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The Anoa'i Family (The Bloodline) History And Family Tree In WWE

Sid Pullar III|
WWE.com

You cannot tell the story of pro wrestling or the WWE without the Anoa'I family dynasty. For over six decades, this one family has produced some of the most influential and important figures in the industry.

From the early days of "The High Chief" Peter Maivia and The Wild Samoans to the present day with Roman Reigns and The Usos among WWE's top stars, the Anoa'i family has been at the center of the most memorable moments and stories told in wrestling.

With 2025 underway, here is everything you need to know about the Anoa'i family tree and history in WWE.

The beginnings in the wrestling industry

Honoring Samoan culture, the Anoa'i family dynasty began with Reverend Amituanaʻi Anoaʻi and "The High Chief" Peter Maivia who took a blood oath creating a brotherly bond. Maivia was a prominently featured act and founder of the NWA affiliate, Polynesian Pro Wrestling in Hawaii.

Maivia also made a name for himself during a four-year stint from 1977 to 1981 with the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF), which was the original name for what is known today as WWE. "The High Chief" became one of the company's biggest babyface stars, feuding with the likes of Bob Backlund and Superstar Billy Graham.

Maivia married Ofelia "Lia" Fuataga, who had a daughter named Ata. Peter adopted and helped raise Ata. Maivia's stepdaughter would eventually grow up and meet fellow wrestler Rocky Johnson. The couple eventually got married and gave birth to their son Dwayne Johnson.

Amituana'i's sons kept the wrestling legacy alive for the family. Afa and Sika trained together and would later become known as "The Wild Samoans."

The Wild Samoans pioneer the Anoa'i dynasty in WWE (1980s)

Working for Vince McMahon Jr. after he took over the company from his father in 1982, The Wild Samoans became one of WWF's most important tag teams of the 80s.

Winning the WWF Tag Team Championship on three occasions alongside their legendary manager Captain Lou Albano, Afa and Sika Anoa'i set the stage for their family to create an unmatched legacy in the company.

Trained by his uncles The Wild Samoans, Samuel Larry Fatu became known as "The Tonga Kid." Mostly used in an undercard role during his time in WWE, "The Tonga Kid" was billed as the cousin of Jimmy Snuka.

Another notable member of the Anoa'i family dynasty who is often forgotten is WWE Hall of Famer Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. Related to the family by marriage, Snuka served as WWE's biggest babyface behind Hulk Hogan in the 1980s.

Having married Sharon Georgi who was the daughter of a Samoan chief who was blood brothers with Peter Maivia and Amituanaʻi Anoaʻi, Snuka is not always mentioned alongside the other significant members of this family tree.

Another lesser-known member of the dynasty came in during the 80s in Haku. Also known as Meng in WCW, Haku, real name Tonga ʻUliʻuli Fifita, established himself as "The King of the Ring" and was managed by Bobby "The Brain" Heenan.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson previously stated that he considers Haku as his uncle and thus brought his entire extended family into the fold of the Anoa'i family dynasty.

Yokozuna & The Headshrinkers pave the way for Rocky Maivia (1990s)

When looking back on the 1990s for the Anoa'i family, the discussion has to start with Yokozuna. Debuting under a Japanese sumo wrestler persona, the 500-plus pound Agatupu Rodney Anoaʻi became "Yokozuna," managed by Mr. Fuji.

After a dominant run following his 1992 debut, Yokozuna would have a breakout year in 1993, winning the Royal Rumble and going on to win the WWF Championship twice.

With memorable feuds against Bret Hart, The Undertaker, and Hulk Hogan, Yokozuna has to be considered one of the greatest monster heels in WWE history.

Yokozuna's cousins Samula Fred Anoaʻi and Solofa Fatu Jr. would become Samu and Fatu, better known as "The Headshrinkers." The duo won the WWF Tag Team Championships and put on some memorable bouts against the likes of The Steiner Brothers.

Fatu later became known by several other aliases, such as The Sultan and Rikishi. Under the name of Rikishi, he achieved his most singles success during the 2000s alongside Too Cool. The Anoa'i family member is a former Intercontinental Champion during this period.

The first third-generation wrestler of the Anoa'i family dynasty also debuted in the 1990s when Peter Maivia's grandson, Dwayne Johnson, became Rocky Maivia. Competing in his debut match at Survivor Series 1996, Johnson would push the legacy of the family to brand new heights.

The Rock takes the dynasty to the next level, 3 Minute Warning & Umaga continue the legacy (2000s)

After undergoing a transformation following the fans' rejection of his Rocky Maivia persona, Dwayne Johnson became known as The Rock. Often regarded as one of the most important figures of the Attitude Era, the third-generation star reached another stratosphere of superstardom.

Winning the WWE World Championship 10 times, The Rock broke out into the mainstream as one of the most recognizable and popular entertainment stars of all time.

Known for his brash trash-talking and ability to capture the fans' imagination, "The People's Champion" helped WWE defeat WCW in the "Monday Night Wars" and achieved success outside of the company in the process.

From his stellar rivalries against Stone Cold Steve Austin and Triple H to his memorable promos and segments with Mankind and John Cena, The Rock will forever be etched in the essence of what WWE is and will be.

Now a member of WWE's parent company TKO's Board of Directors, Johnson will help dictate the future of where the biggest promotion in pro wrestling will be for years to come.

The rest of the 2000s saw various members of the family sign with WWE. Matthew Tapunu'u Anoaʻi and Edward Smith Fatu, better known to wrestling fans as 3 Minute Warning's Rosey and Jamal, debuted on WWE TV as bodyguards for Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff in 2002.

Eddie Fatu would later undergo a character change to Umaga in 2006. Managed by Armando Estrada, "The Samoan Bulldozer" became WWE's premier monster heel of this period.

Feuding with the likes of John Cena, Triple H and Jeff Hardy, Umaga cemented himself as one of the more prominently featured acts of the Ruthless Aggression and Reality eras of WWE.

Meanwhile, Jimmy Snuka's son, Jimmy Snuka Jr., debuted in 2007 as Deuce. Becoming one-half of the WWE Tag Team Champions with his partner Domino, the second-generation star quickly found success on the SmackDown brand. He would also become known as Sim Snuka before eventually being released in 2009.

Introducing Roman Reigns & The Usos set the stage for a new generation (2010s)

The next generation of the Anoa'i family dynasty was introduced in 2010 when Jimmy Snuka's daughter Tamina and Rikishi's twin sons The Usos made their debut.

Jimmy and Jey Uso would become one of WWE's most popular tag teams of the next two decades. The duo went on to win the WWE Tag Team Championships eight times over the next 13 years.

Jimmy would add another exceptional talent to the family when he met Naomi during their time in Florida Championship Wrestling. The couple got married in 2014. Naomi is a former SmackDown Women's Champion and is a two-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champion.

Then in 2012, Sika Anoa'i's son and Rosey's brother Leati Joseph "Joe" Anoaʻi made his WWE debut at Survivor Series. Under the name of Roman Reigns as part of The Shield faction, Anoa'i started on the FCW developmental territory and NXT brand before getting his main roster call-up.

Alongside Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins, The Shield went on a dominant run with an undefeated streak and established three new top stars for WWE. Reigns reached megastar status over the next decade. in the company.

Winning the WWE Championship four times and the Universal Championship two times, "The Big Dog" took the mantle of "the Face of WWE" from John Cena and Brock Lesnar, etching his name in the record books along the way.

Outside of WWE, Haku's sons Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa got their pro wrestling careers started. Training at the New Japan dojo, Tama became one of the most consistent and reliable foreign stars of the decade for NJPW and a founding member of the iconic Bullet Club stable.

Winning the IWGP Tag Team Championships seven times with his brother Tonga Loa as "The Guerrillas of Destiny," Tama was able to first become a crucial tag team specialist for New Japan and then eventually a singles star, holdIng the NEVER Openweight Championship four times.

Meanwhile, Tonga Loa got his first exposure in WWE as "Camacho." After a short stint in the company, he eventually made his way to NJPW and joined his brother as part of the Bullet Club.

Gaining notoriety in Japan, The Guerrillas of Destiny would eventually arrive in the WWE together, signing with the promotion in 2024.

Tama and Tonga's younger brother Hikuleo also debuted for NJPW during the 2010s and went on to garner singles as well as tag team success. The former New Japan star is a former NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion and a two-time IWGP Tag Team Champion.

Finally, Peter Maivia's first cousin, Joseph Fanene is the father of WWE star Savelina Fanene, better known to fans as Nia Jax. "The Irresistible Force" has assembled a tremendous list of accomplishments, including being a two-time WWE Women's Champion and 2024 Queen of the Ring.

The Bloodline Saga Begins (2020s)

The Anoa'i family dynasty's embarrassment of riches when it comes to pure talent and accolades already raised the bar high on their legacy and then WWE introduced The Bloodline storyline.

MORE: The Bloodline: Complete Story & Timeline Of The Biggest WWE Storyline In The Last 20 Years

Kickstarting in 2020 following the return of Roman Reigns at SummerSlam, the company began an overarching, all-encompassing saga that has shifted the promotion's approach to storytelling and audience engagement.

After years of being rejected as WWE's top babyface, Reigns turned heel, aligned with Paul Heyman, and started to refer to himself as "The Head of the Table" in one of the best character evolutions ever seen in company history.

Manipulating and gaslighting his cousins Jimmy and Jey Uso, Roman created The Bloodline in his image, while taking on the mantle of "The Tribal Chief" with his signature Ula Fala ceremonial necklace as a symbol of his leadership.

With Reigns at the helm, The Usos made history by becoming the longest reigning WWE Tag Team Champions in company history with a 622-day run from July 2021 to April 2023.

Meanwhile, Roman Reigns stood at the top of the company, first capturing the WWE Universal Championship and then capturing the WWE Championship from Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 38 in 2022.

Holding the Undisputed WWE Championship for an unbelievable 1,316 days, Reigns became the first world champion to hold the title for 1000+ days in 35 years and was the fourth longest reign in the company's history.

MORE: The 10 Longest WWE Championship Reigns

Adding the likes of Solo Sikoa and Sami Zayn to their ranks, The Bloodline dominated WWE TV and quickly cemented its place as one of the greatest stories ever told in wrestling. From Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre to Kevin Owens and CM Punk, every top star has been affected by this tale.

The Rock has even made his presence felt by making a return in 2024 as a brand new character called "The Final Boss." Officially part of the TKO Board of Directors, this authoritative persona brought a new side of The Rock after more than two decades in the industry.

Helping to craft one of the most engrossing buildups in the show's history, The Rock and Roman Reigns set the stage for Cody Rhodes to finish his story and win the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 40.

Post Mania XL, The Bloodline underwent its latest evolution when Solo Sikoa took the moniker of "Tribal Chief" and introduced the likes of Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, and The Tonga Kid's son Jacob Fatu to the stable.

This led to another installment of The Bloodline Civil War with one faction led by Sikoa and the original group headed up by Reigns in the Men's WarGames at Survivor Series.

With Roman Reigns remaining as WWE's top star, Jey Uso now a bonafIde merchandise draw, and the likes of Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu rising the ranks, the Anoa'i family dynasty will only further grow in importance and significance in the years to come.

Published | Modified
Sid Pullar III
SID PULLAR III

Sid Pullar III is a lifelong pro wrestling fan who has been covering the business for the past eight years. Starting off as a podcaster and creator of the Tru Heel Heat Wrestling YouTube channel, he made the transition to news and feature writing with Sportskeeda and WrestleTalk in 2020. His passion for the industry has been documented with over 3,000 videos on YouTube and 8,000 written pieces across multiple outlets, such as Fightful, WrestleTalk, The Takedown and more. Follow him on X @TruHeelSP3

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