25 June was a dark day in the wrestling universe and one of the most difficult days for wrestler Roman Reigns as he had to say his final goodbyes to his father, Sika Anoa’i, who passed away at the age of 79. The unfortunate news was first shared by his nephew Jahrus Anoa’i through social media.
Roman Reigns and Sika Anoa’i at Hell In A Cell | WWE
After the news of Sika Anoa’i’s death became public, love began pouring in from all over the world with fans remembering some of the most incredible moments from the life of the wrestler. Amongst them, one stands out: Sika Anoa’i celebrating his son and cheering him on when everyone else was against him.
Heartwarming Video Shows Sika Anoa’i ’s Love for Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns vs Triple H at WrestleMania 32 | WWE
Sika Anoa’i made a name for himself alongside his brother, Afa Anoa’i, as a part of a duo, The Wild Samoans, the three-time WWE tag team champions. The duo was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007 despite Sika Anoa’i retiring in 1988.
His nephew broke the news of his death on his Instagram stating that the wrestling legend had “passed away peacefully,” followed by a heartfelt tribute to his late uncle.
As fans of the wrestling world were hit by the shocking news, they quickly took to social media to pay their respects to Anoa’i. During this, a fan shared a heartwarming video that shows just how much Anoa’i loved his son, Roman Reigns.
In the video, Reigns was seen in the middle of his fight with Triple H during the main event at WrestleMania 32. While the crowd was against Reigns, there was one man in the room whose cheers were the loudest – Anoa’i. He couldn’t care less about the tense environment around him and continued to cheer Reigns on and even took his shirt off in excitement.
Fans couldn’t help but comment on how beautiful the moment was. Here’s what they had to say about it all:
The cheers for his son didn’t end in vain as Reigns went on to defeat Triple H and won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. However, even if the result was not in his favor, the moment would still have been a victory for Reigns thanks to his father. After all, who doesn’t want to make their fathers proud?
Roman Reigns Talks about his Father’s Death
Roman Reigns and Sika Anoa’i (via Reigns’ Instagram)
A day after his father’s demise, Reigns found the power within himself to pen down a heartfelt note in his tribute. He took to X where he first thanked everyone for their support during such a difficult time. He then went on to talk about Anoa’i and the impact he had on their entire family.
So far, Dwayne Johnson has not spoken about his uncle’s passing. While not related by genetics, Johnson and Reigns belong to families that were bonded together by The Blood Oath. The oath took place between The Rock’s grandfather, Big Chief Peter Maivia, and Reigns’ grandfather, Reverend Amituana’i Anoa’i. So, even though Reigns and Johnson are not biologically related, they refer to each other as cousins.
During the duo’s appearance on an episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, they talked about how their fathers wrestled each other in the ‘80s. When Jimmy Fallon showed them an old photograph of Anoa’i and Johnson’s dad Rocky Johnson wrestling, The Rock stated,
That’s amazing. So, for you guys that don’t know, Roman and I are family. We’re cousins. Our dads wrestled against each other in the ‘80s.
Anoa’i certainly had a deep influence on the wrestling world which continued even after his retirement in 1988. He sure has left an unerasable mark on the industry
