Pro wrestling has lost another former star to soon as Matty Anoa’i, best known as WWE’s “super hero in training” Rosey, passed away on Monday at the age of 47. PWInsider noted that Anoa’i had been dealing with congestive heart failure in recent years, but the cause of his death hasn’t yet been confirmed. Rosey is part of the legendary Anoa’i wrestling dynasty, which includes The Rock, The Usos, WWE Hall of Famers The Wild Samoans, WWE Hall of Famer Yokozuna, and more. He’s also the brother of current WWE star Roman Reigns.
Anoa’i broke into WWE in 2002 as part of “3-Minute Warning,” a tag team of giant, violent, Samoan guys on a tight schedule alongside his cousin Edward “Eki” Fatu, eventually known as Umaga. In late 2003, The Hurricane noticed his “potential” as a possible super hero and made him a super hero in training, which was mostly a joke to get the word “shit” on his shirt. The training paid off, however, as Rosey debuted in a new costume as a full-fledged super hero in 2004.
Rosey’s former super hero mentor posted the following on Instagram on Tuesday:
If you aren’t familiar with Anoa’i’s work, we’ve included a few videos to check out below. We send our deepest condolences to the Anoa’i family.
