If you are a fan of professional wrestling, you have probably heard of the Anoa’i family, a Samoan dynasty that has produced some of the most successful and influential wrestlers in the history of the sport. From The Rock to Roman Reigns, from Rikishi to The Usos, the Anoa’i family has dominated the wrestling scene for decades. But how are they all related? And is Roman Reigns, the current WWE Universal Champion and leader of The Bloodline, really related to Jimmy Snuka, the legendary WWE Hall of Famer and pioneer of high-flying wrestling?
The Anoa’i family tree
The Anoa’i family tree is a complex and sprawling one, with many branches and connections. The patriarch of the family is Amituana’i Anoa’i, a Samoan chief and reverend who had 11 children with his wife Tovaleomanaia. Two of his sons, Afa and Sika, became professional wrestlers and formed the tag team The Wild Samoans, winning multiple championships in various promotions. Afa and Sika are also the founders of the Wild Samoan Training Center, a wrestling school that has trained many wrestlers, including their own relatives.
Afa and Sika have several children who followed their footsteps into wrestling. Afa’s son Samula (Samu) was part of The Headshrinkers and The New Wild Samoans tag teams, while his other son Afa Jr. (Manu) wrestled briefly in WWE. Sika’s son Rodney (Yokozuna) was a two-time WWE Champion and a WWE Hall of Famer, while his other son Matthew (Rosey) was a one-time World Tag Team Champion with The Hurricane. Sika’s youngest son is Leati Joseph “Joe” Anoa’i, better known as Roman Reigns, the current WWE Universal Champion and leader of The Bloodline, a villainous stable that also includes his cousins Jimmy and Jey Uso.
Jimmy and Jey Uso are the sons of Solofa Fatu Jr., who wrestled as Rikishi and Fatu in WWE. Rikishi is also a WWE Hall of Famer and a former Intercontinental Champion and Tag Team Champion. He is the brother of Samuel Fatu (Tonga Kid/Tama) and Edward Fatu (Umaga/Jamal), both of whom also had successful wrestling careers. Rikishi’s nephew Jacob Fatu is currently the MLW World Heavyweight Champion.
Another branch of the Anoa’i family tree comes from Peter Maivia, a Samoan wrestler who was also a high chief and a WWE Hall of Famer. Maivia was not blood-related to Amituana’i Anoa’i, but they were sworn brothers, a traditional Samoan bond that made them family. Maivia married Ofelia Fuataga, who had a daughter named Ata from a previous relationship. Maivia adopted Ata as his own daughter and raised her with his wife. Ata married Rocky Johnson, a Canadian wrestler who was also a WWE Hall of Famer and a former Tag Team Champion. Johnson and Ata are the parents of Dwayne Johnson, who wrestled as Rocky Maivia and The Rock in WWE before becoming one of the biggest movie stars in Hollywood. The Rock is also a 10-time WWE Champion and a two-time WCW Champion.
The Rock has three daughters: Simone Johnson (Ava Raine), who is currently training at the WWE Performance Center; Jasmine Johnson; and Tiana Gia Johnson. Simone Johnson uses the ring name Ava Raine in NXT, where she is part of The Schism, a villainous stable led by Joe Gacy.
Another cousin of The Rock is Savelina Fanene (Nia Jax), who is currently one of the top female wrestlers in WWE. She is a former Raw Women’s Champion and Women’s Tag Team Champion. Her father Joseph Fanene was Peter Maivia’s first cousin.
Jimmy Snuka is not blood-related to Roman Reigns or any other member of the Anoa’i family. However, he is related by marriage through his children Sarona Snuka (Tamina) and James Reiher Jr. (Deuce or Sim Snuka), who have both wrestled for WWE.
Jimmy Snuka was born in Fiji to Louisa Smith and Charles Thomas. Thomas was married to another woman, and Smith was engaged to Bernard Reiher. Before Snuka was born, his mother married Reiher, who adopted Snuka as his son. Snuka moved with his family to Hawaii when he was young and started his wrestling career there.
Snuka married Sharon Georgi in 1964 and had four children with her: James Jr., Liana, Ata and Sarona. Snuka and Georgi divorced in 1999. Snuka married Carole Snuka in 2004 and remained with her until his death in 2017.
Snuka was one of the most popular and influential wrestlers of the 1980s, known for his high-flying style and his signature move, the Superfly Splash. He was a WWE Hall of Famer and a former ECW World Heavyweight Champion. He also had a controversial and tragic life, as he was accused of murdering his girlfriend Nancy Argentino in 1983, but was never convicted due to lack of evidence and his deteriorating health.
Snuka’s daughter Sarona Snuka wrestles as Tamina in WWE, where she is a two-time Women’s Tag Team Champion. She is also the cousin of The Usos by marriage, as she was previously married to Jonathan Fatu (Jimmy Uso). They have two daughters together: Milaneta and Maleata.
Snuka’s son James Reiher Jr. wrestled as Deuce or Sim Snuka in WWE, where he was a one-time WWE Tag Team Champion with Domino. He also had a brief stint as a stunt double for The Rock in the movie The Game Plan.
Conclusion
Roman Reigns and Jimmy Snuka are not blood-related, but they are part of the same extended wrestling family through marriage. They are both descendants of Samoan wrestlers who have made a huge impact on the sport and the entertainment industry. They are both members of the Anoa’i family, a Samoan dynasty that has produced some of the greatest wrestlers of all time.
