Afa Anoaʻi

Arthur "Afa" Anoa'i, Sr. (November 21, 1942 – August 16, 2024) was a Samoan American professional wrestler and manager. He was best known as one-half of the tag team The Wild Samoans with his brother Sika. He competed in many different National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) affiliates and the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF).

Afa Anoaʻi
Afa (front) with his brother Sika in December 1983
Born	(1942-11-21)November 21, 1942 Samoa
Died	August 16, 2024(2024-08-16) (aged 81) Pennsylvania, U.S.
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Afa Afa the Wild Samoan
Billed height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Billed weight	326 lb (148 kg)
Trained by	Rocky Johnson Peter Maivia Kurt Von Steiger
Debut	1962
Retired	1994

Personal life

He was born in Samoa and he moved with his family to San Francisco, California. Before becoming a professional wrestler, Anoa'i joined the United States Marine Corps at the age of 17.

After retiring, he started the Wild Samoan Training Facility with Sika. In 1999, along with Lynn Anoa'i, Afa started the Usos Foundation, which is a non-profit organization that aims towards turning young people away from drugs, gangs and poverty by giving scholarships to the Wild Samoans Training Center.^[1]

Health and death

On January 11, 2024, Afa was admitted to the hospital for pneumonia and had also suffered two small heart attacks.^[2]

On August 16, 2024, it was announced that Afa had died from a heart attack in Pennsylvania at the age of 81.^[3]

Championships

• World Wrestling Council
  • WWC North American Tag Team Championship (1 time) (with Sika)^[4]
• Championship Wrestling from Florida
  • NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (1 time) (with Sika)
• Continental Wrestling Association
  • AWA Southern Tag Team Championship (1 time) (with Sika)^[5]
• Georgia Championship Wrestling
  • NWA National Tag Team Championship (1 time) (with Sika)^[6]
• Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling
  • NWA Gulf Coast Tag Team Championship (2 times) (with Sika)^[7]
• International Wrestling Alliance
  • IWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) (with Sika)^[8]
• Mid-South Wrestling Association
  • Mid-South Tag Team Championship (3 times) (with Sika)^[9]
• NWA: All-Star Wrestling
  • NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (1 time) (with Sika)^[10]
• NWA Detroit
  • NWA World Tag Team Championship (Detroit version) (2 times) (with Sika)^[11]
• Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
  • Inducted as a member of the Wild Samoans (Class of 2012)^[12]
• Southeastern Championship Wrestling
  • NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (Southern Division) (2 times) (with Sika)^[13]
• Stampede Wrestling
  • Stampede Wrestling International Tag Team Championship (2 times) (with Sika)^[14]
• World Wrestling Entertainment/World Wrestling Federation
  • WWF Tag Team Championship (3 times) (with Sika)^[15][16][17]
  • WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2007)

Acting

Movies

• Body Slam - Himself (1987)
• Mr. Nanny - Himself (1993)

Television

• Miami Vice - Henchman #2 (1987)