Former WWE Star Matt “Rosey” Anoa’i Passes Away
Matt "Rosey" Anoa'i, a former WWE tag champion and the older brother of Roman Reigns, died on Monday at the age of 47.
Anoa'i had been hospitalized in 2014 due to congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillation.
Part of the Anoa'i family wrestling dynasty, Rosey made his in-ring debut in the 1990s. He and his cousin, Eddie Fatu — known as Jamal and Umaga in WWE — signed developmental deals with the company in 2001 and made their debuts on Raw that summer as 3 Minute Warning, a pair of enforcers for then-Raw general manager Eric Bischoff. After Jamal was released by WWE in 2003, Rosey underwent a gimmick change and became the sidekick of The Hurricane. Dubbed as a "Super Hero In Training", the duo had a mostly comedic run that did include one stint as tag champions in 2005.
Released from WWE in 2006, Rosey went on to wrestle for All Japan and several independent promotions. He stopped working regularly as a wrestler in 2009, though he did have a handful of matches in the subsequent years.
Rosey was preceded in death by his tag partner in 3 Minute Warning, Jamal, who passed away in December of 2009 following a drug overdose.
In addition to his older brother, other family members to enjoy major careers in wrestling include his father, Sika, one half of the WWE Hall of Fame Wild Samoans tag team. The Rock, Yokozuna, Rikishi, The Usos, Samu, and Nia Jax also are connected to the family tree.
