1989 by Atsushi Onita that specialized in hardcore wrestling involving weapons such as barbed wire and fire. They held their first show on October 6, 1989...

 (FMW) where, using the name Matty Samu, he teamed with Fatu to defeat Hideki Hosaka and Yoshinori Sasaki to win the FMW Hardcore Tag Team Championship
FMW/WEW Hardcore Tag Team Championship
The FMW/WEW Hardcore Tag Team Championship was a tag team hardcore wrestling championship contested in Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling from April 2000 until FMW closed in February 2002...

. Anoa'i, along with Fatu, signed developmental contracts with World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...

 (WWE), and were assigned to Heartland Wrestling Association
Heartland Wrestling Association
The Heartland Wrestling Association is a Midwestern independent professional wrestling promotion based in Cincinnati, Ohio. A former developmental territory for both World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation during the 1990s, it was listed as one of the top independent...

 (HWA), adopting the tag team name The Island Boyz, and with Anoa'i using the ring name Kimo. They won the HWA Tag Team Championship
HWA Tag Team Championship
The HWA Tag Team Championship is the tag team titles contested for in the Heartland Wrestling Association. It was established in 1996 when the Head Bangers became the first champions.-Title history:...

 in November 2001, by defeating Evan Karagias
Evan Karagias
Evan Karagias is an American professional wrestler and actor. he is a 3 time WSL World Heavyweight Champion-Biography:Karagias's father's family are of Greek origin...

 and Shannon Moore
Shannon Moore
Shannon Moore is an American professional wrestler, who is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling . He is best known for his work with World Championship Wrestling between 1999 and 2001 and with World Wrestling Entertainment for several years in the 2000s.Moore befriended Matt and Jeff Hardy...

. They also competed for Memphis Championship Wrestling
Memphis Championship Wrestling
Memphis Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion run by Terry Golden, based in Memphis, Tennessee. The promotion's first event was on February 20, 2000, and it remained active up until mid-2001...

 (MCW), holding the MCW Southern Tag Team Championship
MCW Southern Tag Team Championship
The MCW Southern Tag Team Championship was the tag team title in Memphis Championship Wrestling from 2000 until the promotion closed in 2002.-Title history:...

 on three occasions.

3-Minute Warning

Anoa'i (renamed to Rosey) and Ekmo (renamed to Jamal) made their WWE debut on the July 22, 2002 episode of Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...

as 3-Minute Warning, a pair of villainous
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...

 savages. The name Rosey was inspired by Rosey Grier
Rosey Grier
Roosevelt "Rosey" Grier is an American actor, singer, Christian minister, and former professional American football player. He was a notable college football player for Pennsylvania State University who earned a retrospective place in the National Collegiate Athletic Association 100th anniversary...

, an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

 player. They were "hired" as Eric Bischoff
Eric Bischoff
Eric Aaron Bischoff is an American entrepreneur, and professional wrestling booker and on-screen personality currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...

's assailants, attacking random wrestlers each week, after Bischoff either gave people three minutes to entertain him before they were attacked or decided that three minutes of a segment was enough before the team appeared to end it. They attacked numerous wrestlers at the orders of Bischoff, including D'Lo Brown
D'Lo Brown
Accie Julius Connor better known by his ring name D'Lo Brown , is an American professional wrestler. Well known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment, he is currently working as an agent for Impact Wrestling.Connor has held forty-eight championships in various promotions during...

 and Shawn Stasiak
Shawn Stasiak
Dr. Shawn Emile Stipich, DC, is an American chiropractor and former professional wrestler. He is best known under the ring name Shawn Stasiak and for his stints with World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment, where he is a fifteen time Hardcore Champion, and World Championship Wrestling, where he...

. They also attacked non-wrestlers, including ring announcer
Ring announcer
A ring announcer is a paid in-ring employee for a boxing, professional wrestling, or mixed martial arts event or promotion...

 Lilian Garcia
Lilian Garcia
Lilian Annette García , is a Spanish-American singer. She is best known as the former ring announcer for WWE's Raw brand. During her time in WWE, she became the first Diva to remain with the promotion for ten years.-Early life and career:...

 and retired wrestlers Jimmy Snuka
Jimmy Snuka
James William "Jimmy" Reiher is a semi-retired Fijian professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. Originally from the Fiji Islands, Snuka wrestled for several promotions in the 1970s and 1980s. Snuka is a two-time world heavyweight champion, having been a...

, Mae Young
Mae Young
Johnnie Mae Young is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler and currently a WWE Ambassador.Young was an influential pioneer in women's wrestling, helping to increase its popularity during World War II and training many generations of wrestlers...

 and The Fabulous Moolah
The Fabulous Moolah
Mary Lillian Ellison , better known by her ring name The Fabulous Moolah, was an American female professional wrestler. She began her career working with promoter Billy Wolfe and his wife, wrestler and trainer Mildred Burke, as well as working alongside professional wrestler "Nature Boy" Buddy...

. Their most notable event came when they attacked two lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...

s, which Anoa'i later cited as his favorite 3-Minute Warning run-in.

In September, 3-Minute Warning began a feud
Feud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...

 with Billy and Chuck
Billy and Chuck
Billy and Chuck was the professional wrestling tag team of Billy Gunn and Chuck Palumbo seen in World Wrestling Entertainment.-History:Near the end of the Invasion storyline, Chuck Palumbo was kicked out of the WCW/ECW coalition. In response, he defected to the WWF, where he began teaming with Gunn...

, interfering in their storyline
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...

 commitment ceremony
Wedding
A wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage or a similar institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes...

, and defeating them at the Unforgiven
Unforgiven (2002)
Unforgiven was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment that took place on September 22, 2002, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California...

 pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...

 event. Rico
Rico Constantino
Americo Sebastiano Costantino is a retired American professional wrestler and wrestling manager of Italian origin. He is best known by his ring names Rico Costantino and Rico in World Wrestling Entertainment from 2001 to 2004...

, Billy and Chuck's former manager
Manager (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...

, also began to manage 3-Minute Warning during this time. They competed regularly in Raw's tag team division until June 2003, when Jamal was released from his WWE contract.

Teaming with The Hurricane

Later in 2003, The Hurricane "discovered" Rosey's potential as a superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...

, and christened him as "Rosey, the Super Hero in Training" (the S.H.I.T.). Rosey was involved in numerous sketches involving him training to be a superhero, including helping an old lady to cross the street attempting to get changed into his superhero costume in a phonebox
Telephone booth
A telephone booth, telephone kiosk, telephone call box or telephone box is a small structure furnished with a payphone and designed for a telephone user's convenience. In the USA, Canada and Australia, "telephone booth" is used, while in the UK and the rest of the Commonwealth it is a "telephone...

. Rosey and The Hurricane teamed regularly together during this time, wrestling against teams including Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer...

 and Christian
Jason Reso
William Jason Reso is a Canadian professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring names Christian and Christian Cage...

 and Evolution
Evolution (professional wrestling)
Evolution was a villainous professional wrestling stable on WWE's Raw brand between 2003 and 2005. At the height of its existence, the group consisted of Triple H, Ric Flair, Randy Orton, Batista and briefly Eugene....

. On the July 19, 2004, episode of Raw, Rosey appeared with a new costume, seemingly graduated to a full superhero, officially turning him into a fan favorite
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...

.

On May 1, 2005, at the Backlash
Backlash (2005)
Backlash was the seventh annual Backlash professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on May 1, 2005 at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire. The show's six matches showcased prominent WWE wrestlers, who acted out...

 pay-per-view, Rosey and Hurricane defeated La Résistance in the finals of a Tag Team Turmoil match to win the World Tag Team Championship. They were joined for a short while by WWE Diva
WWE Diva
Diva is a term used by World Wrestling Entertainment , an American professional wrestling promotion, to refer to its female talent. The term is applied to women who appear as wrestlers, managers or valets, backstage interviewers, or ring announcers....

 Stacy Keibler
Stacy Keibler
Stacy Keibler is an American actress, model, and former professional wrestler and valet, best known for her work with World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment ....

, who they referred to as Super Stacy. Stacy, however, was then drafted to the SmackDown! brand. On September 5, 2005, Rosey and The Hurricane were defeated by Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch, during their debut match on Raw. This match earned the pair a tag team title shot at Unforgiven
Unforgiven (2005)
Unforgiven was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It was the seventh annual Unforgiven event and took place on September 18, 2005 at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma...

. During the title match, Murdoch delivered an elevated DDT on The Hurricane to the outside. The DDT caused Hurricane to suffer a storyline
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...

 "stinger
Stinger (medicine)
In medicine, a stinger, also called a burner or nerve pinch injury, is a neurological injury suffered by athletes, mostly in high-contact sports such as ice hockey, basketball, rugby league football, rugby union, american football, wrestling, and roller derby...

" and allowed Cade and Murdoch to beat the injured Hurricane later in the match to win the World Tag Team Title from him and Rosey.

The loss of the title eventually brought the team to an end, as they began a losing streak caused by Hurricane's injuries. During the October 17, 2005 episode of Raw, Hurricane was assaulted by Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle is an American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and 1996 Olympic gold medalist. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is recognized as a 15-time World Heavyweight Champion...

 at the request of WWE Chairman Vince McMahon
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...

. After the beating footage was shown, Hurricane ripped off his mask and struck Rosey (who had come to the ring to his aid). The following week, Hurricane did not show up for a World Tag Team Title match, leaving Rosey to face the champions Cade and Murdoch alone. During the match, The Hurricane (out of costume) appeared at the top of the entrance ramp, now going by the name Gregory Helms
Gregory Helms
Gregory Shane Helms is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment where he wrestled as The Hurricane and Gregory Helms. He is also known for his time with World Championship Wrestling where he wrestled as "Sugar" Shane Helms...

 as he watched Rosey get double teamed and defeated. After the match, Helms announced that he was fed up of being funny for the crowd, and that he had been carrying Rosey as a tag team partner. On the November 7, 2005 episode, Helms defeated Rosey in their first encounter since teaming together.

Shortly after this turmoil, Jamal was rehired by WWE and he and Rosey were scheduled to reunite 3-Minute Warning. The duo wrestled as a tag team during a dark match before the January 9, 2006 episode of Raw. On March 21, 2006, however, he was released from his WWE contract, and the hinted return of 3-Minute Warning never made it to television.

Japan and the independent circuit

Anoa'i began competing for All Japan Pro Wrestling
All Japan Pro Wrestling
is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established in 1972. All Japan Pro Wrestling still remains one of the most popular puroresu promotions still in operation.-The Giant Baba Era :...

 (AJPW) in 2006, using the name RO-Z. He teamed up with Suwama to wrestle in the 2006 Real World Tag League, and they got to the final, where they were defeated by Satoshi Kojima
Satoshi Kojima
is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently signed to New Japan Pro Wrestling. As a singles wrestler, he was the first wrestler to hold NJPW's IWGP Heavyweight Championship and All Japan Pro Wrestling's Triple Crown Championship simultaneously...

 and Hiroyoshi Tenzan
Hiroyoshi Tenzan
is a Japanese professional wrestler who currently works for New Japan Pro Wrestling, and is better known by his ring name . With Satoshi Kojima, in 2008, they won the Real World Tag League in All Japan Pro Wrestling and the G1 Climax Tag League in NJPW becoming in the only tag team which has done...

. He continued to compete for AJPW throughout 2007, including in the 2007 January 4 Dome Show
January 4 Dome Show
The January 4 Tokyo Dome Show is a professional wrestling major show, some times broadcast as a Pay-Per-View , held by Japanese Professional wrestling promotion New Japan Pro Wrestling...

 at the Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome is a 55,000-seat baseball stadium located in Bunkyo Ward of Tokyo, Japan.The stadium opened for business on March 17, 1988. It was built on the site of the Velodrome which was next door to the site of the predecessor ballpark, Kōrakuen Stadium...

, where he teamed with Taru
Yoshikazu Taru
Yoshikazu Taru is a Japanese professional wrestler, better known by his ring name TARU. He works for All Japan Pro Wrestling and El Dorado Wrestling.-Professional wrestling career:...

, Suwama
Kohei Suwama
is a Japanese professional wrestler also known simply as . He is best known for his work in All Japan Pro Wrestling as part of the Voodoo Murders stable, where he is a former two-time All Japan Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion....

, and Giant Bernard to defeat Riki Chōshū
Riki Choshu
Mitsuo Yoshida , better known by his stage name Riki Chōshū , is a Korean-Japanese professional wrestler who is most known for his longtime work in New Japan Pro Wrestling as a wrestler and a booker...

, Manabu Nakanishi
Manabu Nakanishi
is a Japanese professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler who competed in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. He currently works for New Japan Pro Wrestling. He is a former IWGP Heavyweight Champion.-Amateur wrestling career:...

, Takashi Iizuka
Takayuki Iizuka
, better known by his stage name , is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently working for New Japan Pro Wrestling.-Early years :Takayuki Iizuka made his debut for New Japan Pro Wrestling in November 1986, wrestling against Akira Nogami. In June 1989, Iizuka and Hiroshi Hase went to the Soviet...

, and Naofumi Yamamoto
Naofumi Yamamoto
is a Japanese professional wrestler and former boxer, who is currently signed to WWE, performing on its SmackDown brand under the ring name Yoshi Tatsu.-New Japan Pro Wrestling :...

. Anoa'i participated in the AJPW 2007 Champion's Carnival
Champion's Carnival
The Champion's Carnival is an annual professional wrestling tournament held by All Japan Pro Wrestling, established in 1973. Originally a single-elimination tournament, the Champion's Carnival is currently held as a round-robin, with a victory worth 2 points, a time limit draw worth 1 and a loss,...

 tournament as a member of Block B, but he finished with two points in the series, coming last in Block B. During 2006 and 2007, he also competed for a number of independent
Independent circuit
In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...

 promotions
Professional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...

, including Great Championship Wrestling, BAW Championship Wrestling, and the Appalachian Wrestling Federation.

Along with his cousin, Samula, Anoa'i inducted The Wild Samoans
Wild Samoans
The Wild Samoans was the professional wrestling tag team of Afa and Sika in Mid-South Wrestling, the National Wrestling Alliance and the World Wrestling Federation . The Samoans held 21 tag team championships around the world.-Gimmick:...

 into the WWE Hall of Fame
WWE Hall of Fame
The WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for professional wrestlers maintained by WWE. It was officially created on the February 1, 1993 episode of the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw television program...

 the night before WrestleMania 23
WrestleMania 23
WrestleMania 23 was the twenty-third annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on April 1, 2007 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan...

. He wrestled a dark match for WWE on August 20, 2007, before an episode of Raw. After being billed under his real name, he was defeated by Johnny Jeter
Johnny Jeter
John "Johnny" Jeter is an American professional wrestler best known for his appearances in World Wrestling Entertainment as Spirit Squad member Johnny on the Raw brand in 2006....

. The match went well, so management decided to bring him back for the August 21, 2007, SmackDown! taping, where he was defeated again by Jeter. Anoa'i began wrestling in Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. OVW is run by owner Danny Davis and was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance from 1997 until 2000...

 (OVW) in September 2007, WWE's developmental territory, although he was not under contract with WWE. He wrestled several tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...

 matches with Afa, Jr.
Afa Anoa'i, Jr.
Afa Anoa'i, Jr. is an American professional wrestler of Samoan descent. He is best known for his work in World Wrestling Entertainment, where he competed on its Raw brand under the ring name Manu.-World Xtreme Wrestling:...

, as the Sons of Samoa, before leaving the promotion. He returned to wrestling on the independent circuit, competing for companies including EWF, where he competes regularly.

On Saturday, October 31, 2009 Anoa'i (wrestling as Rosie - Super Hero In Training) made his debut for the Dynamic Wrestling Alliance defeating "Sexy" Sean Casey at the DWA's Monster Ball Halloween event in Cincinnati, OH which became the promotion's first televised event.
Anoa'i recently did an interview with Wrestling Weekly and said he might possibly return to the WWE.

Other media

Anoa'i was a contestant in the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...

 reality series, Fat March
Fat March
Fat March is an American reality television series on the ABC network, based on the U.K. Channel Four series Too Big To Walk. It premiered on August 6, 2007 and ended on September 10, 2007.The show had received mixed reactions from fitness experts....

in 2007. The show saw 12 overweight people attempt to walk over 570 miles (917.3 km) through nine states, in order to lose weight and get fit, while competing for a prize pool of US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

1.2 million. A press release for the show stated that Anoa'i was participating because "it wasn't safe for him to compete" as a professional wrestler, and he needed to "lose weight to return to his career". Due to knee injuries, he quit during the fifth episode.

Personal life

Anoa'i is married to Mandy (née Vandeberg) from Mason, Ohio
Mason, Ohio
Mason is an affluent city in southwestern Warren County, Ohio, United States, 22 miles away from Cincinnati . As of the 2010 census, Mason's population was 30,712. Mason has experienced fast growth, with its historic Main Street remaining at the center of the community...

. They have a son, Jordan Anoa'i (born 1998), and a daughter, Madison Anoa'i (born December 2003).

He is the son of former professional wrestler Sika Anoa'i
Sika Anoa'i
Leati "Sika" Anoa'i is a former professional wrestler and a member of the Anoa'i family.-Career:Sika teamed with his brother Afa to form the tag team the Wild Samoans. They teamed in various promotions including WWF and Mid-South. In 1979, they signed with the World Wrestling Federation...

, who competed as one half of the Wild Samoans. His brother, Joe Anoa'i
Joe Anoa'i
Leati Joseph "Joe" Anoa'i is a professional wrestler and former Canadian football defensive tackle. He is signed to WWE and wrestles in its developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling under the ring name Leakee....

, was the starting defensive tackle for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in collegiate level football. While the team is officially designated as the Yellow Jackets, it is also referred to as the Ramblin' Wreck. The Yellow Jackets are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference...

 team. Anoa'i inducted the Wild Samoans (his father Sika and his uncle Afa) into the WWE Hall of Fame
WWE Hall of Fame
The WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for professional wrestlers maintained by WWE. It was officially created on the February 1, 1993 episode of the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw television program...

 in 2007. He is a cousin of wrestler and movie star, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Other cousins also include Rikishi
Solofa Fatu
Solofa F. Fatu, Jr. is an American professional wrestler, best known under the ring name Rikishi.-The Samoan Swat Team:...

, Tonga Kid
Sam Fatu
Samuel Larry Anoa'i Fatu is a professional wrestler best known under the name of The Tonga Kid, or Tama.-Professional wrestling career:...

, and Yokozuna
Rodney Anoa'i
Rodney Agatupu Anoa'i was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his time with the World Wrestling Federation where he wrestled under the ring name Yokozuna. The term yokozuna refers to the highest rank in professional sumo wrestling in Japan...

. Another of his cousins, Eddie Fatu
Eddie Fatu
Edward Smith "Eki" Fatu was a Samoan-American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Umaga...

 (best known as Jamal or Umaga), died on December 4, 2009 due to a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...

.

In wrestling

  • Finishing moves
    • Running discus leg drop
    • Sitout swinging side slam

  • Signature moves
    • Samoan drop

  • Managers
    Manager (professional wrestling)
    In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...

    • Rico
      Rico Constantino
      Americo Sebastiano Costantino is a retired American professional wrestler and wrestling manager of Italian origin. He is best known by his ring names Rico Costantino and Rico in World Wrestling Entertainment from 2001 to 2004...

    • Haku
    • Super Stacy
      Stacy Keibler
      Stacy Keibler is an American actress, model, and former professional wrestler and valet, best known for her work with World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment ....


  • Nickname
    Nickname
    A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....

    s
    • "The S.H.I.T." (Super Hero in Training)

  • Entrance themes
    Music in professional wrestling
    Music in professional wrestling serves a variety of purposes. The most common uses of music in professional wrestling is that of the entrance theme, a song or piece of instrumental music which plays as a performer approaches the ring...

    • "Eye of the Hurricane" by Jim Johnston
      Jim Johnston (composer)
      James Alan "Jim" Johnston is an American music composer who has been working for WWE since 1985. His work is often accredited to the names Jim Johnston, James A...

       (WWE) (Used While teaming with The Hurricane) (2003-2005)
    • "3 Minutes
      3 Minutes
      3 Minutes is an action-oriented short film that was released on January 10, 2011. Production on the film commenced in 2010, with director Ross Ching at the helm, alongside producers Don Le and George Wang. The film stars Harry Shum, Jr., Stephen "tWitch" Boss, Katrina Law, and Thaine Allison Jr...

      " by 2 Skinnee J's
      2 Skinnee J's
      2 Skinnee J's is the name of a musical band characterized as nerdcore hip hop. The band was founded in 1991 by Special J , Rabbi J-Slim , Joey Viturbo , Sammy B , DJ Casper , and Andy Action . With numerous line-up changes, the band was active through the 1990s until 2003, when they officially...

       (WWE; 2002-2003;Used while a Part of 3-Minute Warning)

Championships and accomplishments

  • Empire Wrestling Federation
    • EWF Tag Team Championship (1 Time) - with Charles Jackson

  • Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling / World Entertainment Wrestling
    Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling
    Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling was a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded on July 28, 1989 by Atsushi Onita that specialized in hardcore wrestling involving weapons such as barbed wire and fire. They held their first show on October 6, 1989...

    • FMW/WEW Hardcore Tag Team Championship
      FMW/WEW Hardcore Tag Team Championship
      The FMW/WEW Hardcore Tag Team Championship was a tag team hardcore wrestling championship contested in Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling from April 2000 until FMW closed in February 2002...

       (1 time) – with Eddie Fatu
      Eddie Fatu
      Edward Smith "Eki" Fatu was a Samoan-American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Umaga...


  • International World Class Championship Wrestling
    International World Class Championship Wrestling
    International World Class Championship Wrestling was an independent professional wrestling promotion based in Boston, Massachusetts. It was promoted by Angelo Savoldi and his sons Mario, Tom, and Joseph Savoldi....

    • IWCCW Tag Team Championship
      IWCCW Tag Team Championship
      The ICW / IWCCW Tag-Team Championship was the top tag-team championship of International World Class Championship Wrestling between 1984 and 1995 where IWCCW closed down operations...

       (1 Time, Last
      IWCCW Tag Team Championship
      The ICW / IWCCW Tag-Team Championship was the top tag-team championship of International World Class Championship Wrestling between 1984 and 1995 where IWCCW closed down operations...

      ) - with Sammy The Silk

  • Heartland Wrestling Association
    Heartland Wrestling Association
    The Heartland Wrestling Association is a Midwestern independent professional wrestling promotion based in Cincinnati, Ohio. A former developmental territory for both World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation during the 1990s, it was listed as one of the top independent...

    • HWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ekmo

  • Memphis Championship Wrestling
    Memphis Championship Wrestling
    Memphis Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion run by Terry Golden, based in Memphis, Tennessee. The promotion's first event was on February 20, 2000, and it remained active up until mid-2001...

    • MCW Southern Tag Team Championship
      MCW Southern Tag Team Championship
      The MCW Southern Tag Team Championship was the tag team title in Memphis Championship Wrestling from 2000 until the promotion closed in 2002.-Title history:...

       (3 times) – with Ekmo

  • Pro Wrestling Illustrated
    Pro Wrestling Illustrated
    Pro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...

    • PWI ranked him #345 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2010

  • World Wrestling Council
    World Wrestling Council
    The World Wrestling Council is one of Puerto Rico's two main professional wrestling promotions, the other one being the International Wrestling Association....

    • WWC World Tag Team Championship
      WWC World Tag Team Championship
      The WWC World Tag Team Championship is the tag team title contested for in the Puerto Rican professional wrestling promotion, the World Wrestling Council.-Title history:-External links:***...

       (1 time) – with Tahiti
      Lloyd Anoa'i
      Lloyd Anoa'i is a Samoan American professional wrestler and professional wrestling manager who has performed under numerous ring names. He is one of the three sons of professional wrestling patriarch Afa Anoa'i, and a member of the Anoa'i family.-Career:...


  • World Wrestling Entertainment
    • World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with The Hurricane
      Gregory Helms
      Gregory Shane Helms is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment where he wrestled as The Hurricane and Gregory Helms. He is also known for his time with World Championship Wrestling where he wrestled as "Sugar" Shane Helms...


  • World Xtreme Wrestling
    World Xtreme Wrestling
    World Xtreme Wrestling is a Northeastern-based independent professional wrestling promotion which has held events across the United States and have toured in Japan, the Middle East and South Pacific region including American Samoa and Guam....

    • WXW Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with L.A. Smooth
      Lloyd Anoa'i
      Lloyd Anoa'i is a Samoan American professional wrestler and professional wrestling manager who has performed under numerous ring names. He is one of the three sons of professional wrestling patriarch Afa Anoa'i, and a member of the Anoa'i family.-Career:...


  • Wrestling Observer Newsletter
    • Worst Tag Team (2002) with Eddie Fatu

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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