Rosey was a professional wrestler who was best known for his time in WWE, where he teamed up with The Hurricane as a Super Hero in Training. He was also a member of the famous Anoa’i family, a Samoan wrestling dynasty that includes his brother Roman Reigns and his cousins The Usos. Rosey passed away on April 17, 2017, at the age of 47, leaving behind three children and a heartbroken family. What was the cause of his death and how did he live his life as a wrestler and a father? Here is a tribute to Rosey, the gentle giant who entertained millions of fans with his charisma and humor.
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The Early Years of Rosey
Rosey was born Matthew Tapunu’u Anoa’i on April 7, 1970, in San Francisco, California. He was the son of Sika Anoa’i, who was one half of the Wild Samoans tag team that won the WWE Tag Team Championship three times in the 1980s. Rosey grew up in a wrestling family and was trained by his uncle Afa Anoa’i, who ran the Wild Samoan Training Facility. He made his debut in 1995 in Afa’s World Xtreme Wrestling promotion, where he teamed up with his cousin Samu as the Samoan Gangsta Party. They had a brief stint in Extreme Championship Wrestling in 1996, where they feuded with The Gangstas and The Eliminators.
Rosey also competed in various independent and international promotions, such as World Wrestling Council in Puerto Rico and Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling in Japan. He won several tag team titles with different partners, including Kimo, Matty Smalls, and Jamal. Jamal was another cousin of Rosey, who would later become known as Umaga in WWE.
The WWE Career of Rosey
In 2001, Rosey signed with WWE and was assigned to Heartland Wrestling Association, a developmental territory. There, he reunited with Jamal and they won the HWA Tag Team Championship twice. They were called up to the main roster in 2002 as 3-Minute Warning, a pair of enforcers for Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff. They were known for attacking unsuspecting wrestlers and segments that Bischoff deemed boring or unworthy of airtime. They also aligned themselves with Rico, who became their manager and stylist.
3-Minute Warning had feuds with Billy and Chuck, D-Generation X, Jeff Hardy, and The Dudley Boyz. They also participated in the first ever Elimination Chamber match at Survivor Series 2002, where they interfered on behalf of Triple H. However, their run as a team ended in 2003 when Jamal was released from WWE due to legal issues.
Rosey then underwent a character change and became a Super Hero in Training (S.H.I.T.) under the guidance of The Hurricane. The duo was a comedic act that parodied superhero tropes and often got into trouble with villains like Evolution, La Resistance, and Muhammad Hassan. Despite their goofy antics, they were popular with the fans and eventually won the World Tag Team Championship from La Resistance at Backlash 2005. They held the titles for four months before losing them to Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch.
Rosey and The Hurricane split up in 2006 when The Hurricane turned heel and attacked Rosey. Rosey then briefly teamed up with Val Venis before being released from WWE in March 2006.
The Post-WWE Life of Rosey
After leaving WWE, Rosey took some time off to spend with his children and coach his oldest son’s teams. He also appeared on the reality show Fat March in 2007, where he lost 100 pounds but injured his left knee. He then resumed his wrestling career and worked for several independent promotions, such as All Japan Pro Wrestling, Great Championship Wrestling, BAW Championship Wrestling, Appalachian Wrestling Federation, and Ohio Valley Wrestling.
Rosey also remained close with his family and supported his brother Roman Reigns’ rise to stardom in WWE. He attended WrestleMania 31 in 2015, where Reigns faced Brock Lesnar for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. He also appeared on an episode of Table for 3 on the WWE Network in 2016, where he shared stories with The Godfather and Rikishi.
The Death of Rosey
In 2014, Rosey was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillation. He underwent several surgeries to improve his condition but continued to struggle with his health. On April 17, 2017, he passed away due to heart failure. He was only 47 years old.
His family issued a statement that read: “The Anoa’i family is mourning the loss of Sika’s son, Matt aka Rosey, due to an untimely death. We want to let his fans know that he loved them and the wrestling world so much. In his passing, he left three beautiful young children and a heartbroken family. Please respect the privacy of his children and family as they mourn the loss of this kind, loving, gentle man, who was a father, son, brother and a superhero to us all. Our family appreciates your prayers and continued support during this very difficult time.”
WWE also expressed its condolences and paid tribute to Rosey on its website and social media platforms. Many wrestlers and personalities who knew Rosey shared their memories and condolences online, such as The Hurricane, Rico, Rikishi, Mick Foley, Booker T, and Triple H.
Rosey was a beloved member of the wrestling community and a proud representative of the Anoa’i family. He entertained millions of fans with his talent, charisma, and humor. He was a devoted father, son, brother, and friend. He was a Super Hero in Training who became a Super Hero in Life. He will be dearly missed by all who knew him.
Rest in peace, Rosey. Thank you for everything.
