Rikishi blasts Hulk Hogan, Umaga lives again, and Peter Maivia lives on

Also, the former Guerrillas of Destiny make their WWE tag team debut.

The Bloodline returned to winning form this week as Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa defeated the Street Profits on SmackDown. This marked the former Guerrillas of Destiny’s first match as a team in WWE after their entry into The Bloodline surprised many, including their father, former WWE Tag Team Champion Haku.

Outside of WWE, Afa Anoa’i, the WWE Hall of Famer who became famous as a member of the Wild Samoans with his brother Sika, is scheduled to undergo back surgery this Monday. Despite some serious health issues in recent years, Afa said he looks forward to seeing everyone following his surgery.

Also making headlines is Rikishi Fatu, who made some intriguing insights and revelations this week.

Rikishi puts Hulk Hogan on Blast

Last week’s Tribal Beat covered Yokozuna’s victory over Hulk Hogan for the WWE Championship at the 1993 King of the Ring. But how that match came about was a result of the events at WrestleMania IX.

After Yokozuna and his manager, Mr. Fuji, conspired to cheat Bret Hart out of the title, Hulk Hogan appeared and protested the decision. Fuji challenged Hogan to a match and offered to put Yoko’s newly won crown on the line. Less than a minute later, Hogan defeated Yokozuna to win his fifth WWE Title.

On his podcast, Rikishi Fatu Off the Top, WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi gave his honest assessment of the WrestleMania IX finish.

“That was bullshit.”

Discussing his cousin, the senior Samoan statesman praised Yoko (real name Rodney Anoaʻi) as a good man who shared his success with family and fellow wrestlers. He noted that no one in the industry had a bad word to say about Yokozuna.

After Anoaʻi signed with WWE in 1992, Rikishi credited Sgt. Slaughter for suggesting the sumo wrestler gimmick that led to Anoaʻi becoming Yokozuna. Early fan reactions prompted then-WWE owner Vince McMahon to promote Yoko to the top. After a near-eight-year career spent traveling the world in search of success, the supersized superstar had hit it big.

Thus, the decision to take the title off him seconds after he won it didn’t sit well with Big Kish.

“(Yokozuna) did his part for the company,” said Rikishi. “Give him his flowers. Hogan was already established already. Rodney worked for it all the way through. Not to say Hogan didn’t work, but it was f***ing bad timing, Hogan. Bad f***ing timing.”

Rikishi’s comments come a few weeks after he dropped a diss track on The Hulkster titled “The Sultan.” It’s a reference to Rikishi’s days as a silent assassin managed by Bob Backlund and celebrated Hogan terrorizer, The Iron Sheik. In the song, Rikishi mentions WrestleMania IX, saying Hogan took a moment from Yoko while calling him out for politicking backstage.

Umaga is back, thanks to Funko

Rikishi shared some exciting news on social media. He quoted an announcement from Funko Pop News (not affiliated with Funko), revealing that Umaga, the Samoan Bulldozer who was a dominant force in WWE during the mid-2000s, will be getting his own Funko Pop figure. Rikishi added a blood drop and pointing finger emoji, symbolizing The Bloodline, and wrote, “#WweHOF2025???”

Born Edward Fatu, Umaga was Rikishi’s younger brother. Along with his cousin, Matt Anoaʻi, the brother of Roman Reigns, they formed 3-Minute Warning in WWE in 2002, serving as a pair of henchmen for then-Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff. After leaving the company in 2003, Fatu returned three years later and was repackaged as a classic Samoan savage named Umaga.

Despite what seemed like a dated gimmick, Umaga quickly rose through WWE’s ranks with terrifying brute force. In 2007, he faced John Cena for the WWE Championship at two pay-per-views, won the Intercontinental Championship twice, and was Vince McMahon’s representative at WrestleMania 23 in the “Battle of the Billionaires” against Bobby Lashley, representing Donald Trump.

Unfortunately, Umaga passed away in 2009 at age 36, but his impact during his second stint with WWE is still highly respected. He was powerful like a bull and swift like a cheetah, capable of taking flight when needed. His influence continues through his nephew, Solo Sikoa, and his son, Zilla Fatu, who honor him with their versions of the Samoan Spike, a devastating thumb strike to the opponent’s throat.

The Funko Pop figure of Umaga doesn’t include the Samoan Spike, so collectors can rest easy that their other figures are safe from disaster — for now.

Legacy of Legends: The High Chief lives forever

The Ring – Wrestling, Oct.1977 – via Internet Archive

In the realm of genetic fortune, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson stands as a true jackpot winner. While his renowned commitment to hard work has undeniably fueled his success, he also inherited a distinct advantage from his illustrious lineage. A natural in the wrestling ring and on the silver screen, The Rock’s extraordinary talents can be traced to his grandfather, the esteemed High Chief Peter Maivia.

Maivia launched his wrestling career in the 1960s, embarking on a journey that spanned over two decades. From Europe to America and New Zealand to Australia, Maivia emerged as Samoa’s premier wrestling star. However, it was during a stint in France that led Maivia to enduring fame.

While wrestling at France’s Palais des Sports (now the Dôme de Paris), the High Chief caught the eye of a casting director and was invited to audition for the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice. Maivia landed the role and appeared as a henchman assigned to eliminate Bond, portrayed by the legendary Sir Sean Connery. In a thrilling scene, an overpowered Bond resorted to a wrestling fan’s favorite weapon — furniture — to subdue Maivia. The intense encounter saw Bond flipped in every direction and hurled through a wall before finally prevailing.

Though Maivia only appeared in the iconic Bond film, his likeness has been immortalized in Disney’s Moana franchise. In 2016, Johnson told ABC that the look of the character Maui, whom Johnson voices in the franchise’s two movies, was inspired by his royal grandfather.

“He looked like that,” Johnson said. “He was a Samoan high chief with high chief tattoos all over his body, and he was a wrestler, just like The Rock, as well.”