| Cocoa Samoa | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Birth name | Ulualoaiga Onosai Tuaolo Emelio |
| Born | (1945-03-09)March 9, 1945 Pago Pago, American Samoa[1] |
| Died | January 9, 2007(2007-01-09) (aged 61) Killeen, Texas, United States[1] |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Cocoa Samoa Sabu the Wildman High Chief Onasahi[2] Tami Samoa[2] The Black Ninja Jack Snuka |
| Billed height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) |
| Billed weight | 238 lb (108 kg) |
| Debut | 1976 |
| Retired | 1997 |
Ulualoaiga Onosai Tuaolo Emelio[1] (March 9, 1945 – January 9, 2007) was an American Samoanprofessional wrestler, better known by hisring name,Cocoa Samoa.
He began his training by studyingmartial arts in Japan.[2] His had his first matches in Japanese promotions.[2]
On November 15, 1982, as Sabu the Wildman, Cocoa partnered withJimmy Hart to defeatJerry Lawler in ahandicap match for theAWA Southern Heavyweight Championship. Hart got the pin, but Sabu the Wildman was recognized as champion. He, however, was defeated byTerry Taylor for the title two weeks later.
By the mid-1980s he wrestled in theWorld Wrestling Council andChampionship Wrestling from Florida. By the late 1980s he worked for theNWA Pacific Northwest Wrestling promotion under the name Cocoa Samoa. In the summer of 1986, Samoa traded theNWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship withRip Oliver, holding it one time. He also held theNWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship three times between March 1986 and May 1987, with partnersBrady Boone,Ricky Santana, andMike Miller. Also in Northwest, Samoa had a feud withJimmy Snuka.[2] After 1988, he look a hiatus from wrestling.
In 1994, Samoa returned to wrestling working in Puerto Rico. Later in his career he worked in the independent circuit andAll Pro Wrestling in California until retiring in 1997.
Samoa established a janitorial company to provide jobs to homeless people.[2] He also worked for motorcycle companies, offering publicity by making cross-country rides.[2] He spent time in prison after working as a money collector for a drug dealer.[2] After being released from prison, Samoa became a preacher and visited other inmates to preach about Christianity.[2]
He estimated that he had fathered 11 children by nine different women.[2] At the time of his death, however, he was married to a woman named Esperanza and had five known sons and three daughters.[1] He had 31 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.[1] During his career, he befriended other wrestlers such asHarley Race andAntonio Inoki.[2] He was also close friends withJimmy Snuka, whom he referred to as his brother.[2]
Samoa died on January 9, 2007.[1]