It’s a tragic week for the Anoa’i family, one of pro wrestling’s greatest dynasties. As you all know, Roman Reigns revealed on Monday Night Raw that he’s fighting leukemia, which has returned after eleven years. After he announced that he was leaving WWE for the time being (but adamantly not retiring), support poured out from all over the wrestling world. However, his cousin Samu Anoa’i came under fire on Facebook, as some fans felt that the “Anoa’i Strong” shirts he was selling were exploiting his cousin’s struggle. Samu responded with a statement that revealed the struggle is far more personal for him than people realized.
My cousin’s news has struck the world and we are all devastated at this time. What many of you may or may not know is I am also dealing with stage 4 liver cancer and am currently waiting for God’s grace to help me get a transplant.
I am an elder member of my family and in no way am I or my family attempting to profit from any serious sickness. Instead, I want to use our name in order to help doctors and researchers find ways to cure this evil sickness.
I do not endorse or will I ever endorse profit on the misfortune of others or myself or that of my family.
We don’t know when Samu was diagnosed with liver cancer, but it sounds like this is a fight he’s been engaged in for a while, just without making it public. Longtime wrestling fans will remember Samu as half of the Samoan SWAT Team with his cousin Fatu (later known as Rikishi, father of the Usos), which became the Headshrinkers in WWF, where they were Tag Team Champions in 1994. Obviously we at With Spandex wish all the best to Samu and his immediate family, as well as to the rest of the Anoa’is, who gave wrestling so much even in the days when being Samoan meant being saddled with some pretty unfortunate gimmicks.
