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Roman Reigns’ Cousin Recalls Hulk Hogan Crashing Two of His Birthday Parties by Bringing His Whole Neighborhood – “Let Me Take a Picture Click”

Published Aug 28, 2023 | 3:36 PM EDT

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The Anoa’i family housed a host of WWE Heavyweights, including Roman Reigns, his formidable cousins, Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso, and The Rock. Each one of them set their remark on the wrestling business, uplifting the family legacy.

However, not everyone carrying the same family tag is as lucky as their star relatives. One such example is Afa Anoa’i Junior aka Manu, who couldn’t make quite a name for himself in the promotion. It’s pretty surprising for a Roman Reigns closet. That said, not only did he get the chance to come close to The Tribal Chief, but the former WWE star also had a childhood connection with Hulk Hogan.

Afa Anoa’i Jr. reflected back on his childhood memory of Hulk Hogan

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Manu dipped his feat in World Xtreme Wrestling back in 1998 alongside his brothers Samu and Lloyd. In 2006, he had a tryout for WWE. It eventually culminated in his debut in the world’s biggest wrestling promotion. Despite getting himself aligned with some standout stars like Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, and Ted DiBiase Jr., he failed to survive long in the promotion. A defeat at the hands of Matt Hardy made his exit inevitable in 2009.

While he couldn’t follow in the footsteps of his cousins, he got some perks, being born into a hardcore wrestling family. One of these hit when he got to meet Hulk Hogan and that too as an invitee on his birthday.

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It was during the peak of Hogan’s career and everyone in the wrestling community adored him to the core. Recalling that unforgettable experience, the forgotten star noted, ”That was before the internet before you could Tweet that Hogan’s here and stuff like that so word traveled very fast back then.” When asked about the time of the events, he further explained, “oh man my third or fourth birthday had to be in the 80s you know I was born in 84.”

Coming back to their family’s legacy, the former wrestler didn’t think of himself any less than his cousins.

Afa Anoa’i Jr. seemed to be content with his achievements in the business

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While Afa Anoa’i Jr. failed to come to the spotlight during his brief WWE tenure, he didn’t have any regret for it. Evaluating his position in a different light, the former fighter noted that he didn’t feel that compulsion to put himself in the shoes of his other family members. Rather, he believes he should carve out his own separate identity.

He also bragged about staying relevant outside WWE for around twenty-five years and that too without being under the shadow of his legendary family tree. Spilling his aim to be an award-winning Broadway choreographer, the former Manu boldly claimed that if Roman is the Head of the Table, he is the other head.

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What’s your take on Afa Anoa’i Jr. recalling his childhood memories with Hulk Hogan? Let us know in the comments.

Watch the story: Joe Rogan Goes Off At Sly Sylvester Stallone For His 14000 Gesture Towards Hulk Hogan

Written by:

Shreya Nag

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Shreya Nag is a WWE writer at EssentiallySports, whose love for the sport began when she saw Cody Rhodes win the Royal Rumble in 2023. Since then, she has been an ardent fan of Rhodes and the world of pro wrestling. Shreya's writing combines her passion for the sport with her writing abilities, which she uses to provide readers with a nuanced analysis of WWE superstars.
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Edited by:

Rohan Karnad