The Headshrinkers - Career - The Samoan Swat Team

The Samoan Swat Team

In 1985, Samu joined Gino Brito and Dino Bravo’s "International Wrestling" territory based in Montreal, which was the first time he worked in the same territory as his cousin Fatu. When the Montreal territory closed up the two cousins signed with the World Wrestling Council in Puerto Rico and became "The Samoan Swat Team": Samu and Fatu. The team adopted the "Samoan savage" gimmick that had made their fathers so well known and feared throughout the wrestling world, working barefoot and never speaking English on camera. The team became the first ever WWC Carrribean Tag-Team Champions on November 7, 1987 when they beat Invader I and Invader III. The duo held the titles for just over a month before dropping them to Mark Youngblood and Chris Youngblood before leaving the promotion.

Samu and Fatu next appeared in Texas, working for Fritz Von Erich’s World Class Championship Wrestling promotion. The storyline was that Buddy Roberts brought the team in to fight his fights against the Von Erich Family and former Fabulous Freebirds partner Michael Hayes. The SST was given a big push right away; presented as an unstoppable force the team was even allowed to beat hometown heroes Kerry and Kevin Von Erich for the WCCW Tag-Team Titles on August 12, 1988. The Samoans remained undefeated in WCCW until they came up against Roberts’ former partner Michael Hayes and Hayes new partner, "Do It To It" Steve Cox on September 12. The duo was not without the gold for long as they recaptured the titles only 4 days. Hayes and Cox would beat the Samoan Swat Team for the titles once again on October 15, 1988 but this time they only held the gold for two days before they lost it back to the SST. On September 12, 1988 The Samoan Swat Team become double champions as they beat "Hollywood" John Tatum and Jimmy Jack Funk for the WCWA Texas Tag Team Championship. The Samoan Swat Team made their pay-per-view debut at AWA Superclash III, the first (and only) PPV that the American Wrestling Association ever presented. The Samoans successfully defended their WCCW Tag-Team titles against Michael Hayes and Steve Cox. In the beginning of 1989, the Samoans left WCCW, forcing both tag-team titles to be vacated due to the sudden departure.

The Samoan Swat Team signed with Jim Crockett Promotions and was brought in as manager Paul E. Dangerously’s replacements for the "Original" Midnight Express who had left the promotion. The Samoans also took over the "Original" Midnight Express’ feud with the Midnight Express beating the team at Clash of the Champions VI on April 2, 1989. At The 1989 Great American Bash the Samoans teamed with former rival Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy and Jimmy Garvin losing a War Games Match to The Road Warriors, the Midnight Express and Steve Williams. In the fall of 1989 Paul E. Dangerously was phased out and the Samoans were given a new manager: "The Big Kahuna" Oliver Humperdink. Their ranks were also bolstered by the addition of The Samoan Savage who is Fatu’s brother. The Samoans started to lose more and more matches as 1989 drew to a close, but their fortunes appeared to be changing due to the injury to Sid Vicious. Because Vicious was injured the Skyscrapers had to pull out of the "Iron Team Tournament" at Starrcade 1989. The Samoan Swat Team, now using the name The New Wild Samoans (a reference to the "original" Wild Samoans) were chosen to be their replacements – Fatu and the Samoan Savage with no explanation of why the more experienced Samu was not chosen. For the remainder of the Samoan Swat Team’s time in WCW Fatu and the Samoan Savage competed under the name New Wild Samoans, while Samu made a few singles appearances. After leaving WCW in the summer of 1990 the Samoan Swat Team worked for a number of independent promotions in the US, Europe and Japan, often teaming up with family member Rodney Anoa'i who competed as "Kokina Maximus".