Roman Reigns‘ family has been dominating the pro wrestling industry for more than one generation. However, the surname Fatu, or Anoa’i is now used even less than ever before. While some would go with the obvious answer and assume that it has something to do with the family trying to distance itself from the limelight, a member has given the real reason behind it.
While talking to MuscleManMalcolm, Afa Anoa’i Jr. was asked to reveal the reason why Anoa’i and Fatu surnames aren’t that commonly used in the pro wrestling industry anymore, especially in WWE.
Roman Reigns’ relative doesn’t trust the world with his last name
On his show, MuscleManMalcolm asked Afa Anoa’i Jr. why we don’t get to hear his surname in WWE anymore. Even though there are Samoan wrestlers present in The Bloodline, the Stamford-based company has given them different stage names to perform with, keeping their real names only for the documents.
To quench Malcolm’s curiosity, Afa Jr. replied, “I think it’s a pronunciation thing. I mean, I think in Anoa’i, you have too many vowels. Not too many people know how to pronounce it, and I’d hate to have the whole world butchering my last name.”
The wrestling legend’s son believes that WWE stays clear of using the last name of the prestigious pro wrestling family to respect it because correcting global fans would be a lot of work. With Jacob Fatu‘s arrival on the horizon, we are yet to see what name he will be given.
Despite their last name not being used in the promotion, the family members are still dominating the ring. Not only is the family well-known in the sports industry, but now we can see more of them making their way over to Hollywood.
Roman Reigns follows in his cousin’s footsteps
Dwayne Johnson used his popularity in WWE to climb the ladder in Hollywood. As he is now one of the highest-paid actors in the film industry, his younger cousin, Roman Reigns, also appears to be trying to walk the same path. The Tribal Chief first debuted in Hollywood alongside The Rock in Hobbs & Shaw as the latter’s Samoan cousin. Now that he has entered the industry and made a name for himself in WWE, Reigns is moving on to projects that don’t include Johnson.
Ever since his WrestleMania XL wrestling hiatus, the former WWE Undisputed Universal Champion has been reportedly appearing in two heist-comedy movies. Although his role in either of them isn’t yet revealed, one of these roles may be the big break we didn’t see coming.
