View source for Sam Fatu

{{Short description|American professional wrestler (born 1965)}}
{{Distinguish|Tama Tonga|Samu (wrestler)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox professional wrestler
| name            = Sam Fatu<ref name=owowprof />
| birth_name      = Samuel Larry Fatu
| names           = The Samoan Savage<ref name=owowprof /><br />The Tonga Kid<br />Tama<br />Tama Samoa<br />Nikozuna<br />Wild Samoan Nick<br />Wild Samoan Savage<br />Sam Fatu<br />Samoan #4
| image           = Sam Fatu in 1987 (cropped).png
| caption         = Fatu, circa 1987
| children        = 3, including [[Jacob Fatu]]
| spouse          = Theresa Fuavai-Fatu
| family          = [[Anoaʻi family|Anoaʻi]]
| relatives       = [[Rikishi (wrestler)|Rikishi]] (twin brother)<br>[[Umaga (wrestler)|Umaga]] (brother)<br>[[Jimmy Uso ]] (nephew)<br>[[Jey Uso]] (nephew)<br>[[Solo Sikoa]] (nephew)<br>[[Naomi (wrestler)|Naomi]] (niece-in-law, by marriage)
| height          = 6 ft 0 in
| weight          = 225 lb<ref name=Encyclopedia>{{cite book|title=WWE Encyclopedia|last1=Shields|first1=Brian|last2=Sullivan|first2=Kevin|page=[https://archive.org/details/wweencyclopediad0000shie/page/308 308]|publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley|DK]]|year=2009|isbn=978-0-7566-4190-0|url=https://archive.org/details/wweencyclopediad0000shie/page/308}}</ref>
| birth_date      = {{birth date and age|mf=yes|1965|10|11}} <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.profightdb.com/wrestlers/the-tonga-kid-89.html|title=Tonga Kid|access-date=2011-09-16|publisher =Internet Wrestling Database}}</ref>
| birth_place     = [[San Francisco, California]], U.S.<ref name=owowprof />
| billed          = "[[The Isle of Samoa]]"<br />[[Tonga]]
| trainer         = [[Afa Anoa'i]]<br />[[Sika Anoa'i]]<ref name=owowprof /><ref name=wildsamoanswwe /><ref name=bodyslamming />
| debut           = 1983<ref name=owowprof />
| retired         = 2019
}}
'''Samuel Larry Fatu''' (born October 11, 1965) is an American retired [[Professional wrestling|professional wrestler]]. He is best known for his appearances with the [[World Wrestling Federation]] under the [[ring name]]s '''The Tonga Kid''' and '''Tama''' and with [[World Championship Wrestling]] as '''The Samoan Savage'''.<ref name=owowprof>{{cite web| title= Wrestler Profiles: Tama| url= http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/t/tama.html| access-date= 2009-10-13}}</ref><ref name=bodyslamming>{{cite web| title= Tonga Kid| url= http://www.bodyslamming.com/other/tongakid.html| access-date= 2009-10-13}}</ref>
== Professional wrestling career ==
=== World Wrestling Federation (1983–1988) ===
{{main|The Islanders (professional wrestling)|l1=The Islanders}}
Fatu debuted as a [[professional wrestling|professional wrestler]] in 1983,<ref name=owowprof /> after being trained by the [[Wild Samoans]].<ref name=wildsamoanswwe /> Shortly after debuting he joined the [[World Wrestling Federation]] as "Samoan No. 4," in May 1983 wrestling at untelevised house shows before making his television debut in the fall of 1983 as the Tonga Kid. Billed as the cousin of [[Superfly Jimmy Snuka]], he entered into his first major feud with Snuka's rival [[Roddy Piper]] in 1984.<ref name="DixonFurious2012">{{cite book|author1=James Dixon|author2=Arnold Furious|author3=Lee Maughan|title=The Complete WWF Video Guide Volume I|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l-rzAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA44|year=2012|publisher=Lulu.com|isbn=978-1-291-10089-1|pages=44–}}</ref> 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.<ref name=owowprof /> Fatu was renamed to Tama, while Fifita was renamed to Haku. Together, they were christened The Islanders.<ref name=owowprof /> The Islanders gained several key victories, including a tag team battle royal victory over [[Big John Studd]] and [[King Kong Bundy]], but ultimately failed to gain the interest of fans. The two were eventually repackaged as villains in April 1987 after [[Bobby Heenan]] distracted their opponents [[The Can-Am Connection]] to help the Islanders win a match; the team was now managed by Heenan,<ref name=owowprof /> and used an aggressive, savage style of wrestling as opposed to a scientific style.
When [[Tom Zenk]] of the Can-Am Connection left the WWF later in 1987, the Islanders continued the feud with his partner [[Rick Martel]] and ultimately with Martel's new team [[Strike Force (professional wrestling)|Strike Force]] with [[Tito Santana]] and while the two teams generally traded victories during the early part of the feud, once Strike Force won the [[World Tag Team Championship (WWE)|WWF Tag Team Championship]], the Islanders began finding themselves on the losing end, despite having several attempts.<ref name=owowprof /> In early December 1987, the Islanders were disqualified from a match with the [[British Bulldogs]] when they [[kidnap]]ped the Bulldogs' dog, Matilda.<ref name=owowprof /> The Islanders were indefinitely suspended in the storyline until Matilda was found.<ref name=owowprof /> From late January 1988 until early February, the Islanders were consistently beaten by the British Bulldogs.<ref name=owowprof />
At a ''[[Saturday Night's Main Event XV]]'' on March 7, they beat [[The Killer Bees (professional wrestling)|The Killer Bees]], a tag team consisting of Brian Blair and Jim Brunzell. At [[Wrestlemania 4]], the Islanders, with Bobby Heenan, defeated the Bulldogs and [[Koko B. Ware]], with Matilda.<ref name=owowprof /> On April 21, Heenan introduced [[Siva Afi]] as the newest member of the group, but Afi never made another appearance with the Islanders. Fatu then left the WWF.
=== World Wrestling Council (1989)===
After leaving the WWF, Fatu began performing for the [[World Wrestling Council]] in Puerto Rico as "Tama". On January 6, 1989, he and [[Philip Lafond|Dan Kroffat]] defeated [[The Batten Twins]] to win the [[WWC World Tag Team Championship]]. The Batten Twins regained the championship on March 4, 1989.
=== World Championship Wrestling (1989–1990) ===
{{main|The Headshrinkers#The Samoan SWAT Team|l1=The Samoan SWAT Team}}
In 1989, Fatu joined [[World Championship Wrestling]], where he adopted the ring name "The Samoan Savage" and began teaming with his brother [[Rikishi (wrestler)|Fatu]] and his cousin [[Samula Anoaʻi|Samu]] of [[The Headshrinkers#The Samoan SWAT Team|The Samoan SWAT Team]]. The trio were managed by [[Oliver Humperdink|"The Big Kahuna" Oliver Humperdink]]. In late 1989, Samu withdrew from in-ring competition and The Samoan SWAT Team was renamed "The New Wild Samoans". At [[Starrcade (1989)|Starrcade]] in December 1989, The New Wild Samoans competed in the Iron Team [[round-robin tournament]], placing third in a field of four teams.
The New Wild Samoans left WCW in the summer of 1990.
=== Later career (1990–2011, 2018-2019) ===
After leaving WCW, Fatu (wrestling as "The Samoan Savage") journeyed to Mexico to perform for the [[Universal Wrestling Association]] along with his brother Fatu and his cousin, [[Yokozuna (wrestler)|The Great Kokina]]. Billed as "The Hawaiian Beasts", the trio won the [[UWA World Trios Championship]] from Los Villanos on April 7, 1991. Los Villanos regained the championship on May 31, 1991. In March 1992 with his brother Fatu returned to the WWF as the Samoan Swat Team they wrestled in two house shows against [[Barry Horowitz]] and the [[Brooklyn Brawler]] and [[Beverly Brothers]]. In July 1992, his brother Fatu, Great Kokina and Samu all went to the WWF. Fatu instead did not return nor got a contract from WWF and would go on his own.
Fatu returned to the WWF as Tonga Kid for a few houses shows in 1993 against [[The Godfather (wrestler)|Papa Shango]] and [[Razor Ramon]] and 1994 teaming with Samu against [[The Smoking Gunns]].
Fatu wrestled three matches for [[Extreme Championship Wrestling|ECW]] in April 1998.<ref>{{cite web|title=ECW 1998 results|date=January 16, 2023 |url=http://thehistoryofwwe.com/ecw98.htm}}</ref>
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]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cagematch Results |url=https://www.cagematch.net/?id=8&nr=24&page=8&s=200}}</ref>
In 2005 and 2006, he wrestled in Italy with the Nu Wrestling Evolution promotion. Fatu competed on the [[independent circuit]] until retiring in 2011.<ref>{{cite web|title=Tonga Kid's Match History|url=http://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=139&page=4|access-date=2015-04-15}}</ref>
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 (film)|Highlander]]'', where he was involved in a six-man tag team match with [[Greg Gagne (wrestler)|Greg Gagne]] and [[Jim Brunzell]] against [[The Fabulous Freebirds]] at the Meadowlands Arena.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wwe.com/classics/wherearetheynow/roberts |title=Where Are They Now?: Buddy Roberts |author=Defino, Lennie |publisher=[[WWE]] |access-date=2013-02-02}}</ref> He also starred as "Tonga Tom" in the 1987 wrestling film ''[[Body Slam (film)|Body Slam]]'', along with [[Dirk Benedict]] and Roddy Piper.<ref name=wildsamoanswwe>{{cite web|title=The Wild Samoans|url=http://www.wwe.com/superstars/wildsamoans|publisher=WWE|access-date=2009-10-13}}</ref><ref name=bodyslam>{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/Movies/2006/03/06/1475465.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130101034643/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/Movies/2006/03/06/1475465.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=January 1, 2013|title=Body Slam a blast for Benedict|author=Kapur, Bob|publisher=SLAM! Wrestling|access-date=2008-08-30|date=May 18, 2006}}</ref><ref name=moviefone>{{cite web|title=Tonga Kid Main|url=http://www.moviefone.com/celebrity/tonga-kid/1835178/main|access-date=2009-04-14|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004083235/http://www.moviefone.com/celebrity/tonga-kid/1835178/main|archive-date=2011-10-04}}</ref>
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 ==
{{See also|Anoaʻi family}}
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 [[Rikishi (wrestler)|Solofa Fatu Jr.]] (Headshrinker Fatu/Rikishi), and the older brother of [[Umaga (wrestler)|Eddie Fatu]] (Umaga/Jamal), who died of a heart attack on December 4, 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/inside/news/12849630|title=Umaga passes|publisher=[[WWE]]|date=2009-12-04|access-date=2009-12-04}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://nodq.com/wwe/269465805.shtml|title=Umaga's cause of death revealed|publisher=NoDQ.com|date=2010-03-01|access-date=2010-03-01|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100304050923/http://nodq.com/wwe/269465805.shtml|archive-date=2010-03-04}}</ref> Fatu is married to Theresa Fuavai-Fatu.<ref name=modestobee /> They have four children, two of whom are also professional wrestlers: [[Jacob Fatu|Jacob]] who currently performs for [[WWE]], and Journey, who competes on the [[independent circuit]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Phillips |first=Jim |date=March 10, 2023 |title=Sam Fatu {{!}} The Tonga Kid – Wrestling in His Bloodline |url=https://prowrestlingstories.com/pro-wrestling-stories/sam-fatu-tonga-kid/ |website=prowrestlingstories.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Journey Fatu's Cagematch page |url=https://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=22744 |website=Cagematch: The Internet Wrestling Database}}</ref> They are also parents to twins Marley and Myracle.
Some of Fatu's other relatives are also involved in professional wrestling, including his twin nephews, Jonathan and Joshua, who currently perform in WWE as [[Jimmy Uso|Jimmy]] [[The Usos|and]] [[Jey Uso]] respectively,<ref>[http://www.familytreelegends.com/records/calbirths?c=search&first=joshua&last=fatu&spelling=Exact&4_year=&4_month=0&4_day=0&5=&7=&SubmitSearch.x=0&SubmitSearch.y=0&SubmitSearch=Submit California births]</ref><ref>[http://www.familytreelegends.com/records/calbirths?c=search&first=jonathan&last=fatu&spelling=Exact&4_year=&4_month=0&4_day=0&5=&7=&SubmitSearch.x=0&SubmitSearch.y=0&SubmitSearch=Submit California births]</ref><ref>[http://www.familytreelegends.com/records/calbirths?c=search&first=thavana&last=fatu&spelling=Exact&4_year=&4_month=0&4_day=0&5=&7=&SubmitSearch.x=55&SubmitSearch.y=10&SubmitSearch=Submit California births]</ref> and their younger brother Joseph Fatu who currently performs as [[Solo Sikoa]], his cousins the late [[Yokozuna (wrestler)|Rodney Anoaʻi]] (Yokozuna), [[Afa Anoa'i Jr.]] (Headshrinker Manu), [[Samula Anoaʻi]] (Headshrinker Samu), the late [[Rosey (wrestler)|Matt Anoaʻi]] (Rosey), [[Roman Reigns|Joe Anoaʻi]] (Roman Reigns), [[Reno Anoaʻi]] (Black Pearl), and [[Lloyd Anoaʻi]] (L.A. Smooth). [[Dwayne Johnson]] (The Rock) is also considered to be his cousin because of the [[blood brother]]ship between his great grandfather Reverend Amituana'i Anoaʻi and Johnson's grandfather [[Peter Maivia]].
In November 2008, Fatu's wife went into cardiac arrest while giving birth. Her heart stopped completely before the twins, Marley and Myracle, could be delivered by [[Caesarean section]], but she was spontaneously revived and eventually recovered.<ref name=modestobee>{{cite web| author =Bill Behrens |title = Tonga Kid, Sam Fatu & Wife Experience A Miracle |url = https://www.mandatory.com/wrestlezone/news/199095-tonga-kid-sam-fatu-wife-experience-a-miracle | publisher = Wrestlezone |date=26 December 2008 | access-date = 18 December 2020}}</ref><ref name=cbs13>{{cite web|url=http://cbs13.com/health/baby.mother.delivery.2.894581.html|title=Pregnant Mom's Heart Stops; Gives Birth, Comes To|access-date=2008-12-25|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081230005223/http://cbs13.com/health/baby.mother.delivery.2.894581.html|archive-date=2008-12-30}}</ref> 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.<ref name=modestobee />
==Championships and accomplishments==
*'''[[Continental Championship Wrestling]]'''
**[[NWA Southeastern Tag Team Championship]] (3 times) - with [[Johnny Rich]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/al/secw/se-t.html|title = NWA Southeastern Tag Team Title (Alabama & e. Tennessee)}}</ref>
*'''[[Southwest Championship Wrestling|Texas All-Star Wrestling]]'''
**[[Texas Six-Man Tag Team Championship]] - (1 time) with [[Sika Anoaʻi|Sika]] and [[Yokozuna (wrestler)|Kokina]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tx/c/taw/tas-6.html|title = TASW Texas 6-man Tag Team Title (Texas)}}</ref>
*'''[[Universal Wrestling Association]]'''
**[[UWA World Trios Championship]] ([[UWA World Trios Championship#Title history|1 time]]) – with [[Rikishi (wrestler)|Fatu]] and [[Yokozuna (wrestler)|The Great Kokina]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wrestling-titles.com/mexico/uwa/uwa-6.html|title=UWA World Trios Title (Mexico)}}</ref>
*'''[[World Wrestling Council]]'''
**[[WWC World Tag Team Championship]] ([[WWC World Tag Team Championship#Title history|1 time]]) – with [[Philip Lafond|Dan Kroffat]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/pr/wwc/wwc-t.html|title = WWC World Tag Team Title (Puerto Rico)}}</ref>
*'''[[World Wrestling Federation]]'''
**[[Slammy Award]] (1 time)
***[[Bobby Heenan|Bobby "The Brain" Heenan]] Scholarship Award ([[Slammy Award#1987 Slammy Awards|1987]]) <small>with [[Tonga Fifita|Haku]], [[André the Giant]], [[Hercules (wrestler)|Hercules]], [[King Kong Bundy]], and [[Harley Race]]</small>
==See also==
* [[Anoaʻi family]]
* [[The Islanders (professional wrestling)|The Islanders]]
* [[The Headshrinkers#The Samoan Swat Team|The Samoan SWAT Team]]
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
== External links ==
{{commons}}
* {{IMDb name|0268933|Sam Fatu}}
* {{professional wrestling profiles}}
{{AnoaʻiFamily}}
{{UWA World Trios Championship}}
{{WWC World Tag Team Championship}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fatu, Sam}}
[[Category:1965 births]]
[[Category:20th-century male professional wrestlers]]
[[Category:20th-century American professional wrestlers]]
[[Category:21st-century male professional wrestlers]]
[[Category:21st-century American professional wrestlers]]
[[Category:American male professional wrestlers]]
[[Category:American people of Samoan descent]]
[[Category:American professional wrestlers of Samoan descent]]
[[Category:Anoaʻi family]]
[[Category:Heenan Family members]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Professional wrestlers from California]]
[[Category:American twins]]
[[Category:UWA World Trios Champions]]