Barbarian (wrestler)
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Sione Havea Vailahi (born 6 September 1958) is a Tongan professional wrestler, better known by his
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 ...
, The Barbarian. He is best known for his various stints with
National Wrestling Alliance The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is an American professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion and former professional wrestling governing body operated by its parent company Lightning One, Inc. Founded in 1948, the NWA ...
(NWA), World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and for being a part of tag teams
The Powers of Pain The Powers of Pain are a professional wrestling tag team. History Paul Jones had previously managed The Barbarian (Sione Vailahi) in National Wrestling Alliance's (NWA) territories during 1985–1987, while The Warlord (Terry Szopinski) and jo ...
with The Warlord and
Faces of Fear The Faces of Fear was a professional wrestling tag team of The Barbarian and Meng in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) that existed between 1996 and 1999. The two were first paired together in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) as part of Th ...
with Meng. His first national exposure was in the NWA territory Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP), where Powers of Pain held the World Six-Man Tag Team Championship until they departed the company in 1988 and joined WWF, where they competed in the tag team division until the team was quietly split in 1990. Barbarian then competed as a singles wrestler until departing in 1992 and returning to WCW, where he became one half of the final United States Tag Team Champions with Dick Slater. During this time, Barbarian challenged Ron Simmons for the World Heavyweight Championship at
Halloween Havoc Halloween Havoc is a professional wrestling event currently produced by WWE for the company's developmental brand, NXT. As the name implies, it is a Halloween-themed show held in October. It was originally produced as an annual pay-per-view (PPV ...
. He left WCW in 1993 and returned to the WWF in 1994 as Headshrinker Sione to form
The New Headshrinkers In professional wrestling, the Samoan SWAT Team was a tag team who competed in promotions including World Wrestling Council, World Class Championship Wrestling, and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The team la ...
with Fatu. He left the company in 1995 and made a second return to WCW, where he briefly reunited with The Warlord as The Super Assassins. Barbarian would then join Meng to form Faces of Fear and become a part of
faction Faction or factionalism may refer to: Politics * Political faction, a group of people with a common political purpose * Free and Independent Faction, a Romanian political party * Faction (''Planescape''), a political faction in the game ''Planes ...
s Dungeon of Doom and The First Family.


Early life

Born and raised in Tonga, Sione was one of six teenagers and young men sent by the
King of Tonga This is a list of monarchs of Tonga since 1845, after the Constitution of Tonga established the role of the monarch. The first monarch of Tonga was George Tupou I. 2008 cession of powers Three days before his coronation on 1 August 2008, th ...
to
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to study Sumo wrestling in the mid-1970s. Tonga Fifita was also part of the group. Sione was known in sumo circles as ''Sachinoshima''.


Professional wrestling career


Early career

After migrating to the United States, he trained in professional wrestling under the tutelage of Rolland 'Red' Bastien. In 1980, he made his debut, wrestling Killer Karl Krupp in
Modesto, California Modesto () is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of 218,464 at the 2020 census, it is the 19th largest city in the state of California and forms part of the Sacramento-Stockton- ...
. He wrestled as King Konga in several
National Wrestling Alliance The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is an American professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion and former professional wrestling governing body operated by its parent company Lightning One, Inc. Founded in 1948, the NWA ...
(NWA) regional territories in 1981. He soon went to the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions, where he teamed up with Ron Garvin as a fan favorite. He had a short term in World Class Championship Wrestling as a villain named Tonga John.


Jim Crockett Promotions


Paul Jones' Army (1984–1986)

Seeing the monster villain potential in a huge, intimidating man with surprising agility, now back in Crockett's territory
Jim Crockett, Jr. James Allen Crockett Jr. (August 10, 1944 – March 3, 2021) was an American professional wrestling promoter. From 1973 to 1989, he was part owner of Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP), a wrestling company affiliated with the National Wrestling Allian ...
changed Vailahi into Konga the Barbarian. He debuted in JCP on 29 December 1984 episode of '' WorldWide'' after a match between Assassin #1 and Kareem Mohammad as a member of Paul Jones' Army. He defeated
Sam Houston Samuel Houston (, ; March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American general and statesman who played an important role in the Texas Revolution. He served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas and was one of the first two i ...
in his first match later in the night. Vailahi was brought into the company to aid Jones in his rivalry with Jimmy Valiant. He was paired with Superstar Billy Graham under the management of Jones. At the inaugural The Great American Bash, Barbarian teamed with Graham and Abdullah the Butcher in a loss to Sam Houston, Manny Fernandez and
Buzz Tyler Buzz Tyler (November 4, 1948 – November 11, 2021) was an American professional wrestler who competed in North American regional promotions during the 1970s and 1980s including the National Wrestling Alliance, most notably teaming with J. J. Dill ...
in a
six-man tag team match Much like the singles match, tag team professional wrestling matches can and have taken many forms. Just about any singles or melee match type can be adapted to tag teams; for example, hardcore tag team matches are commonplace. Tag team ladder m ...
. Following the event, Barbarian occasionally teamed with Abdullah and turned on Graham by the end of the year. Barbarian lost to Graham in an arm wrestling contest and then in a singles match at Starrcade. At the ''NWA/AWA Star Wars'', Vailahi lost to
Capitol Sports Promotions The World Wrestling Council (WWC) (Spanish: "Consejo Mundial de Lucha"), is a Puerto-Rican professional wrestling promotion based in Puerto Rico. It was originally established as Capitol Sports Promotions in 1973 by Carlos Colón Sr., Victor J ...
star
Carlos Colón Carlos Edwin Colón González Sr. (born July 18, 1948) is a Puerto Rican wrestling promoter and former professional wrestler, better known as Carlitos Colón or simply Carlos Colón. He is, along with Victor Jovica, an owner of the Puerto Rican ...
. Vailahi frequently teamed with Black Bart,
Shaska Whatley Pezavan Whatley (January 10, 1951 – January 18, 2005) was an American professional wrestler best known for his time with NWA Mid-America. Professional wrestling career Whatley played football and wrestled for Notre Dame High School in Chatta ...
,
Teijho Khan Thomas Leroy Kasat (March 24, 1956 – April 10, 2020) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Teijo Khan/Teijho Khan. As Kahn, Kasat portrayed an Asian savage despite being Caucasian. He worked as part of Paul Jones' ...
, as well as
Baron von Raschke James Donald Raschke (born July 30, 1940) is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Baron von Raschke. Early life Raschke was a three-year letterman with the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Cornhuskers wrest ...
throughout 1986. Vailahi teamed with Raschke to participate in the 1986 Crockett Cup, losing to Jimmy Valiant and Manny Fernandez in the opening round. It was during this time that "Konga" was dropped from his name and he became simply The Barbarian. Raschke left Jones' team and became a rival of the group. At Starrcade, Whatley and Barbarian lost to Hector Guerrero and Raschke in a tag team match.


The Powers of Pain (1987–1988)

Vailahi entered the
1987 Crockett Cup File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...
with Bill Dundee, beating Tim Horner and Mike Rotunda in the opening round and lost to
The Super Powers The Super Powers were a tag team in the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions in the 1980s. The name was because an American and a "Russian" made up the team while the Cold War was still going strong. History Dusty Rhodes had been teaming with Magnum T. ...
(
Dusty Rhodes Virgil Riley Runnels Jr. (October 11, 1945 – June 11, 2015), better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, was an American professional wrestler, booker, and trainer who most notably worked for the National Wrestling Alliance, Jim Crocket ...
and Nikita Koloff) in the second round. Vailahi teamed with the likes of Manny Fernandez and Vladimir Petrov throughout 1987. In 1987, he appeared in the movie '' Body Slam'', as Axe, of the tag team called The Cannibals. In late 1987, he formed a team with Ivan Koloff, who was also his coach. During this time, he formed
The Powers of Pain The Powers of Pain are a professional wrestling tag team. History Paul Jones had previously managed The Barbarian (Sione Vailahi) in National Wrestling Alliance's (NWA) territories during 1985–1987, while The Warlord (Terry Szopinski) and jo ...
with The Warlord and the team began feuding heavily with another team of big men, The Road Warriors ( Animal and
Hawk Hawks are bird of prey, birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are widely distributed and are found on all continents except Antarctica. * The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks and others. Th ...
). Vailahi made his
pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program guid ...
debut at the Bunkhouse Stampede Finals pay-per-view on 24 January 1988, as a participant in a Steel cage
Bunkhouse Stampede The Bunkhouse Stampede was a professional wrestling tournament/show held annually by Jim Crockett Promotions from 1985 through 1988. History Concept In 1985, the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions came up with a new match to increase the fans' interest ...
. He was the runner-up, being eliminated by
Dusty Rhodes Virgil Riley Runnels Jr. (October 11, 1945 – June 11, 2015), better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, was an American professional wrestler, booker, and trainer who most notably worked for the National Wrestling Alliance, Jim Crocket ...
. They injured Animal's eye in storyline during a weightlifting contest and soon after teamed with Ivan Koloff to beat Rhodes and Road Warriors to win the NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship at a live event on 12 February. Koloff and Powers of Pain would lose to Rhodes and Road Warriors in a
barbed wire match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. So ...
at ''
Clash of the Champions I ''Clash of the Champions'' is an American series of professional wrestling television specials that were produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP) in conjunction with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). ...
'' on 27 March. The following month, Powers of Pain entered the 1988 Crockett Cup, defeating Mark Starr and Chris Champion in the second round and Road Warriors in the quarter-final and lost to eventual winners Lex Luger and Sting in the semi-final. In April 1988, Crockett decided he wanted the feuding tag teams to have a series of scaffold matches, which neither team wanted because they felt that they were too large to safely participate. This was especially so for the Powers of Pain, who were scheduled to lose the matches by falling off the scaffolding. Barbarian and Warlord decided to leave the company. The NWA announcers explained that the Road Warriors had run them off, even though they still held the World Six-Man Tag Team Championship.


World Wrestling Federation


The Powers of Pain (1988–1990)

Upon their arrival in WWF, the Powers of Pain were fan favorites, initially managed by Tito Santana, They feuded with WWF World Tag Team Champions
Demolition Demolition (also known as razing, cartage, and wrecking) is the science and engineering in safely and efficiently tearing down of buildings and other artificial structures. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a ...
who had defeated Strike Force (Santana and Rick Martel) for the titles and then injured Martel ( kayfabe). The Powers were introduced as mercenaries to help Martel and Santana gain revenge on Demolition for both the title loss and the injury to Martel. They made their debut in a dark match (of which footage survives) at a TV taping on 18 June 1988 as a replacement for Strike Force in a WWF World Tag Team Championship match where they beat Demolition by count-out when the champions walked out. Their televised debut was filmed later that evening and screened on 16 July episode of ''
Superstars A superstar is a widely acclaimed celebrity. Superstar or superstars may also refer to: People * Warhol superstars, the associates of Andy Warhol * WWE Superstar, a branding term referring to a WWE wrestler * Superstar Billy Graham (born 1943) ...
'' where they defeated enhancement talents Iron Mike Sharpe and Tony Ulysses. The Powers had their first televised rivalry against
The Bolsheviks The Bolsheviks were a professional wrestling tag team in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from late 1987 until the spring of 1990. The team was composed of Nikolai Volkoff and Boris Zhukov portraying a pair of Soviet Communist bad guys. Volk ...
( Nikolai Volkoff and Boris Zhukov). They defeated Bolsheviks in their
pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program guid ...
debut at the inaugural SummerSlam, where they introduced their new manager
The Baron Baron is a title of nobility. Baron, The Baron or Barons may also refer to: Places * Barons, Alberta, Canada * Baron, Gard, France * Baron, Gironde, France * Baron, Oise, France * Baron, Saône-et-Loire, France * Baron-sur-Odon, France * Bar ...
. The Baron left the WWF in early November. At the Survivor Series, The Powers led a team of fan favorite tag teams against Demolition's team of villainous tag teams in a Survivor Series match, during which a double turn took place when Demolition's manager Mr. Fuji turned on Demolition by causing them to get eliminated by count-out. The Powers afterwards came to Fuji's aid and thus became
villains A villain (also known as a "black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a character as ...
and Demolition became fan favorites. The Powers of Pain then eliminated Los Conquistadores to win the match before Demolition returned to the ring to confront the Powers and Fuji. Following this, Demolition and the Powers (with Fuji now in their corner) engaged in a series of championship matches at house shows, typically ending in double disqualification or a narrow countout victory for the Powers. On 12 December episode of ''
Prime Time Wrestling ''WWF Prime Time Wrestling'' is a professional wrestling television program that was produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). It aired on the USA Network from January 1, 1985, to January 4, 1993. A precursor to ''Monday Night Raw'', ''Pr ...
'', Fuji was confirmed as the new manager of The Powers of Pain. Barbarian entered the Royal Rumble match at the 1989 Royal Rumble pay-per-view as the number 26 entrant. He and Ted DiBiase eliminated Brutus Beefcake and Hercules, before Barbarian was eliminated by Rick Martel. On 20 February episode of ''Prime Time Wrestling'', Powers of Pain received an opportunity for the Tag Team Championship against Demolition, which they lost via disqualification. At WrestleMania V, Powers of Pain and Mr. Fuji competed against Demolition for the title in a handicap match, where Demolition retained the title by pinning Fuji. At Survivor Series, Powers of Pain and Demolition were on opposing teams as Powers of Pain were paired with Ted DiBiase and Zeus in the Million $ Team against Hulk Hogan's Hulkamaniacs (Demolition and Jake Roberts). Powers of Pain eliminated both members of Demolition before being disqualified for double teaming Hogan. Hulkamaniacs won the match. After coming up short in their title hunt, Powers of Pain feuded with tag teams such as The Hart Foundation, The Bushwhackers and The Rockers. Barbarian participated in the 1990 Royal Rumble match as the number 28 entrant. He was eliminated by Hercules. Powers of Pain faced Demolition for the last time in a tag team match on 10 February episode of ''Superstars'', which Demolition won by disqualification. Powers of Pain's last televised match as a team was on 19 February televised special on the MSG Network, where they teamed with Mr. Fuji against Jim Duggan and The Rockers in a match, which they lost. On 3 March episode of ''Superstars'', it was announced that Barbarian would face Tito Santana at WrestleMania VI. The following week on ''Superstars'', it was announced that Fuji had sold the contracts of Powers of Pain, thus splitting up the team. Powers of Pain had their last match as a team on 25 March, where they lost to Hulk Hogan and
The Big Boss Man Ray Washington Traylor Jr. (May 2, 1963 – September 22, 2004) was an American professional wrestler best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) under the ring name Big Boss Man, as well as for his appearances with ...
.


Singles competition (1990–1992)

On 24 March episode of ''Superstars'', Bobby Heenan became the manager of Barbarian. As a member of Heenan's
faction Faction or factionalism may refer to: Politics * Political faction, a group of people with a common political purpose * Free and Independent Faction, a Romanian political party * Faction (''Planescape''), a political faction in the game ''Planes ...
, Barbarian's image was tweaked: he grew out his Road Warrior-like mohawk and face paint, instead wearing a fur cloak, a helmet with reindeer-like antlers, and a skull to the ring. He briefly wrestled in singles competition, defeating Tito Santana at WrestleMania VI. He was a member of Natural Disasters ( Earthquake, Dino Bravo and Haku) against The Hulkamaniacs (Hulk Hogan, Big Boss Man, Tugboat and Jim Duggan) at Survivor Series. Hulkamaniacs won. On 22 December episode of ''Superstars'', it was announced that Barbarian would face Heenan Family's rival The Big Boss Man in a match at the 1991 Royal Rumble, which Barbarian lost. He would also lose a subsequent rematch to Boss Man on 18 February episode of ''Prime Time Wrestling''. Barbarian was paired with Heenan Family member Haku in a tag team on 23 February episode of ''Superstars'', where it was announced that the duo would face The Rockers at WrestleMania VII. Their first match as a team was on 9 March episode of ''Superstars'', where they defeated enhancement talents. Barbarian and Haku lost the match to Rockers at WrestleMania VII. Later in the event, Haku and Barbarian helped Mr. Perfect retain the Intercontinental Championship against Big Boss Man. Barbarian was utilized as a mid-carder throughout the year. During this time, Barbarian had only one major match, a loss to
The British Bulldog David Smith (27 November 1962 – 18 May 2002) was an English professional wrestling, professional wrestler. Born in Golborne, Lancashire, Smith is best known for his appearances in the United States with the World Wrestling Entertainment, Worl ...
at
Battle Royal at the Albert Hall Battle Royal at the Albert Hall was a live professional wrestling event produced by the World Wrestling Entertainment, World Wrestling Federation (WWF) that took place on 3 October 1991 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, London, England. The eve ...
. Immediately after the match, Barbarian participated in a battle royal, in which he was eliminated by Tito Santana. On 1 December episode of '' Wrestling Challenge'', it was announced that Barbarian would challenge Bret Hart for the Intercontinental Championship at This Tuesday in Texas but no-showed the event and was replaced by Skinner. On 18 January 1992, Barbarian reunited with his Powers of Pain tag team partner The Warlord in a loss to New Foundation ( Owen Hart and Jim Neidhart). Barbarian participated in the 1992 Royal Rumble match for the vacant WWF Championship as the number eight entrant. He was eliminated by Hercules. He left the WWF in February 1992 and returned to JCP, which had become World Championship Wrestling (WCW).


World Championship Wrestling (1992–1993)

Barbarian made his televised debut in WCW as a villain on 4 July episode of ''
Saturday Night Saturday Night may refer to: Film, television and theatre Film * ''Saturday Night'' (1922 film), a 1922 film directed by Cecil B. DeMille * ''Saturday Nights'' (film), a 1933 Swedish film directed by Schamyl Bauman * ''Saturday Night'' (1950 fil ...
'', where he defeated Steve Pritchard. On 12 July episode of '' Main Event'', Barbarian and Dick Slater were booked to defeat The Fabulous Freebirds ( Jimmy Garvin and Michael Hayes) for the United States Tag Team Championship. However, this was the last match for this title as the title was retired a month later. Barbarian was heavily pushed throughout the summer with a winning streak against the likes of Brian Pillman, Tom Zenk, Marcus Alexander Bagwell and Barry Windham. He was placed in an alliance with Tony Atlas,
Cactus Jack Cactus Jack may refer to: People with the nickname * Mick Foley (born 1965), American actor, writer, professional wrestler, and color commentator * John Nance Garner (1868–1967), American politician * Jack Wells (sportscaster) (1911–1999), Ca ...
, Jake Roberts and Butch Reed. Their main rival was Ron Simmons, whom Barbarian unsuccessfully challenged for the World Heavyweight Championship at the
Halloween Havoc Halloween Havoc is a professional wrestling event currently produced by WWE for the company's developmental brand, NXT. As the name implies, it is a Halloween-themed show held in October. It was originally produced as an annual pay-per-view (PPV ...
pay-per-view. Barbarian entered the King of Cable Tournament, losing to Dustin Rhodes in the quarter-final on 14 November episode of ''Saturday Night''. On 18 November ''
Clash of the Champions XXI ''Clash of the Champions'' is an American series of professional wrestling television specials that were produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP) in conjunction with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). ...
'', Barbarian, Cactus Jack and Tony Atlas lost to Simmons and his debuting partner
2 Cold Scorpio Charles Bernard Scaggs (born October 25, 1965) is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name 2 Cold Scorpio (sometimes spelled Too Cold Scorpio). He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling, Extrem ...
in a handicap match. Barbarian appeared at the company's premier pay-per-view Starrcade on 29 December, where he was randomly paired with Kensuke Sasaki against
Big Van Vader Leon Allen White (May 14, 1955 – June 18, 2018), better known by his ring names Big Van Vader or simply Vader, was an American professional wrestler and professional football player. Throughout his career, he performed for New Japan Pro-Wrestli ...
and Dustin Rhodes in a Lethal Lottery qualifying match, which the latter duo won. On 13 January 1993 '' Clash of the Champions XXII'', Barbarian was supposed to team with Vader, Paul Orndorff and Barry Windham against
Sting Sting may refer to: * Stinger or sting, a structure of an animal to inject venom, or the injury produced by a stinger * Irritating hairs or prickles of a stinging plant, or the plant itself Fictional characters and entities * Sting (Middle-eart ...
, Dustin Rhodes and Ron Simmons in a
Thundercage match Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a five-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link fenci ...
but Barbarian was kicked out of his team by
Harley Race Harley Leland Race (April 11, 1943 – August 1, 2019) was an American professional wrestler, promoter, and trainer. Race wrestled in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), the American Wrestling Association (AWA), the World Wrestling Federatio ...
for siding with Cactus Jack. As a result, Barbarian turned into a
heroic Heroic may mean: *characteristic of a hero *typical of heroic poetry or of heroic verse *belonging to the Greek Heroic Age *Heroic (esports), a Danish esports organization *Heroic (horse) Heroic (1921–1939) was an Australian Thoroughbred ra ...
character Character or Characters may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk * ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
. On 17 January episode of ''Main Event'', Barbarian and Jack faced Vader and Orndorff in a match, which ended in a double disqualification. The two teams faced off in a no disqualification match on 23 January episode of '' Power Hour'' which Vader and Orndorff won. On 30 January episode of ''Saturday Night'', Barbarian lost to Orndorff in singles competition. Barbarian received a title match against Vader for the World Heavyweight Championship on 7 February episode of ''Main Event'', where Vader retained the title. Barbarian made his last televised appearance on 7 March episode of ''Main Event'', where he lost to
Steve Regal Steve Regal (born August 25, 1951) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the American Wrestling Association. Professional wrestling career Born in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Regal started wrestl ...
in the first round match of a tournament for the vacant World Television Championship. He would compete on the
house show A house show or live event is a professional wrestling event produced by a major promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that they and their wrestlers receive du ...
circuit for the next few months and departed the company in June.


Return to WWF (1994–1995)

On 6 June 1994, Barbarian returned to the WWF at a
house show A house show or live event is a professional wrestling event produced by a major promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that they and their wrestlers receive du ...
to face
Razor Ramon Scott Oliver Hall (October 20, 1958 – March 14, 2022) was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his tenures with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) under his real name and under the ring name the Diamond Studd and with the ...
as a substitute for
Diesel Diesel may refer to: * Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression * Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines * Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engin ...
. He would wrestle numerous matches on house shows against the likes of Lex Luger, Tatanka and Typhoon for the next two months. On 1 September, Barbarian replaced an injured
Samu Samu or SAMU may refer to: Places * Samu, Sierra Leone * Samu, South Khorasan, a village in South Khorasan Province, Iran * As-Samu, a town in the Hebron Governorate of the West Bank * Samu, Sarawak, Malaysia, a settlement near Kerangan Pinggai * ...
and teamed with Fatu against
Two Dudes with Attitudes Diesel and Shawn Michaels formed a tag team, also known as Two Dudes with Attitudes who competed in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now known as WWE) in 1994 and again in 1995 through March 1996 with a brief reunion in 2002 as a sub-group o ...
(
Shawn Michaels Michael Shawn Hickenbottom (born July 22, 1965), better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE as Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative. Widely regarded as one of ...
and Diesel) for the
Tag Team Championship A championship or title in professional wrestling is a recognition promoted by professional wrestling organizations. Championship reigns are determined by professional wrestling matches, in which competitors are involved in predetermined rivalri ...
, just a few days after Michaels and Diesel had beaten The Headshrinkers (Fatu and Samu) for the titles. Later that month, he permanently replaced Samu and was renamed Seone, one half of the new version of The Headshrinkers with Fatu after Samu left the WWF. On 10 October episode of '' Monday Night Raw'', Vailahi made his televised return to WWF. The new combination made only one pay-per-view appearance as a team which was at the Survivor Series event as part of The Bad Guys (Razor Ramon,
1-2-3 Kid Sean Michael Waltman (born July 13, 1972) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE under a legends contract. He is best known for his appearances for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) under the ring names 1–2–3 ...
and
The British Bulldog David Smith (27 November 1962 – 18 May 2002) was an English professional wrestling, professional wrestler. Born in Golborne, Lancashire, Smith is best known for his appearances in the United States with the World Wrestling Entertainment, Worl ...
) against The Teamsters (Shawn Michaels, Diesel, Jeff Jarrett, Owen Hart and Jim Neidhart). New Headshrinkers were quickly eliminated but their team won the match after Michaels and Diesel broke up as a team. This resulted in Michaels vacating the Tag Team Championship and a tournament was set up to crown the new champions. New Headshrinkers participated in the tournament, beating Owen Hart and Jim Neidhart by disqualification in the quarter-final round on 31 December episode of ''
Superstars A superstar is a widely acclaimed celebrity. Superstar or superstars may also refer to: People * Warhol superstars, the associates of Andy Warhol * WWE Superstar, a branding term referring to a WWE wrestler * Superstar Billy Graham (born 1943) ...
'', before losing to Bam Bam Bigelow and Tatanka in the semi-final round on 14 January 1995 episode of ''Superstars''. Seone participated in the 1995 Royal Rumble match as the number six entrant. He eliminated Kwang and Rick Martel and then he and Eli Blu eliminated each other. This sparked a feud between New Headshrinkers and The Blu Brothers (Jacob and Eli), in which New Headshrinkers came up short. New Headshrinkers received an opportunity for the Tag Team Championship against
Owen Hart and Yokozuna Owen Hart and Yokozuna were a professional wrestling tag team who wrestled in World Wrestling Federation. History The team debuted on WrestleMania XI when former WWF Champion Yokozuna was billed as Hart's mystery partner. This was Yokozuna's fir ...
on 6 May episode of ''Superstars'', but lost the match. By July, the Headshrinkers dissolved, as Vailahi left the WWF for WCW.


Name Clarification

While WWE currently references Vailahi as Sione on their website, the character's name was actually spelled Seone on television and in WWF Magazine during his 1994-1995 run.


Return to WCW


Super Assassins (1995–1996)

In late 1995, Vailahi returned to WCW, wearing a mask and teaming with his former Powers of Pain tag team partner, The Warlord. They were known as the masked "Super Assassins", managed by
Col. Robert Parker Bob, Bobby, Robbie, Rob or Robert Fuller may refer to: Academics *Robert W. Fuller (born 1936), American president of Oberlin College *Robert C. Fuller (born 1952), American professor of religious studies Performers *Robert Fuller (actor) (born 1 ...
. Super Assassins made their televised debut on 27 November episode of '' Prime'', with a win over
The American Males The American Males were a professional wrestling tag team in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) composed of Marcus Bagwell and Scotty Riggs. Their gimmick was of two "pretty boys" who were fond of their own bodies and popular with women. Riggs ...
. No mention was ever made on television of their former identities, and the team did not last long as Warlord left WCW in early 1996.


Dungeon of Doom and Faces of Fear (1996–1998)

Later on, he was added into Kevin Sullivan's Dungeon of Doom and was paired with Dungeon teammate Haku (now known as Meng) in a tag team called
Faces of Fear The Faces of Fear was a professional wrestling tag team of The Barbarian and Meng in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) that existed between 1996 and 1999. The two were first paired together in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) as part of Th ...
on 29 January episode of ''
Monday Nitro ''WCW Monday Nitro'', also known as ''WCW Nitro'' or simply ''Nitro'', is an American professional wrestling television program that was produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and broadcast weekly every Monday night on TNT in the United ...
'', where they lost to the returning
Road Warriors The Road Warriors, also known as the Legion of Doom, were a professional wrestling tag team composed of Road Warrior Hawk (Michael Hegstrand) and Road Warrior Animal (Joseph Laurinaitis).. They performed under the name "The Road Warriors" in t ...
. Faces of Fear were part of Alliance to End Hulkamania against Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage in a Doomsday Cage match at Uncensored, which Hogan and Savage won. At the
Slamboree Slamboree was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event from World Championship Wrestling (WCW) held from 1993 through 2000. It was originally billed as "A Legends' Reunion" because many retired legends from Jim Crockett Promotions attend ...
pay-per-view, Barbarian was randomly paired with Diamond Dallas Page in a Lethal Lottery match, where they defeated Meng and Hugh Morrus in the first match and then Rick Steiner and
The Booty Man Edward Harrison Leslie (born April 21, 1957) is an American retired professional wrestler, best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) under the ring name Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake. He later worked for World Championship W ...
in the second match to qualify for the Lord of the Ring battle royal, in which Vailahi was the runner-up, being eliminated by Page. Dungeon of Doom were entered into a rivalry with Four Horsemen, stemming from The Taskmaster's rivalry with Horsemen member Chris Benoit over Woman. At the
Halloween Havoc Halloween Havoc is a professional wrestling event currently produced by WWE for the company's developmental brand, NXT. As the name implies, it is a Halloween-themed show held in October. It was originally produced as an annual pay-per-view (PPV ...
pay-per-view, Faces of Fear lost to Horsemen members Benoit and Steve McMichael in a tag team match. Faces of Fear began pursuing the World Tag Team Championship as they faced The Outsiders (
Scott Hall Scott Oliver Hall (October 20, 1958 – March 14, 2022) was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his tenures with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) under his real name and under the ring name the Diamond Studd and with the ...
and Kevin Nash) and
Nasty Boys The Nasty Boys are a group of supervillain Mutant (Marvel Comics), mutants appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. This group exists in Marvel's shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe. These characters are the pers ...
(
Brian Knobbs Brian Yandrisovitz (born May 6, 1964), better known as Brian Knobbs, is an operatic tenor and an American professional wrestler best known as half of the tag team The Nasty Boys with his partner Jerry Sags. Early life Knobbs was born on May 6 ...
and Jerry Sags) in a
triangle match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
for the title at
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, where Outsiders retained the title. Faces of Fear received another title match against Outsiders at Starrcade but failed to win the title. Faces of Fear competed in the tag team division throughout 1997 and failed to get any championship success. Dungeon of Doom disbanded after Taskmaster's retirement. Faces of Fear would then feud with Wrath and Mortis, whom they faced in a losing effort at
Fall Brawl Fall Brawl was an annual professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and was held in September from 1993 through 2000. The name was derived from the fall edition of ''Clash of the Champions'', ca ...
. On 29 September episode of ''Monday Nitro'', Barbarian lost to newcomer
Goldberg Goldberg or Goldberger may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Goldberg Ensemble, a British string ensemble * ''Goldberg Variations'', a set of 30 keyboard variations by Johann Sebastian Bach * ''The Goldbergs (broadcast series)'', American radio ...
, becoming one of the earliest victims of his undefeated streak. Faces of Fear had their next rivalry against Glacier and Ernest Miller, whom they defeated at
World War 3 World War III or the Third World War, often abbreviated as WWIII or WW3, are names given to a hypothetical worldwide large-scale military conflict subsequent to World War I and World War II. The term has been in use since a ...
. On 12 February 1998 episode of '' Thunder'', Barbarian tried to separate Meng from Hugh Morrus after Meng defeated Morrus and refused to release the '' Tongan Death Grip''. Meng then applied the hold on Barbarian as well, thus breaking up Faces of Fear. Barbarian formed a tag team with Morrus under the management of
Jimmy Hart James Ray Hart (born January 1, 1944) is an American professional wrestling manager, executive, composer, and musician currently signed with WWE in a Legends deal. He is best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World ...
and feuded with Meng throughout the year. The former partners competed in the opening match of the Road Wild pay-per-view, where Meng defeated Barbarian.


The First Family and departure (1999–2000)

Jimmy Hart reunited Faces of Fear in early 1999 and put them in a tournament for the vacated World Tag Team Championship. Barbarian turned on Meng during a tournament match against
Bobby Duncum, Jr. Bobby Edward Duncum Jr. (August 26, 1965 – January 24, 2000) was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his stint in World Championship Wrestling as a member of The West Texas Rednecks. Professional wrestling career Ea ...
and Mike Enos on 12 February episode of ''Thunder'' by striking Meng with the '' Kick of Fear''. Barbarian continued his rivalry with Meng throughout the year. He was then placed in Jimmy Hart's The First Family
faction Faction or factionalism may refer to: Politics * Political faction, a group of people with a common political purpose * Free and Independent Faction, a Romanian political party * Faction (''Planescape''), a political faction in the game ''Planes ...
with, Hugh Morrus,
Brian Knobbs Brian Yandrisovitz (born May 6, 1964), better known as Brian Knobbs, is an operatic tenor and an American professional wrestler best known as half of the tag team The Nasty Boys with his partner Jerry Sags. Early life Knobbs was born on May 6 ...
and Jerry Flynn. The stable dissolved after only two months. Barbarian's last televised match in WCW was on 27 March 2000 episode of ''Thunder'', a loss to the World Television Champion Jim Duggan. WCW terminated Barbarian's contract in April 2000 in an effort of lowering budget costs.


Independent circuit (2001–present)

In March 2004, The Barbarian won the NWA Virginia Heavyweight Championship, and feuded with David Flair for the title, until he was ruled ineligible to compete due to a lack of a valid Virginia wrestling license. In 2005, The Barbarian again teamed with The Warlord in Gladiator Championship Wrestling, and renewed his feud with
Road Warrior Animal Joseph Michael Laurinaitis (September 12, 1960 – September 22, 2020), better known by his ring name Road Warrior Animal (or simply Animal), was an American professional wrestler. Along with Road Warrior Hawk, he was one half of the tag team T ...
. In 2007, at the Annual Championship Wrestling/IRW Fun Fest Slam in
Kingsport, Tennessee Kingsport is a city in Sullivan and Hawkins counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, its population was 55,442. Lying along the Holston River, Kingsport is commonly included in what is known as the Mountain Empire, w ...
, The Barbarian wrestled 'Big' Steve Fury, the CW Heavyweight Champion, in front of 1,100 people. He also made an appearance in
IWA Mid South Independent Wrestling Association (IWA) Mid-South (also known as IWA Mid-South, IWA-MS, and IWA Mid South Wrestling) is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in New Albany, Indiana. It was formed by Ian Rotten in 1996 ...
, at the April Bloodshowers 2007 event, where he wrestled Jimmy Jacobs. In 2008, The Barbarian teamed with Demolition Ax (Bill Eadie), and managed by Ted DiBiase, in Seagrove North Carolina, defeating Cowboy Willie Watts and Leroy Greene. In 2009, The Barbarian teamed with the Iron Chief in the Ivan Koloff's tag team tournament in the Allied Independent Wrestling Federation (AIWF). In August 2012, Chikara announced that The Barbarian would be making his debut for the promotion in the following month's 2012 King of Trios tournament, where he will reunite with The Warlord and Meng as The Faces of Pain in reference to their previous team names
Faces of Fear The Faces of Fear was a professional wrestling tag team of The Barbarian and Meng in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) that existed between 1996 and 1999. The two were first paired together in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) as part of Th ...
and Powers of Pain. On 14 September, the team was eliminated from the tournament in the first round by Team
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( Mike Bennett, Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson). Two days later, on the final day of the tournament, The Barbarian and The Warlord took part in a tag team gauntlet match, from which they eliminated their old WWF rivals, Demolition, before being eliminated themselves by
1-2-3 Kid Sean Michael Waltman (born July 13, 1972) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE under a legends contract. He is best known for his appearances for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) under the ring names 1–2–3 ...
and
Marty Jannetty Fredrick Martin Jannetty (born February 3, 1960) is an American professional wrestler who has worked for promotions including the World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (WWF/E), the American Wrestling Association (AWA), World Championship Wres ...
.


Personal life

Sione has seven children with his wife, Seini Tonga. His youngest son, Peter, was a
college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...
player, who signed with Brigham Young University in February 2005. However, in the early stages of his BYU contract, Peter withdrew in order to play closer to his home in Charlotte, North Carolina. Peter signed to attend Wingate University in Wingate, North Carolina. His son Joey competes in powerlifting and strongman events. Sione's nephew Samu Manoa is an American rugby union player who currently plays second row or back row for Toulon in France. Samu Manoa also plays for the US National Team. Sione's nephew Luke Kaumatule played TE/DE for
Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
and nephew Canton Kaumatule played DE for
Oregon University The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billio ...
but transferred to the University of Central Florida to begin playing in the 2018 season. Both Luke and Canton are the younger brothers to Samu Monoa. He is the uncle and trainer of
Lei'D Tapa Seini Draughn (née Tonga, born 27 November 1982) is a German-born Tongan American professional wrestler, professional wrestling valet, model, mixed martial artist and former women's American football player. Having been previously working for t ...
, who is a
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
professional women's wrestler,
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fighter, and professional boxer. In July 2016, Sione was named part of a class action
lawsuit - A lawsuit is a proceeding by a party or parties against another in the civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. The term "lawsuit" is used in reference to a civil actio ...
filed against WWE which alleged that wrestlers incurred traumatic brain injuries during their tenure and that the company concealed the risks of injury. The suit was litigated by attorney Konstantine Kyros, who has been involved in a number of other lawsuits against WWE. In September 2018, the lawsuit was dismissed by US District Judge
Vanessa Lynne Bryant Vanessa Lynne Bryant (born January 27, 1954) is a Senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut. Early life Bryant was born in Queens, New York, and graduated from Howard University wit ...
. In September 2020, an appeal for the lawsuit dismissed by a federal appeals court.


Championships and accomplishments

*American Pro Wrestling Alliance **APWA World Heavyweight Championship (2 times) **APWA Triple Crown Championship (2 times) **APWA Tri State Championship (1 time) **APWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Warlord *Bruiser Wrestling Federation **BWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time) * Cauliflower Alley Club **Tag Team Award (2019) - with Haku *Championship International Wrestling **CWI Hardcore Championship (1 time) *Exodus Wrestling Alliance **EWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *Indo-Asian Wrestling **Indo-Asian Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *
iGeneration Wrestling i-Generation Wrestling Superstars of Wrestling was a small series of professional wrestling shows in 2000. The roster consisted of wrestlers who had previously achieved fame in other promotions. The tour promoted a World Championship, an Internat ...
**iGeneration Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *International Association of Wrestling **IAW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *Mainstream Wrestling Organization **MWO Heavyweight Championship (1 time) * Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling / World Championship Wrestling ** WCW United States Tag Team Championship ( 1 time, Last) - with Dick Slater ** NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship ( 1 time) - with Ivan Koloff and The Warlord * New England Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame **Class of 2013 *North Carolina Wrestling Association **NCWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time) **NCWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Meng * NWA Mid-Atlantic **NWA Mid-Atlantic Hardcore Championship (1 time) **NWA Mid-Atlantic Heritage Championship (1 time) * NWA Virginia ** NWA Virginia Heavyweight Championship ( 1 time) *New Age Championship Wrestling **NACW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) * Pro Wrestling Illustrated **Ranked No. 85 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1991 **Ranked No. 97 of the 100 best tag teams during the "PWI Years" with The Warlord in 2003. *Real Wrestling **Real Wrestling Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *Ultimate Championship Wrestling **UCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *Universal Championship Wrestling **UCW Hardcore Championship (1 time) * World League Wrestling **
WLW Heavyweight Championship The World League Wrestling (WLW) Heavyweight Championship, is a professional wrestling championship in independent professional wrestling promotion World League Wrestling. It is the promotion's primary championship. The championship is generall ...
(1 time) *
World Wide Wrestling Alliance The World Wide Wrestling Alliance (WWWA, 3WA), formerly known as NWA Ohio, is a defunct American professional wrestling promotion. However, NWA Ohio Owner & Promoter Dave Nelson's claim of ownership of the WWWA name is disputed. History Founded ...
**WWWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with The Warlord * World Wrestling Council ** WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Championship ( 1 time) * World Wrestling Federation :* Slammy Award for Best Etiquette (
1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...
) shared with Fatu * Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards ** Worst Tag Team (1989) with The Warlord ** Worst Worked Match of the Year (1996) with
Ric Flair Richard Morgan Fliehr (born February 25, 1949), known professionally as Ric Flair, is an American professional wrestler. Regarded by multiple peers and journalists as the greatest professional wrestler of all time, Flair has had a career spanni ...
, Arn Anderson, Meng, Lex Luger, Kevin Sullivan, Z-Gangsta and The Ultimate Solution vs.
Hulk Hogan Terry Eugene Bollea (; born August 11, 1953), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is widely regarded as the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the 19 ...
and Randy Savage, WCW Uncensored, Towers of Doom match,
Tupelo, MS Tupelo () is a city in and the county seat of Lee County, Mississippi, United States. With an estimated population of 38,300, Tupelo is the sixth-largest city in Mississippi and is considered a commercial, industrial, and cultural hub of North M ...
, 24 March


Sumo career record


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Barbarian, The 1958 births American people of Tongan descent Living people People from Tongatapu The First Family (professional wrestling) members The Heenan Family members Tongan male professional wrestlers Tongan sumo wrestlers 20th-century professional wrestlers 21st-century professional wrestlers WWC Puerto Rico Champions NWA/WCW United States Tag Team Champions