WWE star Roman Reigns expresses gratitude for support after father Sika’s demise

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A WWE Hall of Famer, one-half of The Wild Samoans tag team, and the father of Roman Reigns, the legendary Sika has passed away. Mostly known for his ferocious attitude inside a wrestling ring, he has left a tremendous impact on the pro wrestling circuit.

The sad news was first shared through Jahrus Anoa'i via a video on Instagram after which multiple sources including the WWE acknowledged the demise of the 79-year-old old-school wrestling persona.

Mentioning him as a true family man, Jahrus described Sika as "a loving family member whose warmth and kindness knew no bounds, and an inspiration to countless individuals. His legacy will continue to inspire and uplift future generations."

Roman Reigns also issued a statement thanking the peers and fans for their "outpouring of support" following the death of his father. In a message posted to X on Tuesday, the top WWE Superstar spoke about the lasting legacy of his father.

"My father had a profound impact on my entire family and we are forever grateful for the foundation he built for us. There's no way to fill the void left by his passing but my sisters and I will do our best to represent him."

Real-name Pola'ivao Leati Sika Anoa'I, Sika was born on April 5, 1945, in American Samoa. Starting his wrestling career in the 1970s, he quickly rose to prominence of stardom as part of the Wild Samoans tag team with Afa.

After wrestling across various wrestling promotions, the Wild Samoans found great success in the old-school WWF (now WWE). Managed by the legendary Captain Lou Albano, they captured the WWF Tag Team Championship three times, proving to be one of the most dominant tag teams.

As for Sika's solo wrestling career, his match against Hulk Hogan for the WWF Championship aired as part of one of the memorable episodes of Saturday Night's Main Event as the two wrestled for the title on the October 3, 1987 episode.

Sika also had a great influence on his son as admitted by Roman Reigns himself who went on to become the poster figure of the WWE. For all his contributions, Sika and Afa were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2007.