Afa Anoa'i

Afa in 1986
Personal information
Born	Afa Amituanaʻi Anoaʻi[3] (1943-11-21)November 21, 1943 Leone,Tutuila,American Samoa
Died	August 16, 2024(2024-08-16) (aged 80) Pensacola,Florida, U.S.
Spouse	Lynn Maluta ​ (m. 1960)​
Children	7 includingAfa Jr,Lloyd, andSamuel
Family	Anoaʻi
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Afa Wild Samoan #1
Billed height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)[1]
Billed weight	326 lb (148 kg)[1]
Billed from	"The Isle of Samoa"[2]
Trained by	Kurt von Steiger[1] Peter Maivia[1] Rocky Johnson[1]
Debut	1971[1]
Retired	1995[1]

Afa Amituanaʻi Anoaʻi (November 21, 1943 – August 16, 2024) was aSamoan-Americanprofessional wrestler andprofessional wrestling manager. He is best known for performing with his brotherSika asThe Wild Samoans. He operated theWorld Xtreme Wrestlingpromotion after he retired from pro wrestling in 1995, and trained wrestlers at the Wild Samoan Training Center inMinneola, Florida.

Anoaʻi was born inLeone, American Samoa, on November 21, 1943, to Reverend Amituana'i Anoa'i and Tovaleomanaia Ripley-Anoa'i.^[4] When he was young, his family relocated toSan Francisco, California, in the United States, where his father established the FirstCongregational Christian Church of American Samoa.^[4] At the age of 17, Anoaʻi enlisted in theU.S. Marine Corps.^[5][6]

Upon leaving the Marine Corps, Anoaʻi began training as a wrestler under his unclePeter Maivia and cousin-in-lawRocky Johnson.^[7] He later received supplementary training fromKurt Von Steiger. He wrestled his first match in 1971 inPhoenix, Arizona.^[8] He then trained his brotherSika, and the siblings formed atag team known best asThe Wild Samoans.^[7]

Throughout the 1970s, The Wild Samoans wrestled for the CanadianStampede Wrestling promotion (where they received further training fromStu Hart) and for numerousNational Wrestling Alliance affiliates. In 1978, The Wild Samoans traveled to Japan to wrestle forInternational Wrestling Enterprise, winning theIWA World Tag Team Championship.^[9]

In 1979, The Wild Samoans joined theWorld Wrestling Federation, where they weremanaged byLou Albano and referred to as "Albano's Wildmen". The "wild" nature of the brothers was conveyed through their unorthodox behavior (which included communicating only in unintelligible grunts and consuming unpreparedrawfish, duringinterviews and while approaching thewrestling ring). While in the WWF, The Wild Samoans won theWWF World Tag Team Championship. Both members also challengedBob Backlund for theWWF Heavyweight Championship on several occasions. They left the promotion in 1980.^[7][9]

The Wild Samoans then wrestled inMid-South Wrestling andJim Crockett Promotions, before returning to the WWF in 1982 and regaining the WWF World Tag Team Championship in 1983. After Sika suffered an injury, the tag team was supplemented by Afa's sonSamu (the relationship was not acknowledged on TV). The trio remained in the WWF until 1984.^[9] According to Afa, he lost his job because he missed work to attend the birth of hisson.^[10]

Anoaʻi returned to the WWF for a third time in 1992, as the manager and occasional tag partner ofThe Headshrinkers (Samu and Anoai's nephew,Fatu). He wrestled his final match on May 22, 1994, teaming with The Headshrinkers to defeatThe Quebecers andJohnny Polo at theRosemont Horizon.^[11] Anoaʻi left the WWF in mid-1995.^[12]

After leaving the WWF, he began training wrestlers at his Wild Samoan Training Facility, along with Sika.^[7] In 1997, both men reunited for one night teaming at IWA Night Of The Legends.^[8]

On March 31, 2007, the Wild Samoans were inducted into theWWE Hall of Fame by Samu and Sika's son,Matt.^[7] He was the wrestling trainer forDarren Aronofsky's 2008 film,The Wrestler.^[13]

In 2013 and 2014, Afa came out of retirement to wrestle for his promotionWorld Xtreme Wrestling at age 71.^[8]

The Wild Samoans appeared atHell in a Cell in 2020 to celebrateRoman Reigns's victory.^[14]

In 1999, Afa and his wife Lynn started the Usos Foundation, a non-profit organization aiming to turn youth away from drugs, gangs, and poverty by providing scholarships to the Wild Samoans Training Center.^[15]

Anoa'i was married to Lynn Maluta.^[4][16] His sonsAfa Jr,Lloyd, andSamuel were professional wrestlers.^[17] Anoa'i held thematai title of Gataivasā.^[18]

On August 16, 2024,Samu Anoa'i announced Afa had died of a heart attack at the age of 80, less than two months after Sika's death. Sika was Afa's real life brother and tag team partner.^[19]

• Big Time Wrestling
  • NWA World Tag Team Championship(Detroit version) (2 times) – with Sika^[20]
• Continental Wrestling Association
  • AWA Southern Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Sika^[21][22]
• Georgia Championship Wrestling
  • NWA National Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Sika^[23]
• Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling
  • NWA Gulf Coast Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Sika^[24]
• International Wrestling Enterprise
  • IWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Sika^[25]
• Mid-South Wrestling Association
  • Mid-South Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Sika^[26]
• NWA All-Star Wrestling
  • NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship(Vancouver version) (1 time) – with Sika^[27]
• NWA Mid-America
  • NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Mid-America version) (1 time) – with Sika^[28][29]
• Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
  • Class of 2012 – Inducted as a member of theWild Samoans^[30]
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked him #346 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003^[31]
  • PWI ranked him #93 of the 100 best tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Sika in 2003^[32]
• Southeastern Championship Wrestling
  • NWA Southern Tag Team Championship(Southern Division) (2 times) – with Sika^[33]
• Stampede Wrestling
  • Stampede Wrestling International Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Sika^[34]
• World Wrestling Entertainment /World Wrestling Federation
  • WWF Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Sika^[35]
  • WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2007)^[18]
• The Official Wrestling Museum
  • The Official Wrestling Museum Hall Of Fame (2025)

• Body Slam (1987)^[36]
• Miami Vice (1987) in the episode "By Hooker by Crook" as "Henchman #2"^[37]
• Mr. Nanny (1993)^[38]

• Anoaʻi family

• Official website
• Afa Anoaʻi atIMDb
• Afa Anoaʻi's profile atWWE,Cagematch

• 1942 births
• 2024 deaths
• 20th-century male professional wrestlers
• 20th-century United States Marines
• 20th-century American male actors
• 20th-century American sportsmen
• 20th-century Samoan people
• American male film actors
• American male professional wrestlers
• American people of Samoan descent
• Sportspeople of Samoan descent
• Anoaʻi family
• Military personnel from Lake County, Florida
• Military personnel from San Francisco
• NWA National Tag Team Champions
• NWA World Tag Team Champions (Detroit version)
• Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
• Professional wrestling managers and valets
• Professional wrestling promoters
• Professional wrestling trainers
• Samoan emigrants to the United States
• Samoan male film actors
• Samoan professional wrestlers
• Stampede Wrestling alumni
• Stampede Wrestling International Tag Team Champions
• World Tag Team Champions (WWE, 1971–2010)
• WWE Hall of Fame inductees
• WWC World Tag Team Champions

• CS1 German-language sources (de)
• CS1: unfit URL
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use American English from June 2025
• All Wikipedia articles written in American English
• Use mdy dates from June 2025
• Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia