Sam Fatu

Professional wrestling career

World Wrestling Federation (1983–1988)

Fatu debuted as a professional wrestler in 1983, He left the WWF in January 1985 and went to work in other territories.

In August 1986, he returned and teamed with Tonga Fifita, who was wrestling under the name King Tonga.

Fatu defeated Vic Grimes in a hardcore match put on by All Pro Wrestling on September 9, 2000 as part of a Samoan Pride Festival at Crockett Hills Regional Park

In 2005 and 2006, he wrestled in Italy with the Nu Wrestling Evolution promotion. Fatu competed on the independent circuit until retiring in 2011.

He returned in 2018 working in the independents and Empire Wrestling Federation in California until 2019.

Other media Fatu appeared as "The Tonga Kid" in the opening scene of the 1986 film Highlander, where he was involved in a six-man tag team match with Greg Gagne and Jim Brunzell against The Fabulous Freebirds at the Meadowlands Arena. He also starred as "Tonga Tom" in the 1987 wrestling film Body Slam, along with Dirk Benedict and Roddy Piper.

Fatu was featured in an April 2020 documentary for Vice's Dark Side of the Ring series, revealing new information on the May 1983 homicide of Nancy Argentino.

Personal life

Fatu was born to Matagaono Solofa I'aulualo and Elevera Anoaʻi Fatu. He is a member of the famous Anoaʻi family and is the nephew of Sika Anoaʻi and Afa Anoaʻi, known as the Wild Samoans. He is the twin brother of Solofa Fatu Jr. (Headshrinker Fatu/Rikishi), and the older brother of the Eddie Fatu (Umaga/Jamal), who died of a heart attack on December 4, 2009. Fatu is married to Theresa Fuavai-Fatu. This type of incident is very rare, with one of the cardiac surgeons who was working on Theresa saying that he had never seen surviving mothers or babies. Texas All-Star Wrestling Texas Six-Man Tag Team Championship - (1 time) with Sika and Kokina Universal Wrestling Association UWA World Trios Championship (1 time) – with Fatu and The Great Kokina World Wrestling Council WWC World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Dan Kroffat World Wrestling Federation Slammy Award (1 time) Bobby "The Brain" Heenan Scholarship Award (1987) with Haku, André the Giant, Hercules, King Kong Bundy, and Harley Race