Dakota Kai is one of the most talented and popular female wrestlers in WWE today. She is currently a member of the SmackDown roster and a former two-time WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion with Iyo Sky. She is also known for her time in NXT, where she won the inaugural Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic and became a two-time NXT Women’s Tag Team Champion.
Roman Reigns is the undisputed top star of WWE and the leader of The Bloodline stable. He is the current and longest-reigning WWE Universal Champion in his second reign and the current WWE Champion in his fourth reign. He is also a former WWE United States Champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE Tag Team Champion, Royal Rumble winner, and Superstar of the Year.
Both Dakota Kai and Roman Reigns are of Samoan descent and belong to the famous Anoa’i family, which has produced many legendary wrestlers over the years. But how exactly are they related? And who else is part of this wrestling dynasty? In this article, we will explore the Anoa’i family tree and reveal the truth about the relationship between Dakota Kai and Roman Reigns.
Contents
The Anoa’i Family Origins
The Anoa’i family traces its roots back to Samoa, a Polynesian island nation in the Pacific Ocean. The family name Anoa’i means “bird” in Samoan, and it is derived from the word anoa, which is a type of small forest buffalo native to Indonesia. The family is also known as the Samoan Dynasty or the Samoan Wrestling Family.
The patriarch of the Anoa’i family was Amituana’i Anoa’i, who was a high chief in Samoa and a respected leader of his village. He had six children: Afa, Sika, Vera, Tovale, Lia, and Reverend Samuelu. Afa and Sika followed their father’s footsteps and became wrestlers, forming the tag team The Wild Samoans. They were trained by their uncle Peter Maivia, who was also a wrestler and a high chief in Samoa. Peter Maivia was married to Lia’s daughter Ofelia “Leah” Fuataga Maivia, who became a wrestling promoter after his death.
The Anoa’i Family Branches
The Anoa’i family has several branches that are connected by blood or marriage. Here are some of the most notable ones:
The Maivia Branch
This branch includes Peter Maivia, his wife Leah Maivia, their daughter Ata Maivia-Johnson, and their grandson Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Peter Maivia was one of the first Samoan wrestlers to achieve international fame and success. He wrestled in various territories around the world, including New Zealand, Japan, Hawaii, California, Texas, and New York. He was known for his hard-hitting style and his tribal tattoos that covered his body. He was also a close friend and mentor of Rocky Johnson, a Canadian wrestler who married his daughter Ata.
Rocky Johnson and Ata Maivia-Johnson had one son: Dwayne Johnson, who would become one of the most successful wrestlers and actors of all time. Dwayne Johnson started his wrestling career as Rocky Maivia, a tribute to his father and grandfather. He later changed his name to The Rock and became a megastar in WWE during the Attitude Era. He won several championships, including eight WWE Championships and two WCW Championships. He also had memorable feuds with Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H, Mankind, Kurt Angle, John Cena, and many others. He later transitioned to Hollywood and starred in blockbuster movies such as The Scorpion King, The Fast and Furious franchise, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Moana, and more.
The Fatu Branch
This branch includes Rikishi (Solofa Fatu Jr.), Umaga (Edward Fatu), Yokozuna (Rodney Anoa’i), Samu (Samula Anoa’i), Tonga Kid (Sam Fatu), Jimmy Snuka Jr., The Usos (Jonathan Fatu and Joshua Fatu), Naomi (Trinity Fatu), Jacob Fatu, Lance Anoa’i, LA Smooth (Lloyd Anoa’i), Manu (Afa Anoa’i Jr.), Black Pearl (Reno Anoa’i), Sean Maluta (Seini Fatu), Nia Jax (Savelina Fanene), Tamina Snuka (Sarona Snuka), Roman Reigns (Leati Joseph Anoa’i), Rosie (Matthew Tapunu’u Anoa’i), Sefa Fatu Jr., Jey Uso Jr., Jimmy Uso Jr., Simone Johnson.
Rikishi is one of the most famous members of this branch. He is the son of Vera Anoa’i and Solofa Fatu Sr., who was also a wrestler. He started his wrestling career as Fatu, one half of The Headshrinkers with his cousin Samu. They won the WWF Tag Team Championship in 1994. He later changed his name to Rikishi and became a fan favorite with his signature move, the Stink Face. He also formed a tag team with Scotty 2 Hotty and Grand Master Sexay, known as Too Cool. He won the WWF Intercontinental Championship in 2000 and was involved in a controversial storyline where he ran over Stone Cold Steve Austin with a car. He later revealed that he did it for The Rock, who was his cousin.
Umaga was Rikishi’s younger brother and another successful wrestler. He started his wrestling career as Jamal, one half of 3-Minute Warning with his cousin Rosey. They were hired by Eric Bischoff as his enforcers and attacked several wrestlers and celebrities. He later changed his name to Umaga and became a dominant heel in WWE. He won the WWE Intercontinental Championship twice and had feuds with John Cena, Triple H, Bobby Lashley, Jeff Hardy, and others. He also represented Vince McMahon in the Battle of the Billionaires against Donald Trump at WrestleMania 23.
Yokozuna was Rikishi’s cousin and one of the biggest wrestlers in history. He weighed over 600 pounds and portrayed a sumo wrestler from Japan, even though he was born in San Francisco. He was managed by Mr. Fuji and Jim Cornette and won the WWF Championship twice. He defeated Bret Hart at WrestleMania IX and Hulk Hogan at King of the Ring 1993. He also main-evented WrestleMania X against Bret Hart and Lex Luger. He had rivalries with The Undertaker, Diesel, Shawn Michaels, Vader, and others.
The Usos are Rikishi’s twin sons and one of the best tag teams in WWE today. They debuted in 2010 and aligned themselves with their cousin Tamina Snuka, who is the daughter of Jimmy Snuka. They won the WWE Tag Team Championship four times and the SmackDown Tag Team Championship six times. They also won the Tag Team of the Year Slammy Award twice. They are currently part of The Bloodline stable with their cousin Roman Reigns.
Naomi is Rikishi’s daughter-in-law and a former WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion. She is married to Jimmy Uso and has been wrestling for WWE since 2010. She started as a dancer for Brodus Clay and later joined The Funkadactyls with Cameron. She won the SmackDown Women’s Championship twice and became the first African-American woman to hold that title. She is also known for her athletic and flashy style, as well as her glowing entrance attire.
Roman Reigns is Rikishi’s second cousin once removed and the current face of WWE. He is the son of Sika Anoa’i, who was one half of The Wild Samoans with his brother Afa Anoa’i. He started his wrestling career as Leakee in FCW and later joined WWE as Roman Reigns, one third of The Shield with Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins. They were one of the most dominant factions in WWE history and held several championships together. After The Shield disbanded in 2014, Reigns became a singles star and won several titles, including six world championships. He is also a Royal Rumble winner, a Superstar of the Year, a Grand Slam Champion, and a Triple Crown Champion. He is currently the WWE Universal Champion and the WWE Champion, making him the undisputed champion of WWE.
Is Dakota Kai Related to Roman Reigns?
Dakota Kai is related to Roman Reigns through her mother’s side of the family. Her mother is Tanya Anoa’i-Kai, who is the daughter of Reverend Samuelu Anoa’i, who was one of Amituana’i Anoa’i’s sons. This makes Dakota Kai Roman Reigns’ third cousin once removed.
Dakota Kai was born as Cheree Georgina Crowley on May 6, 1988 in Auckland, New Zealand. She started her wrestling career as Evie in 2007 and competed in various promotions in New Zealand, Australia, Japan, and America. She joined WWE in 2016 as Dakota Kai and made her debut in the Mae Young Classic tournament in 2017. She later joined NXT and became one of its top female stars.
Dakota Kai has acknowledged her Samoan heritage and her relation to the Anoa’i family on several occasions. She has also expressed her admiration for Roman Reigns and The Rock as role models for her career.
Conclusion
Dakota Kai and Roman Reigns are both members of the Anoa’i family, which is one of the most influential wrestling families of all time. They are both proud of their Samoan roots and their family legacy. They are both successful wrestlers who have achieved great things in WWE.
However, they are not
