Afa Anoa'i Jr. (born October 6, 1984) is an American

professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...

. He is best known for his appearances with the

professional wrestling promotion A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling that has little relationship to the rules of the amateur olympic form. "Promotion" also describes a role which entails man ...

WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...

in the late 2000s under the

ring name A ring name is a type of stage name used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons, or projecting ...

Manu.

Early life and education

Anoa'i attended Freedom High School in

Bethlehem Township, Pennsylvania Bethlehem Township is a township in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population of Bethlehem Township was 23,730 at the 2010 census. It is a suburb of Bethlehem and is part of the Lehigh Valley metropolitan statistical area, ...

, where he competed in the

Eastern Pennsylvania Conference The Eastern Pennsylvania Conference (known informally as EPC, EPC18 and East Penn Conference) is an athletic conference consisting of 18 large high schools from Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton, and Pike counties in the Lehigh Valley and Pocono M ...

, known for producing top athletic talent in

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

, and other sports. Anoai's high school football coach Jim Morgans described him as "the best

defensive lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numbe ...

I've coached." As a senior, Anoa'i was named one of the 100 best football players in the United States by analyst Tom Lemming. Following graduation from Freedom High School, Anoa'i attended Fork Union Military Academy as a postgraduate to study and play football. In 2003, he played in the All-American Bowl. Upon graduating, Anoa'i played football at the

University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from Hart ...

for a year. He began training as a

under his father, Afa, and brothers, Lloyd (L.A. Smooth), and Samu. He made his debut on August 28, 1998, at the age of 13, winning a battle royal in

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

Professional wrestling career

World Xtreme Wrestling (1998–2006)

In 1998, Anoa'i joined the family promotion

World Xtreme Wrestling World Xtreme Wrestling (WXW) is a Florida-based independent circuit, independent professional wrestling promotion which has held events across the United States and toured in Japan, the Middle East and South Pacific region including American Sa ...

, where he formed a

stable A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals and livestock. There are many different types of stables in use today; the ...

with his brothers, Samu and

Lloyd Anoa'i Lloyd Anoa'i (born May 7, 1971) is an American professional wrestler and professional wrestling manager. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) under the ring names Tahitian Savage, Fred Williams, and Lloyd ...

, known as Sons of Samoa. Anoa'i went on to win numerous

championships In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this system ...

World Wrestling Entertainment

Development territories (2006–2007)

In October 2006, Anoa'i received a try-out with

World Wrestling Entertainment World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...

(WWE), held at the

Deep South Wrestling Deep South Wrestling (DSW) is a professional wrestling promotion in the state of Georgia. Deep South worked in tandem with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as a developmental territory from September 1, 2005, until April 18, 2007. Deep South w ...

development territory. Later that month, Anoa'i officially signed with WWE, going under his father's ring name, "Afa". He went on to wrestle for Deep South Wrestling. He initially was introduced as part of the stable Urban Assault, organized by Sonny Siaki,

Eric Pérez Eric Alexander Pérez (born December 18, 1979) is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler who currently performs under the ring name "Escobar". In 2005, Pérez signed a developmental contract with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), where he worke ...

, and Tyrus. They later lost to the Shane Twins, ater which Afa replaced him. Urban Assault dissolved after Afa and Siaki abandoned Perez during a match against Doc Gallows and Tyrus. Siaki and Afa reorganized as The Samoan Fight Club. Anoa'i then wrestled for WWE's new developmental territory,

Florida Championship Wrestling Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) was a professional wrestling promotion based on the former National Wrestling Alliance member promotion, Championship Wrestling from Florida, which operated from 1961 until 1987. From October 2007 to August ...

(FCW), where he continued teaming with Siaki under their Samoan Fight Club name. In 2007, however, their team was disbanded when Siaki was released from his contract following family issues. In October 2007, Afa Jr. defeated

Davey Boy Smith Jr. Harry Francis Smith (born August 2, 1985) is a Canadian professional wrestler, best known under the ring name Davey Boy Smith Jr. and his real name Harry Smith. He currently performs for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), where he was one ...

by countout in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

to become the new FCW Heavyweight Champion. In September, Afa Jr. began to work matches in ''

Ohio Valley Wrestling Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) is an American professional wrestling promotion and former developmental promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. The company is currently run by Al Snow and Matt Jones and Louisville mayor elect, Craig Greenberg. O ...

'', forming a tag team with fellow Samoan family member Matt Anoa'i. Their team was dubbed Sons of Samoa, which also was a stable that Afa Jr. formed when he was wrestling in

Main roster (2007–2009)

On November 19, 2007, Anoa'i made his debut on

under the name Mai Tai Anoa'i in a losing effort against Jim Duggan at ''

WWE Heat ''WWE Heat'' (formerly known as ''Sunday Night Heat'' and also known as ''Heat'') is an American professional wrestling television program that was produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and aired from August 2, 1998 to May 30, 2008. Ori ...

''. Anoa'i was later suspended by WWE for 30 days, on March 20, 2008, for violating WWE's Wellness Policy. At Unforgiven in

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

, Anoa'i made his debut on the full-time roster under the name "Manu". He aligned himself with Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase, attacking Cryme Tyme after their World Tag Team Championship match. Later that night, the three helped

Randy Orton Randal Keith Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor who is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw brand but is currently out of action due to a back injury. H ...

attack the

World Heavyweight Champion At boxing's beginning, the heavyweight division had no weight limit, and historically the weight class has gone with vague or no definition. During the 19th century many heavyweights were 170 pounds (12 st 2 lb, 77 kg) or less, tho ...

CM Punk Phillip Jack Brooks (born October 26, 1978), better known by the ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler, sports commentator, actor, and retired mixed martial artist currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Best known for ...

and Kofi Kingston. On the September 8, 2008 edition of ''

WWE Raw ''WWE Raw'', also known as ''Monday Night Raw'' or simply ''Raw'', is an American professional wrestling television show, television program produced by WWE that currently airs live every Monday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time Zone, ET on the USA Networ ...

'', Manu, Rhodes, and DiBiase defeated Cryme Tyme and Kofi Kingston in a six-man tag team match. On the November 17 episode of ''Raw'', Anoa'i made his singles debut in a losing effort against Dave Bautista. Rhodes, DiBiase, and Manu entered a storyline with Randy Orton in which Orton was constantly criticizing and insulting them, and attacked DiBiase on the November 3 episode of ''Raw''. Manu and Rhodes accepted Orton's offer for an alliance in the following weeks, and the trio dubbed themselves

The Legacy The Legacy may refer to: * '' Le Legs'' or ''The Legacy'', a play by Pierre de Marivaux * The Legacy (professional wrestling), a former professional wrestling faction in World Wrestling Entertainment * ''The Legacy'' (album), an album by Testament ...

. After Orton tired of The Legacy losing matches, he scheduled a test for each member on the December 29 episode of ''Raw''. Manu failed to pass his test after losing to ECW Champion Matt Hardy and being kicked out as his former companions Rhodes and Sim Snuka turned their backs on him. Later, Snuka also got kicked out of the group, and the two quickly reunited. They planned to obtain revenge against Orton and Rhodes on the January 12, 2009 episode of ''Raw'' with the aid of returning Ted DiBiase. DiBiase betrayed them, however, and joined The Legacy with Orton and Rhodes. Anoa'i was released from his WWE contract on February 23, 2009.

Independent circuit (2009–present)

On April 18, 2009, two months after being released by

, Anoa'i returned to the

independent circuit In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indie circuit is the collective noun, collective name of independent professional wrestling promotions which are smaller than major televised promotions. It is roughly analogous to a minor lea ...

at a

(WXW) show. He reformed the Sons of Samoa tag team with Samu, and the pair competed as a tag team throughout the rest of 2009. In 2010, Anoaʻi competed for the Belgian Catch Wrestling Federation and NWA Dawg Pound. On February 9, 2013, Afa Jr. and L. A. Smooth, as The Sons of Samoa, won the WWC World Tag Team Championship. They lost their titles at Camino a la Gloria on March 30, 2013. However, they won them back on June 29, 2013 at Summer Madness. They lost the title at WWC 40 Aniversario to Chicano and Abbad. They regained them again on November 16, 2013 at Crossfire. However, they lost the title at Euphoria Day 2 against Xix Xavant and Chicano. At the Regional Championship Wrestling event Rumblemania 9 in

Reading, Pennsylvania Reading ( ; Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Reddin'') is a city in and the county seat of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city had a population of 95,112 as of the 2020 census and is the fourth-largest city in Pennsylvania after Philade ...

on March 15, 2014, Manu and RC beat Rob Noxious in a respect match. This was a hardcore match that ended up going all over the building; after the match, Manu shook hands with Noxious and beat up RC, his manager. Since 2014, Afa has been attached to Pennsylvania Premiere Wrestling (PPW) in

Hazleton, Pennsylvania Hazleton is a city in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 29,963 at the 2020 census. Hazleton is the second largest city in Luzerne County. It was incorporated as a borough on January 5, 1857, and as a city on Decembe ...

, capturing the promotions Heavyweight Championship and its No Limits Championship. Afa captured the PPW Title from his nephew Lance Anoa'i and retained the title against contenders, including Dan Maff and Samoa Joe. Afa defeated Al Snow at the December PPW Event to retain the PPW No Limits Title. In July 2017, he appeared on an NWA card in

Morgan City, Louisiana Morgan City is a small city in St. Mary and lower St. Martin parishes in the U.S. State of Louisiana. The population was 12,404 at the 2010 census. Known for being “right in the middle of everywhere”, Morgan City is located 68 miles (109&nb ...

, where he was defeated by NWA North American heavyweight champion Mustang Mike.

Personal life

Anoa'i is a member of the

Anoa'i family The Anoaʻi family ( ) is a family of professional wrestlers originating from American Samoa. Family members have comprised several tag teams and stables within a variety of promotions. Famous members of the family include Rosey, WWE Hall of Fam ...

, a Samoan family of wrestlers. He is the son of Afa Anoa'i and the younger brother of Samu and L.A. Smooth. He is related to Roman Reigns, The Rock, The Usos, Yokozuna, Umaga, Rikishi, and others. He has Samoan tattoos on his arms.

Armed robbery

In August 2003, Anoa'i was implicated as the

getaway driver A crime scene getaway is the act of :wikt:flee, fleeing the location where one has broken the law. It is an act that the offender(s) may or may not have planned in detail, resulting in a variety of outcomes. A :crime scene is the "location of ...

of a duo who committed an armed robbery in

, stealing money and jewellery worth over $150,000 and stabbing an elderly female resident. Anoa'i pleaded

no contest ' is a legal term that comes from the Latin phrase for "I do not wish to contend". It is also referred to as a plea of no contest or no defense. In criminal Trial (law), trials in certain United States jurisdictions, it is a plea where the def ...

to the charge of

receipt of stolen property Possession of stolen goods is a crime in which an individual has bought, been given, or acquired stolen goods. In many jurisdictions, if an individual has accepted possession of goods (or property) and knew they were stolen, then the individua ...

and was sentenced to two years probation.

Championships and accomplishments

*Belgian Wrestling School **BWS Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *Defiant Pro Wrestling **DPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *

FCW Southern Heavyweight Championship The FCW Southern Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling heavyweight championship owned and promoted by Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW, now known as NXT Wrestling), the developmental territory of WWE. It was contested for in the ...

( 1 time) *Independent Superstars of Professional Wrestling **ISPW Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *

Jersey Championship Wrestling Game Changer Wrestling (GCW), formerly known as Jersey Championship Wrestling (JCW), is an American Independent circuit, independent professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion based in New Jersey. The promotion was origina ...

**JCW Television Championship (1 time) *Pennsylvania Premiere Wrestling **PPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) **PPW No Limits Championship (1 time) *Primal Conflict Wrestling **PCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Nui Tofiga * Pro Wrestling Illustrated **PWI ranked him #368 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2008 *Regional Championship Wrestling **RCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Rob Noxious * World Wrestling Council ** WWC World Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with

L.A. Smooth Lloyd Anoa'i (born May 7, 1971) is an American professional wrestler and professional wrestling manager. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) under the ring names Tahitian Savage, Fred Williams, and Lloyd ...

World Wrestling Professionals Champions Pro Wrestling (formerly World Wrestling Professionals) is a South African professional wrestling promotion created in 2002. The promotion was televised in South Africa from 2004 to 2009 and internationally in 2009. CPW is owned by Mar ...

WWP World Tag Team Championship The WWP World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling championship in the South African professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Professionals, contested among tag teams of any weight. It was created in April 2004 when WWP debu ...

(1 time) – with

WXW Cruiserweight Championship This is a chronological list of WXW Cruiserweight Champions. The WXW Cruiserweight Championship is a professional wrestling title created in 1996 as part of Top Rope Productions and World Xtreme Wrestling when the promotion was renamed in 1998. ...

(

2 times "2 Times" is a song co-written and recorded by British Italian-based singer Ann Lee. It was released in 1999 as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999). The single entered and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. Outside ...

) **

WXW Hardcore Championship This is a chronological list of WXW Hardcore Champions. The WXW Hardcore Championship is a professional wrestling Championship (professional wrestling), title created in 1996 as part of Top Rope Productions and World Xtreme Wrestling when the promot ...

( 3 times) **

WXW Heavyweight Championship The WXW Heavyweight Championship is the top professional wrestling title in the World Xtreme Wrestling promotion. It was created in 1996 as the WSWF Heavyweight Championship under WXW's original name, the World Star Wrestling Federation. The prom ...

( 1 time) ** WXW Tag Team Championship ( 3 times) – with Lucifer Grim (1), L.A. Smooth (1) and Sean Maluta (1) ** WXW Television Championship ( 1 time) ** WXW Ultimate Heavyweight Championship (

) **Wild Samoan Tag Team Tournament (2017) – with Sean Maluta

Notes

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Anoai, Afa Jr. 1984 births American male professional wrestlers American professional wrestlers of Samoan descent Anoa'i family UConn Huskies football players Freedom High School (Pennsylvania) alumni Living people Players of American football from Pennsylvania Professional wrestlers from Pennsylvania Sportspeople from Allentown, Pennsylvania 21st-century professional wrestlers FCW Southern Heavyweight Champions