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Eddie Fatu (born March 28, 1973 in Samoa) is a Samoan professional wrestler currently performing for World Wrestling Entertainment's (WWE's) RAW brand under the ring name Umaga (the Tagalog word for "morning"). When Fatu had his first stint in WWE he wrestled under the name Jamal.
Eddie is the brother of wrestlers Rikishi (Solofa Fatu) and The Tonga Kid (Sam Fatu), cousin to The Rock, Yokozuna (Rodney Anoai), Samu the Headshrinker (Samula Anoai), Rosey (Matt Anoai), and Jimmy Snuka, Jr. and nephew to "Soulman" Rocky Johnson, the Wild Samoans (Sika & Afa), and Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka.
Career
Before signing with the WWF (now WWE), Eddie Fatu would work the independent circuit along side his cousin Matt Anoai, wrestling under the team name of The Island Boyz.
On the July 22, 2002 episode of RAW, now going under the ring name Jamal, Fatu made his debut in WWE along side Anoai (who was renamed Rosey) as Three Minute Warning. They were (kayfabe) hired as RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff's assailants, attacking seemingly random wrestlers each week, at the orders of Bischoff.
The most notable events during this gimmick came when they attacked two lesbians, after they began to bore Bischoff, and when they crashed the wedding of Billy and Chuck. After the wedding Rico, the manager of Billy & Chuck, jumped from SmackDown! to RAW to manage 3 Minute Warning. In June 2003, Eddie Fatu was released from his WWE contract.
Fatu worked for the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) promotion for a short while under his old stage name, Ekmo, and would later join All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) as a member of the Roughly Obsess & Destroy (RO&D) faction. Later, with Taiyo Kea, Fatu won the AJPW Unified World Tag Team Championship title.
Fatu would also wrestle in many independent promotions during this time, including his brother Kishi's Nu-Wrestling Evolution. However, it was announced in December 2005, that Fatu would be returning to World Wrestling Entertainment after giving his notice to AJPW.
In December 2005, it was confirmed that WWE re-signed Fatu. A return of Three Minute Warning was hinted at for many weeks with the team of Matt Anoai and Fatu competing in dark matches together before tapings of RAW. However, Rosey was released before the team could be brought up onto the main show.
On the April 3, 2006, edition of RAW, Fatu made his redebut under the name of Umaga, alongside his manager, the Cuban Armando Alejandro Estrada. After Estrada interrupted Ric Flair during a promo and introduced his new client, Umaga proceeded to viciously attack Flair, leaving him laying in the middle of the ring.
The "Umaga" gimmick is considered a throwback to many Samoan based tag teams like The Wild Samoans, and The Headshrinkers. The character has also drawn many similarities to "Kamala the Ugandan Giant". There was also some initial controversy over the fact that the Umaga character was basically a rip-off of fellow Afa graduate and independent wrestler Mana.
Most of the matches Umaga would participate in while establishing himself were squash matches against various jobbers. However, after competing in one of these squash matches, Ric Flair would return and attack him. He defeated the "Nature Boy" Ric Flair at WWE Backlash 2006.
Umaga had a brief feud with Viscera. On the May 29, 2006 edition of RAW, he defeated Viscera in a squash match, after a top rope splash and his samoan spike finisher.
On the June 5, 2006 RAW Umaga began a feud with "Hacksaw Jim Duggan and his "protege" Eugene by attacking Duggan after a Eugene match. The next week Umaga defeated Duggan in a singles match, then tied Eugene into the ropes and slapped him around while continuing to attack a downed Duggan. Eugene then challenged Umaga to a match at Vengeance as a measure of revenge. The match was later confirmed for the Vengeance card.
Umaga defeated Eugene at Vengeance 2006 after hitting the Samoan Spike, despite Eugene having "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, Doink the Clown, and Kamala the Ugandan Giant on his side. After the match Umaga took out Hacksaw Jim Duggan and Doink The Clown, but retreated regretfully, after Estrada made him get out of the ring before he could fight Kamala the Ugandan Giant but did beat him easily the next night on WWE RAW.
Umaga faced his biggest challenge to date, defeating former two time WWE Champion John Cena on the July 17 edition of WWE RAW. Edge interfered in the match, allowing Umaga to hit his Samoan Spike finisher on Cena and pick up the victory.
In wrestling
- Finishing and signature moves
- Samoan Spike (Thumb thrust into opponent's neck, occasionally preceded by a lifting single arm choke)
- Wild Samoan Splash (Umaga)/Flying Sausage (Jamal) (Top rope splash)
- Running hip attack to the head of a seated opponent leaning against the bottom turnbuckle.
- Body press to a Samoan drop
- Turnbuckle Powerbomb
- Running headbutt drop to the head of an opponent held in the tree-of-woe position.
- Complete Shot/Reverse STO
- Various headbutts and kicks
- Argentine Neckbreaker
- Giant swing (occasionally into an object such as ring steps or a barricade)
- Diving Headbutt
- Managers
- Nicknames
- During Fatu's time as Umaga, he would go by the nicknames "Samoan Wrecking Machine" and "Samoan Smashing Machine", both of which are believed by some to be parodies of "Samoan Submission Machine"; the nickname of Samoa Joe. He has recently been given the more consistent nickname of the "Samoan Bulldozer".
Championships and accomplishments
- 1-time FMW WEW Hardcore Tag Team Champion
- 1-time HWA Tag-Team Champion (with Matt Anoai)
- 3-time MCW Southern Tag-Team Champion (with Matt Anoai)
- 1-time Hawai'i Championship Wrestling Kekaulike Heritage Tag Team Champion(With Taiyo Kea)
- 1-time AJPW Unified World Tag Team Champion (With Taiyo Kea)
External links
1973 births | American professional wrestlers | Anoai wrestling family | Samoan Americans | San Franciscans | Living people
"Eddie Fatu"