Sika Anoaʻi

Leati Sika Amituana'i Anoa'i (April 5, 1945 – June 25, 2024), better known by the ring name Sika, was a Samoan-American professional wrestler. He is best known as one-half of the tag team the Wild Samoans with his older brother Afa, holding the WWF World Tag Team Championship three times. Sika and Afa were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007 and the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2012.

Early life

Sika Anoa'i was born in the village of Leone on the island of Tutuila in American Samoa on April 5, 1945, to Reverend Amituana'i Anoa'i and Tovaleomanaia Ripley, one of thirteen children. In 1959, at the age of 14, he moved with his family to San Francisco, California in the United States, where his father became pastor of the First Congregational Christian Church of American Samoa. Shortly after, Anoa'i enlisted in the United States Merchant Marine, working on ships sailing to the Philippines and Japan. He left in 1969 and worked, as a dockworker before leaving to join his brother Afa in pro wrestling.

Professional wrestling career

Early career (1973–1980)

Anoaʻi was trained to wrestle by his brother Afa and Kurt Von Steiger, debuting in 1973 in Stampede Wrestling as "Sika". Calling themselves "the Wild Samoans", the brothers gained notoriety due to their large, wild afros, sarongs, and habit of wrestling barefoot and eating raw fish in the ring. Throughout the 1970s, the Wild Samoans appeared with promotions including Big Time Wrestling, the Continental Wrestling Association, Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling, NWA All-Star Wrestling, NWA Mid-America, Stampede Wrestling, and the World Wrestling Council, winning multiple tag team championships.