Manu is Roman Reigns' cousin since The Tribal Chief's father, Sika Anoa'i, is the brother of Afa, the father of the former wrestler.
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He was given the name Afa Anoa’i Jr. and is one of the seven children of The Wild Samoans’ Afa Anoa’i, a legendary wrestler. Roman Reigns’ cousin Manu is related to him since The Tribal Chief’s father, Sika Anoa’i, is the brother of Afa, the father of the former wrestler. One of many members of the Anoa’i family to achieve stardom in the WWE is Roman Reigns. Unfortunately, some of them, like Manu, weren’t as fortunate. The previous champion did not manage to have a major impact in the new position despite being teamed with Randy Orton.
Before leaving in 2006 to go on an audition for WWE, Manu started his wrestling career in 1998 in World Xtreme Wrestling, where he also joined his brothers Samu and Lloyd. His training at Deep South Wrestling continued, and he eventually joined the organization, going on to wrestle in Florida Championship Wrestling. He made his WWE debut the following year as Mai Tai Anoa’i but lost to Jim Duggan. He was first introduced as Manu in 2008 after being suspended for disregarding the wellness policy.
Manu made his debut at the Unforgiven event in 2008, joining forces with Ted DiBiase Jr. and Cody Rhodes. Later, Randy Orton made the offer to team up with Manu and Rhodes, and the resulting trio started to be known as The Legacy. When the Samoan star couldn’t overcome Matt Hardy to “prove himself,” there were cracks in the faction that eventually led to his expulsion. He was fired from the organization in 2009 and went back to WXW. Additionally, he appeared in matches for Pennsylvania Premiere Wrestling and the NWA.
Jim Ross claimed that the formerly famous superstar was still growing, but it didn’t work out. Jim continued by saying that while he has a lot of respect for Afa and Sika, it’s probable that Afa Jr. was finding it difficult to carry on his father’s legacy.
“I think he was still green and still developing and still trying to find his way. He kind of got stereotyped into the typical Samoan persona that had been seen a lot. It wasn’t new. He was a good kid. I’ll be frank. The company gave him plenty of opportunities as far time was concerned because he was there for like three years. He got a chance. It just didn’t work out. He wasn’t quite ready for that level. I got a lot of respect for Afa and Sika. It doesn’t mean your kid is going to be as good as you. A lot of kids that follow in their father’s footsteps find themselves in challenging positions.” Said Ross.
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