Samoan SWAT Team (1987–1992) Samula "Samu" Anoa'i is the son of
Wild Samoan Afa Anoa'i and Solofa Fatu is the nephew of Afa as well as both of them being the nephews of
Sika Anoa'i and part of the
Anoaʻi family. In 1985, Samu joined
Gino Brito and
Dino Bravo's
Montreal-based
Lutte Internationale promotion, which was the first time he worked in the same territory as his cousin Fatu. When the promotion closed up two years later, the two cousins signed with the
World Wrestling Council in
Puerto Rico and were packaged as the "Samoan
SWAT Team": Samu and Fatu. The team adopted the "Samoan savage" gimmick that had made their fathers so well known and feared throughout the wrestling world, working barefoot and never speaking English on camera. The team became the first ever
WWC Caribbean Tag Team Championship on November 7, 1987 when they beat
Invader I and Invader III. The duo held the titles for just over a month before dropping them to
Mark Youngblood and
Chris Youngblood 1988, but lost it back two days later. On September 12, 1988 The Samoan SWAT Team become double champions as they beat
"Hollywood" John Tatum and
Jimmy Jack Funk for the
WCWA Texas Tag Team Championship. In the beginning of 1989, the Samoans left WCCW, forcing both sets of tag team titles to be vacated due to the sudden departure. At
The 1989 Great American Bash the Samoans teamed with former rival Michael Hayes,
Terry Gordy and
Jimmy Garvin losing a
War Games Match to
The Road Warriors, the Midnight Express and
Steve Williams. In the fall of 1989, Paul E. Dangerously was phased out and the Samoans were given a new manager: "The Big Kahuna"
Oliver Humperdink. Their ranks were also bolstered by the addition of
The Samoan Savage (Fatu's brother). The Samoans started to lose more and more matches as 1989 drew to a close, but their fortunes appeared to be changing due to the injury to
Sid Vicious. Because Vicious was injured
The Skyscrapers had to pull out of the "Iron Team Tournament" at
Starrcade '89: Future Shock. In late-1989, Fatu briefly teamed with the
Samoan Savage as "The New Wild Samoans" (a reference to the "original"
Wild Samoans). For the remainder of the Samoan SWAT Team's time in WCW Fatu and the Samoan Savage competed under the name "New Wild Samoans", while Samu made a few singles appearances. After leaving WCW in the summer of 1990 the Samoan SWAT Team worked for a number of independent promotions in the US, Europe, Mexico and Japan, often teaming up with family member
Rodney Anoaʻi who competed as "Kokina Maximus". The trio wrestled for the
Universal Wrestling Association as the "Hawaiian Beasts", where they won the
UWA World Trios Championship.
Headshrinkers (1992–1995) In 1992, Samu and Fatu signed up with the
World Wrestling Federation, managed by Samu's father Afa. The team changed their name to the "Headshrinkers" but their gimmick remained the same, Samoan wildmen. Rodney Anoa'i also signed with the WWF but he was repackaged as "Yokozuna" and the family ties between him and the Samoans were not mentioned on air. The team debuted on an edition of
WWF Prime Time Wrestling defeating local jobbers being called The Samoans, however the team vanished quickly. As The Headshrinkers they first made their presence known when they helped
Money Inc. beat
the Natural Disasters to win the
WWF World Tag Team titles. Early in their run with the WWF the Headshrinkers feuded with the Natural Disasters and the recently formed
High Energy. Between 1992 and the early parts of 1994, the Headshrinkers maintained a position in the middle of the tag team division, occasionally challenging for the titles and making sporadic PPV appearances feuding with teams like
The Smokin' Gunns and
Men on a Mission. The Headshrinkers assisted their relative Yokozuna in a casket match against
The Undertaker at the
1994 Royal Rumble. In March 1994 the Headshrinkers turned face and challenged then tag-team champions
The Quebecers, with the addition of manager
Lou Albano the team won the gold on May 2, 1994. (Taped April 26, 1994). At
King of the Ring 1994 on June 19 the Headshrinkers successfully defended their tag team titles against Yokozuna and
Crush. Their run with the titles came to a surprising end on an untelevised card on August 28 where they lost the titles to
Shawn Michaels and
Diesel. The title change happened just one day before they were scheduled to defend against
Irwin R. Schyster and
Bam Bam Bigelow. Soon after the title change, Samu left the WWF The only other notable appearance of Fatu and Sione was as part of the tournament to crown new WWF tag team champions in late 1994, and early 1995. The Headshrinkers lost to Bam Bam Bigelow and
Tatanka in the Semi Finals. By July, the Headshrinkers dissolved, as Sione left the WWF for WCW. By the time, the team was used to put over new teams such as
The Blu Brothers.
Samoan Gangster Party (1995) After being away from the spotlight for a while Samu returned to the WWF in 1995. Samu along with his cousin
Matt Anoaʻi were known as the "Samoan Gangster Party" (or "Gangstas in Paradise") with Samu being known as "Sammy the Silk" and his cousin Matt Anoaʻi (son of Sika) became known as "Big Matty Smalls", and joined Samu as The Samoan Gangstas. The two men did not wrestle for the WWF but watched Fatu from afar as the former Headshrinker tried to turn himself into a positive role model for kids on the street. The angle was dropped as the Samoan Gangster Party never got in the ring or confronted Fatu before he was repackaged.
Other iterations From 2003 to 2006, Samu teamed with Mana as The Samoan Island Tribe. Samu and
Tama teamed in Mexico as "Los Samoanos". On October 29, 2023, Anoaʻi and Finau announced on
X that they have been granted their release from MLW. == Championships and accomplishments ==