Wild Samoans The Wild Samoans was the tag team of Afa and Sika in Mid - South Wrestling , the National Wrestling Alliance ( NWA ) and the World Wrestling Federation ( WWF ) . The Samoans held 21 tag team championships around the world . Gimmick . In interviews the duo rarely spoke , only grunting in a primitive dialect that only manager Capt . Lou Albano could understand . Completing their wild man image , the duo engaged in outrageous behavior such as nose picking and eating raw fish during interviews . History . The team began its career in Stampede Wrestling , where they won the Stampede International Tag Team Championship on two occasions . They spent the majority of the 1970s in various National Wrestling Alliance ( NWA ) territories . World Wrestling Federation . In the early 1980s , the Wild Samoans joined the World Wide Wrestling Federation ( WWWF ) . They made their Madison Square Garden debut on January 21 1980 in a WWF Tag Team Championship match against Tito Santana and Ivan Putski , who retained their title . In the upcoming months , both men became contenders for Bob Backlund ' s WWF Championship , but neither man won the gold . They , however , won their first championship in the WWF , the tag team championship , by defeating Santana and Putski on April 12 , 1980 . They reigned as champions for approximately five months , until dropping the title to Backlund and Pedro Morales in a two out of three falls match at Showdown at Shea . Because Backlund was already the reigning WWF Champion , the team had to forfeit the title , and a tournament was held to crown new tag champions . On September 8 , 1980 , the Wild Samoans defeated Tony Garea and Rene Goulet in the tournament finals to win the title . Their reign lasted for one month , until they lost to Garea and his new partner , Rick Martel . The Wild Samoans feuded with the champions for the rest of the year , but they were not able to recapture the gold . Mid - South and Mid - Atlantic . In late 1981 , the Wild Samoans joined Mid - South Wrestling . With , " Big Cat " Ernie Ladd as their financial adviser , they won the Mid - South Tag Team Championship and feuded with Junkyard Dog and Dick Murdoch . After also attacking Ladd , the two began a feud with their former adviser . In response , Ladd formed a team with " Iron " Mike Sharpe , with whom he forced the Wild Samoans to leave Mid - South . After leaving Mid - South , the duo appeared in Mid - Atlantic Championship Wrestling . As part of the territory , they defeated the Fabulous Freebirds for the NWA National Tag Team Championship , which they later vacated . Return to the World Wrestling Federation . The Wild Samoans eventually ended up back in the World Wrestling Federation with their former manager Capt . Lou Albano . Afa and Sika began their third WWF Tag Team Championship reign on March 8 , 1983 by defeating Chief Jay and Jules Strongbow . In a rematch on March 19 , they were also victorious . Also during this time , while feuding with Rocky Johnson , Jimmy Snuka , and André the Giant , the duo added Afa ' s son Samula to their team , first as a replacement for Sika when he got hurt , then as their backup upon his return . They lost their tag team title to the team of Rocky Johnson and Tony Atlas on November 15 . During the match , Albano tried to interfere on the Samoans behalf by attempting to hit Johnson over the head with a chair . He accidentally hit Sika instead , however , and Atlas covered him for the win . The duo eventually left the WWF in 1984 . Post - tag team careers . Both men went on to have successful careers , both as singles wrestlers and managers . During the 1990s , Afa Anoa ' i opened the Wild Samoans Training Center , and the school ' s graduates include Paul Orndorff , Junkyard Dog , Sherri Martel , Michael P . S . Hayes , Yokozuna , Bam Bam Bigelow , and Batista . They also promote live wrestling shows under the WXW banner . In 2007 , on the eve of WrestleMania 23 , the Wild Samoans were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame . They were inducted by their sons Samula and Matt Anoa ' i .