Afa Anoa’i, the WWE Hall of Famer best known for being one-half of the Wild Samoans pro-wrestling tag team, has died at 81.
His death was announced by his family, Friday, two months after his younger brother and tag team partner, Sika, died in June.
“It is with deepest regret that we announce the passing of my father Afa Anoai Sr.,” his son Samu wrote on Facebook. “It was a peaceful transition and he was surrounded by loved ones. Please respect our privacy as we mourn our father.”
According to the Wrestling Observer, Afa had been recently admitted into hospice care and experienced two heart attacks while battling pneumonia in January.
WWE paid tribute to Afa on Friday, observing a moment of silence during “Friday Night Smackdown.”
Afa and Sika were a prominent tag team in WWE (then WWF) during the early 1980s and were three-time WWF tag team champions. They worked in a number of promotions, including the NWA, Mid-South Wrestling, Georgia Championship Wrestling and the AWA, winning 20 tag team championships around the world.
The Wild Samoans were inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007.
