STB Exclusive Interview With Afa the Wild Samoan Part II

Today, the WWE is a huge industry with a worldwide media presence. Some of their performers are able to parlay their global platforms and branch out into more lucrative, less physically demanding pursuits such as starring in their own movies or writing bestsellers based on their careers.   However, wrestlers weren’t always treated with such respect and admiration. Media celebrities like The Rock, John Cena, and Mick Foley (to name a few)  would be the first to tell you that they owe their financial opportunities to those who came before them, those who blazed the trail and made it possible for Vince McMahon to revolutionize the business.

Afa Anoai is one of those trailblazers.

He began his career in 1971 and, together with his brother, Sika, formed one of the most dominant tag teams to ever grace the sport, The Wild Samoans.  Their gimmick was comical and not terribly politically correct (though wrestling has almost always been able to cross lines for which other industries would be lambasted):  Two savage men from the wilds of a tropical island who had a love for causing pain and destruction.  In truth, Afa Anoai is a very intelligent man who sagely navigated a long career in the wrestling world.  The two brothers exhibited an athleticism that was remarkable for men weighing over 300 lbs.

Today, Afa runs The Wild Samoan Training Center (www.wildsamoan.com) and has helped to train some of the industry’s biggest stars ( Batista, Umaga and many others.)  He also runs a promotion called World Xtreme Wrestling ( www.wxwwrestling.com) and is very active in charity work.  He was inducted, along with Sika, into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007.

I spoke with Afa and got his thoughts about his career and his life after retiring from the squared circle:

FM: It is only recently that the media has acknowledged that, though the outcomes of the matches are predetermined, the physical abuse a wrestler takes over the course of his/her career is indeed real and worthy of note. When you were an active wrestler, did notions like “It’s all fake” and “Oh, anybody can do that stuff” ever bother you to the point where you felt the need to defend your chosen profession?

AA:  I thank you for pointing out the physical abuse that we wrestlers have caused to our bodies. To answer your question, yes, it really pisses me off when people say that wrestling is this or that. Until a person climbs into the shoes of a wrestler, he/she will never truly understand what we do, go through and experience everyday….not just the physical abuse but the sacrifices and ups and downs along the way. A few years back,  I had my gall bladder removed and my lower back scraped.  The doctor told my wife that my insides looked like I was in an automobile wreck. My liver and spleen were smashed together and it was from all the years of taking bumps. Even so,  I would never trade a minute of my life as a wrestler. I love the sport and I commend everyone who has dedicated his/her life to wrestling.

FM:  Describe the program you run at your wrestling school. What principles do you feel are the most important ones for a young wrestler to learn?

AA:  At my school, The Wild Samoan Training Center, I teach all of the basic skills to young men and women who want to become pro  wrestlers. My program includes: Bumping (which is my speciality), putting matches together, mic skills, self-defense, how to protect themselves and their opponents, and the psychology of wrestling. Once a student completes my training program, I move them over to WXW wrestling, which is the place that they go to receive “out of the classroom training”.   It’s in WXW that they put it all together and also receive TV exposure. My students are taught respect for not only the sport of wrestling but to the wrestlers who came before them and to the ones who will come after them and especially to respect the fans and the general public who help to make us who we are. I am proud to have been a wrestler and consider myself a teacher, not a promoter, so, because of this, I feel where a student is coming from…from the day they get the dream to become a wrestler to every step along the way, because I was once a dreamer and one of them.  Since I share this, I can give my students the true principles of wrestling from every sense of the word.

FM:  You are very active in charity work. What are some of your organizations and what roles do you fill for them?

AA:  I have worked with many charities for many years. Some of my favorites include: Dream Come True, One Wish, St. Jude’s Children’s Cancer Hospital, and Special Olympics. I started Usos Foundation back in 1999. It is through Usos that I have helped young people by offering wrestling scholarships, bringing these kids off the streets and away from gangs and drugs and giving them skills not only in wrestling but: Editing, filming, web site design, creative writing, managing skills, marketing and other career opportunities to help offer the youth a brighter future.

FM:  Afa, thank you so much for sitting down with me and for being so forthcoming.  I appreciate it and wish the best of luck on your ventures.

AA:  My pleasure.  Thank you.

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