Sika Anoa’i Obituary, Death: Roman Reigns’ father, A member Of The Wild Samoans, And A WWE Hall Of Famer has died; Sika Anoa’i, known to the world of professional wrestling as Sika, passed away at the age of 79. The news was confirmed by Jahrus Anoa’i on Tuesday.
Anoa’i achieved fame as one half of the legendary tag team The Wild Samoans, alongside his older brother Afa, who also served as his trainer. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, The Wild Samoans wrestled in nearly every prominent wrestling territory, becoming notorious for their wild antics, such as eating raw fish in the ring.
Their debut in the WWF (now WWE) came in 1980, under the management of “Captain” Lou Albano. In April of that year, they captured the WWF Tag Team Championship by defeating Ivan Putski and Tito Santana. They would reclaim the titles in September after losing them in August. Following this, they ventured back to various territories, securing additional championships in Mid-South Wrestling and the National Wrestling Alliance.
The Wild Samoans enjoyed another successful run as WWF Tag Team Champions in 1983, eventually losing the titles to Rocky Johnson and Tony Atlas. Rocky Johnson, the father of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, belonged to another branch of the extensive Anoa’i wrestling family tree.
Anoa’i retired from active competition in 1988 but continued to make sporadic appearances in WWF/WWE. In recognition of their legendary careers, The Wild Samoans were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007.
Beyond his wrestling achievements, Sika was also the father of Roman Reigns, one of WWE’s biggest stars. He made a brief return to WWE in 2020 to play a pivotal role in Reigns’ character development as “The Head of the Table.” Both Sika and Afa appeared at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view that year to ceremoniously acknowledge Reigns as “The Tribal Chief” and continued to be referenced as family “elders” in Reigns’ ongoing storylines.
Sika Anoa’i leaves behind a lasting legacy in the world of professional wrestling, remembered for his contributions to the sport and the impact he had on future generations of wrestlers, including his son, Roman Reigns. His influence will be deeply missed by fans and colleagues alike.
