WWE Royalty: Ranking the greatest members of The Anoa'i Family
Numerous legendary wrestling families have graced the WWE ring throughout the years. Some of the greatest wrestling names include The Funks, The McMahons, The Rhodes, and The Anoa'i families, all legendary wrestling lineages have legacies that will always be remembered as some of the greatest.
The Anoa'i Wrestling Family has been proudly represented in nearly every era of modern professional wrestling. Some of the most legendary superstars are descendants of the family. Rikishi, Rocky Johnson, and The Wild Samoans are a few Anoa'i Family members who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.
As we look at the long list of Anoa'i descendants, several names stick out as some of the greatest. Today we take a look at the best Anoa'i Family members. Here is our list of the greatest members of the Anoa'i Wrestling Family.
#5. 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion Umaga
The story of Umaga is one of dominance, potential, and unfortunate tragedy. Umaga is one of the most feared members of the Anoa'i Family. He was the nephew of Afa and Sika of the Wild Samoans. Umaga is also the younger brother of Hall of Famer Rikishi, as well as The Tonga Kid.
Umaga began his WWE career in 2001, when he debuted as Jamal, one of the members of 3-Minute Warning. He would eventually get repackaged into the Umaga persona, which was the character that he will always be remembered for. At one point, it appeared Umga was destined for superstardom. However, his career was cut short in 2009, when he passed away at only 36 years old.
#4 - 8-time WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos
Jonathan and Joshua Fatu, better known as Jimmy and Jey Uso are the sons of WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi. As The Usos, Jimmy, and Jey have worked their way into becoming one of the greatest tag teams in wrestling history. But before their wrestling career ever started, the twins were destined to become legendary superstars, thanks to the lineage they came from.
After making their main roster debut in 2010, The Usos carved a lane for themselves and rode it to the top of the WWE roster. The Usos have won multiple titles together, including the RAW Tag Team Championships, which they've held 3 times. They are also 5-time SmackDown Tag Team Champions. Jimmy and Jey were also important components in the massive success enjoyed by Roman Reigns and The Bloodline.
#3 - WWE Hall of Famer Yokozuna
Yokozuna is arguably one of the greatest big men in wrestling history. He was also one of the pillars of the foundation of Monday Night RAW. Yokozuna defeated KoKo B. Ware during the first-ever episode of RAW in roughly 3 minutes.
In late 2000, Yokozuna was on a wrestling tour in the UK for All-Star Wrestling. Sadly, during this tour, Yokozuna passed away while sleeping in his Liverpool hotel on October 23, 2000. Yoko was only 34 years old, and the wrestling world will never know exactly what he could have accomplished had his life not been cut short.
During his WWE career, Yokozuna competed in several legendary feuds against the likes of Lex Luger, Bret Hart, and The Undertaker, just to name a few. Yoko was best remembered for his time with Hall of Fame manager Mr. Fuji.
#2 - Current Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns
It was in the main event of WWE Payback 2020 that a historic run began, as Roman Reigns defeated Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman in a No Holds Barred Triple Threat Match for the Universal Championship. This was the beginning of what would become a legacy that is still evolving to this very day.
Roman Reigns is currently the most prominent and notable wrestler in the world. For nearly 1200 days he has been the standard bearer that other WWE Superstars strive to emulate. Roman is one of the primary reasons why WWE is thriving today. As a member of The Anoa'i Family, Reigns has lived up to every expectation set by the forefathers of this legendary family.
#1 - 8-time WWE Champion Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
There are great professional wrestlers, and then there are stars with "The Rock-level" greatness. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is one of the few professional wrestlers who have transcended his success into the mainstream. The Rock is known by people who know nothing at all about wrestling. He has achieved levels of superstardom that most will only dream of.
The Rock is the grandson of the High Chief Peter Maivia and the son of Rocky Johnson. When he made his debut in 1996, he worked under the name Rocky Maivia, which was a tribute to his father and grandfather. He later changed his name to The Rock and went on to become one of the greatest of all time.
The Attitude Era was a time in professional wrestling that fans still talk about today. One of the primary reasons why that era was so successful was due to the contributions of superstars like The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Mankind, among numerous other stars of that time. The Rock's achievements speak for themselves. The Anoa'i legacy has been represented well by many legends, but no one has carried the torch quite the way The Rock has.