Umaga

Umaga, as **Jamal**, debuted in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) on the July 22, 2002 episode of *Raw* as 3-Minute Warning alongside Rosey, a pair of villainous thugs. They were hired as enforcers of Eric Bischoff, attacking random wrestlers each week, after Bischoff either gave people three minutes to entertain him before they were attacked or decided that three minutes of a segment was enough before the team appeared to end it. They attacked numerous wrestlers at the orders of Bischoff, including D'Lo Brown and Shawn Stasiak. They also attacked non-wrestlers, including ring announcer Lilian Garcia and former wrestlers Jimmy Snuka, Mae Young and The Fabulous Moolah. In September, 3-Minute Warning began a feud with Billy and Chuck, interfering in their storyline commitment ceremony, and defeating them at the Unforgiven pay-per-view event. Rico, Billy and Chuck's former manager, also began to manage 3-Minute Warning during this time. The team lasted just shy of a year, with Jamal being released from his WWE contract in June 2003.

In December 2005, Jamal had re-signed with World Wrestling Entertainment. He returned on the April 3, 2006 episode of *Raw* with a new character called **Umaga**, where he was depicted as a destructive savage who could be controlled only by his manager, Armando Alejandro Estrada. Umaga attacked Ric Flair in his debut at the orders of Estrada. He then defeated Flair at Backlash on April 30.

In mid–2006, Umaga started a winning streak against the majority of the *Raw* roster, including going over top stars John Cena, Shawn Michaels, and Triple H. His next feud started at SummerSlam, where he was supposed to be an enforcer on behalf of Vince McMahon and Shane McMahon during their match against D-Generation X (Shawn Michaels and Triple H), only to be attacked by Kane as he made his entrance. Umaga feuded with Kane for the next two months until Umaga won a Loser Leaves *Raw* match on the October 9 episode of *Raw*, sending Kane off of the brand. After being separated by different brands, Umaga and Kane had one final match at Cyber Sunday, where Umaga again defeated Kane.

Umaga, having still not been pinned, was then deemed the number one contender for the WWE Championship and placed into a feud with then-champion John Cena over the title. Cena retained his belt at the New Year's Revolution pay-per-view by pinning Umaga with a roll-up, officially ending his undefeated streak, which had lasted thirty-four televised matches and spanned from his re-debut in April 2006 to January 2007. In that time, Umaga was never pinned or made to submit on television, but he suffered two losses by disqualification and another in a double countout. For the rest of the month, Armando Alejandro Estrada played down Cena's victory, claiming it was a fluke, until a Last Man Standing rematch was signed for the Royal Rumble. On an episode of *Raw* between the two pay-per-views, Umaga attacked Cena, causing a worked injury to his spleen and putting the match in jeopardy. Cena then refused a medical exam, the results of which could cause him to forfeit his title, and then defeated Umaga at the Royal Rumble after wrapping a loosened ring rope around his neck during an *STFU*.

Umaga was named Vince McMahon's representative for "Battle of the Billionaires" with Donald Trump at WrestleMania 23. Immediately after choosing Umaga, McMahon granted him a match against the Intercontinental Champion Jeff Hardy, which he won to take the title. After Bobby Lashley was named Trump's representative, the two began a feud which lasted even beyond WrestleMania. Umaga lost the Battle of the Billionaires' hair versus hair match and caused McMahon to get his head shaved. Two weeks after WrestleMania, Lashley interfered in a match and helped a planted fan, Santino Marella, defeat Umaga for the Intercontinental Championship. On April 29 at Backlash, Umaga, Vince, and Shane McMahon wrestled Lashley for his ECW World Championship in a handicap match, winning the title for Vince. Umaga would continue to be involved with that feud, competing at Judgment Day in the return match for the ECW World Championship, which was once again a handicap Match with the McMahons along with Umaga taking on Lashley, which Lashley won. However, Lashley did not win the title because he pinned Shane and not the champion, Vince. The feud culminated at One Night Stand, with Umaga aiding Vince in defending the ECW World Championship against Lashley in a street fight, which Vince lost.

In June, Umaga was re-entered into a feud with Marella, the man who won the Intercontinental Championship earlier in April. When they met at the Vengeance pay-per-view, Umaga was solidly in control of the match, but lost by disqualification when he disregarded the referee's instructions and continued to punch Marella. In a rematch on July 2, Umaga defeated Marella to win the Intercontinental Championship for the second time. Not long after, he turned face by joining forces with John Cena against Carlito and Randy Orton. After defeating both Carlito and Mr. Kennedy in a triple threat match at SummerSlam to retain the Intercontinental Championship, he interrupted a match between Kennedy and the returning Jeff Hardy, assaulting Hardy and leaving him lying in the ring, thus turning heel once again. One week later, on the September 3 episode of *Raw*, Umaga lost the Intercontinental Championship to Hardy.

Later that night, he teamed with Carlito in a handicap match against Triple H, after which Triple H struck him several times with his signature sledgehammer, injuring him. He was given a match against Triple H at No Mercy, which was changed to a title match for the WWE Championship during the event when Triple H won the title earlier that night. Umaga was defeated by Triple H in their match. At Survivor Series, his team lost to Triple H's team. Coming upon WrestleMania XXIV, Umaga started a feud with Batista, but lost to him at WrestleMania.

On June 23, 2008, Umaga was drafted to the *SmackDown* brand, as a part of the 2008 WWE draft. Umaga suffered a torn PCL at a live event in Johnson City, Tennessee on August 2. After two promos hyping his return to the brand, on the January 30, 2009 episode of *SmackDown*, Umaga returned with a new entrance theme, defeating Jimmy Wang Yang. Umaga then suffered his first defeat since his return against Triple H by disqualification on March 6 of *SmackDown*, after The Legacy attacked Triple H. On the May 1 episode of *SmackDown*, Umaga returned from a two-month hiatus, attacking CM Punk on multiple occasions, repeatedly interrupting Punk's attempts to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase. At Judgment Day, Umaga defeated Punk, but would lose at Extreme Rules in a Samoan Strap match, ending their feud in what was Umaga's last appearance in WWE. On June 8, 2009, WWE announced that Umaga was released from his WWE contract.

On December 4, 2009, Umaga passed away.