Mana the Polynesian Warrior
Encyclopedia
Nikora Mana Tuhakaraina (born 7 April 1978) is a New Zealand professional wrestler, better known by his ringname Mana the Polynesian Warrior. He competes in North American independent promotions including Ballpark Brawl, Combat Zone Wrestling
, Jersey All Pro Wrestling
, Major League Wrestling
, the National Wrestling Alliance
, Pro Wrestling Unplugged and World Xtreme Wrestling
. He has also teamed with Samu
as the Samoan Island Tribe in Mikey Whipwreck
's New York Wrestling Connection as well as both Major League Wrestling and World Xtreme Wrestling.
. His family belongs to the Raungaiti, a small tribe belonging to the Ngati Haua. When he was six years old, his father died and he was thereafter raised by his mother. Like his brothers, Tuhakaraina was involved in rugby
since the age of four and played for Waikato Secondary School and Matamata College
. Among his teammates during this time included star rugby union
players Keith Lowen, Bruce Reihana
, Damian Karauna, Jason Spice
and Nicky Little
. In 1994, he trialed for the New Zealand under-19s with All Blacks
players Anton Oliver
, Christian Cullen
, Carlos Spencer
, Carl Hoeft
, Chris Jack
and Marty Holah
.
and was in attendance at a World Wrestling Federation
event in Hamilton
when Don Muraco
, Jim Powers
and Dynamite Kid
during a WWF tour of New Zealand. After seeing WrestleMania IV
, he became a fan of The British Bulldogs, The Hart Foundation
, Demolition
, The Islanders and especially the Samoan Swat Team. Tuhakaraina would team with both members, Samu
and Fatu
, later in his career.
While living on Perth, Australia
, Tuhakaraina met wrestler Sione Vailahi
who advised him to attend Afa Anoa'i
's Wild Samoan Pro Wrestling Training Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania
. He corresponded via e-mail
with Anoa'i for several months while building scaffolds with two of his brothers and his nephew in western Australia
. He arrived in the United States not long after and lived with Salvatore Bellomo
while training at the wrestling school. Training consisted of 1,000 squats
, 100 sit-ups
, 100 leg raises
and 200 pushups before entering the ring with instructor Moondog Molsonn. Along with additional training from Anoa'i and Samula Anoa'i
, Tuhakaraina graduated early from the program within 60 days breaking the previous record set by Billy Kidman at 96 days. He also became close friends with fellow graduates Tommy Suede and Supreme Lee Great while training at the school.
, Tuhakaraina made his professional debut in World Xtreme Wrestling
defeating easily defeating his opponent, a masked wrestler aptly named Guy In A Mask. Tuhakaraina proved so popular with the crowd, that he would wrestle as a fan favorite
for much of his early career. He also began performing the Haka
, a Māori war dance, prior to his matches. Some of his first opponents in his first years on the independent circuit included WWF veterans Virgil
, King Kong Bundy
, Tito Santana
and Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka
, ECW's Gary Wolfe, Tommy Dreamer
and The Sandman
as well Dave Batista and Lo Ki. He has also faced members of the Anoa'i wrestling family
Samu, Rikishi
and 3 Minute Warning (Rosey
and Jamal
).
A month after the 11 September attacks, he was denied a six month extension on his work visa
by the Immigration and Naturalization Service
. Although forced to remain in New Zealand for some time, he eventually returned to active competition in early-2003 as one half of the Samoan Island Tribe with Samu.
On 28 April, he defeated Gene Snisky
for the WXW Heavyweight Championship
in Mountainville, Pennsylvania. Although he lost the championship to Rapid Fire Maldonado in Sciota, Pennsylvania two months later, he regained the title at SportsFest '04 in Allentown on 9 July. With nearly 8,000 in attendance, Tuhakaraina pinned Maldonado with a Samoan drop from the second rope. He was immediately attacked by Rob Dimension's Ivy League Havoc stable, led by newly crowned WXW Television Champion Boogaloo, before Dave Batista cleared the ring. His second reign lasted nearly three months before losing the title to Sinister X in a three-way match with L.A. Smooth
on 29 October 2004.
In February 2005, he and John Cabbie would represent WXW in Chikara's 2005 World Tag Grand Prix and were eliminated by F.I.S.T. (Gran Akuma
and Icarus) in the opening rounds. During the next two years, Tuhakaraina would be involved in feuds with several former ECW wrestlers Balls Mahoney
, Steve Corino
and, in 2006, against Abyss
. On 25 February 2006, he took part in the 2006 World Tag Grand Prix with Larry Sweeney
but was eliminated by Team DDT
(KUDO and MIKAMI) in the opening rounds once again.
(Jose and Joel Maximo) at MLW Revolution although they lost to them in a rematch at MLW Hybrid Hell. On 10 January 2004, he and Samu lost to The Extreme Horsemen (CW Anderson and Simon Diamond) at MLW Reloaded #2. On 8 April, Tuhakaraina teamed with former enemies The SAT and Guillotine Legrande in an 8-man tag team match against Greg Spitz, Mark Mest, Rapid Fire Maldonado and Rockin Rebel at a show for Pro Wrestling WORLD-1. Losing to Dustin Rhodes the following night, he and Guillotine Legrande defeated the Christopher Street Connection
on 10 April.
On 25 February 2005, Tuhakaraina defeated Tony DeVito
and The Sandman in a no disqualification three-way dance at a show for Pro Wrestling Unplugged. He appeared for Frank Goodman's USA Xtreme Wrestling the next night where he and Axl Rotten
fought to a no-contest. At the debut show for MWA, he and Supreme Lee Great defeated Nikolai Volkoff
and The Patriot
. That same year, he lost to Mike Quackenbush but later beat Josh Daniels and Mike Kruel
.
On 26 March 2006 he lost to Bobby Roode in a four-way match for the vacant CSWF Heavyweight Championship in Dover, New Jersey
. The other participants were Matt Bentley
and Rodney Mack. He had brief stints in a number of independent promotions throughout 2006, including Combat Zone Wrestling
, NWA Cyberspace and Mikey Whipwreck
's New York Wrestling Connection.
Touring Australia with the Australian Wrestling Federation during the summer of 2007, Tuhakaraina lost to AWF Heavyweight Champion TNT
on 24 August. He also lost to Steve Ravenous the following night. He wrestled for the Southern Hemisphere Wrestling Alliance (SHWA), and ran the wrestling school for a number of months before establishing NHPW as a separate federation. He now wrestles for New Horizons Professional Wrestling in Australia.
in a Xtreme Tribal Warfare Triple Threat Match. He was pinned by Williams after an Air New Zealand Splash through a Barbed Wire Board to retain his NHPW Art of Fighting Championship.
Combat Zone Wrestling
Combat Zone Wrestling is a independent wrestling promotion. In 1999, John Zandig and four of his students, Ric Blade, Lobo, Nick Gage and Justice Pain began to run backyard wrestling shows in New Jersey and Delaware, showcasing a brand of hardcore wrestling dubbed as "ultraviolence"...
, Jersey All Pro Wrestling
Jersey All Pro Wrestling
Jersey All Pro Wrestling is an independent wrestling promotion based in New Jersey.-1997:Jersey All Pro Wrestling is an independent wrestling promotion that was founded by "Fat" Frank Iadeavia on April 19, 1997. This promotion was born out of a dream of "Fat" Frank. He wanted to take the promotion...
, Major League Wrestling
Major League Wrestling
Major League Wrestling is a professional wrestling promotion that markets its presentation around hybrid wrestling, which encompasses and showcases many different forms of wrestling. MLW's mission is to present itself as an alternative to sports entertainment...
, the National Wrestling Alliance
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
, Pro Wrestling Unplugged and World Xtreme Wrestling
World Xtreme Wrestling
World Xtreme Wrestling is a Northeastern-based independent professional wrestling promotion which has held events across the United States and have toured in Japan, the Middle East and South Pacific region including American Samoa and Guam....
. He has also teamed with Samu
Samula Anoa'i
Samula Anoa'i is a professional wrestler best known as one half of The Headshrinkers/Samoan Swat Team under the name Samu. His father is Afa Anoa'i who trained Samula for his professional wrestling debut....
as the Samoan Island Tribe in Mikey Whipwreck
Mikey Whipwreck
John Watson , better known by his ring name Mikey Whipwreck, is a retired American professional wrestler best known for his career with Extreme Championship Wrestling where he became the third ECW Triple Crown Champion....
's New York Wrestling Connection as well as both Major League Wrestling and World Xtreme Wrestling.
Early life
Tuhakaraina was one of eight children born a poor Māori family in the small village of WaharoaWaharoa
Waharoa is a rural community in New Zealand.Waharoa is the railway junction of the Kinleith Branch railway with the East Coast Main Trunk Railway.State Highway 27 runs through the town.-Schools:...
. His family belongs to the Raungaiti, a small tribe belonging to the Ngati Haua. When he was six years old, his father died and he was thereafter raised by his mother. Like his brothers, Tuhakaraina was involved in rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
since the age of four and played for Waikato Secondary School and Matamata College
Matamata College
Matamata College is a decile 6 school with an attendance of approximately 950 widely multicultural students. It has a large number of academic and sporting achievements. Matamata College is located in the small rural community of Matamata in the Waikato in New Zealand. Matamata College offers a...
. Among his teammates during this time included star rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
players Keith Lowen, Bruce Reihana
Bruce Reihana
Bruce Trevor Reihana is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He is an utility back and currently plays professional rugby for Union Bordeaux Bègles....
, Damian Karauna, Jason Spice
Jason Spice
Jason Edward Spice is a New Zealand international rugby union player. His position of choice is as a scrum-half.Spice was born in Matamata. He is a former New Zealand cricketer who played for the Northern Districts Knights and the All Blacks in rugby. He also played for Hamilton in the Hawke...
and Nicky Little
Nicky Little
Nicky Tyrone Little in Tokoroa, New Zealand, is a rugby union footballer. He plays at fly-half. He is a nephew of All Blacks centre Walter Little, but represents Fiji at international level.-Career:...
. In 1994, he trialed for the New Zealand under-19s with All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
players Anton Oliver
Anton Oliver
Anton David Oliver is a retired New Zealand rugby union footballer who most recently played professionally for the French second-division club Toulon, noted for signing veteran greats including former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga and great George Gregan...
, Christian Cullen
Christian Cullen
Christian Mathias Cullen is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer. He played most of his rugby at fullback for New Zealand , for the Hurricanes in the Super 12, and for Manawatu, Wellington and later Munster at first-class level. He was nicknamed the Paekakariki Express...
, Carlos Spencer
Carlos Spencer
Carlos James Spencer is a New Zealand rugby union footballer who currently plays at fly-half for the Lions in the Super 14 and formerly for the New Zealand All Blacks. He is well known for his flamboyant, attacking play and ball handling skills. He has signed to play for the Lions for 2010 and 2011...
, Carl Hoeft
Carl Hoeft
Carl Hoeft is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He currently plays for French club Stade Toulousain after signing from Castres Olympique in the Summer of 2011. His usual position is at prop. He was a part of the All Blacks squad at the 2003 Rugby World Cup.-External links:* *...
, Chris Jack
Chris Jack
Christopher Raymond Jack is a New Zealand rugby union footballer who plays as a lock. He has played for Canterbury and the Tasman Makos in the National Provincial Championship and its successor, the Air New Zealand Cup; the Crusaders in Super Rugby; Saracens in the Guinness Premiership; and...
and Marty Holah
Marty Holah
Martin Rowan "Marty" Holah is a New Zealand rugby union player, who has played for Welsh regional side Ospreys, the Waikato provincial team and the Chiefs Super 14 rugby franchise. Holah was capped in 36 international test matches for the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks...
.
Early interest in wrestling and training
A wrestling fan when he was younger, Tuhakaraina often watched WWF Superstars of WrestlingWWF Superstars of Wrestling
WWF Superstars of Wrestling is a professional wrestling television program produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It debuted on September 6, 1986...
and was in attendance at a World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
event in Hamilton
Hamilton, New Zealand
Hamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's fourth largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato Region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland...
when Don Muraco
Don Muraco
Donald Muraco , better known by his ring name "The Rock" Don Muraco, is a retired American professional wrestler...
, Jim Powers
Jim Powers
James Manley , better known by his ring name Jim Powers is a retired American professional wrestler. He most notably wrestled for the World Wrestling Federation in the mid-to-late 1980s and early 1990s...
and Dynamite Kid
Dynamite Kid
Thomas Wilton Billington , best known by the ring name Dynamite Kid, is a retired British professional wrestler who competed in the World Wrestling Federation, Stampede Wrestling, All Japan Pro Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling in the mid- to late-1980s...
during a WWF tour of New Zealand. After seeing WrestleMania IV
WrestleMania IV
WrestleMania IV was the fourth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on March 27, 1988 at the Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, New Jersey....
, he became a fan of The British Bulldogs, The Hart Foundation
The Hart Foundation
The Hart Foundation referred to several teams or stables in the World Wrestling Federation , usually consisted of members or close friends of the Hart wrestling family from Canada....
, Demolition
Demolition (professional wrestling)
Demolition is a professional wrestling tag team most prominent during the late 1980s / early 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation made up of Ax , Smash , and later Crush . In WWF, Demolition were three-time Tag Team Champions, and hold the records for both the single longest tag title reign...
, The Islanders and especially the Samoan Swat Team. Tuhakaraina would team with both members, Samu
Samula Anoa'i
Samula Anoa'i is a professional wrestler best known as one half of The Headshrinkers/Samoan Swat Team under the name Samu. His father is Afa Anoa'i who trained Samula for his professional wrestling debut....
and Fatu
Solofa Fatu
Solofa F. Fatu, Jr. is an American professional wrestler, best known under the ring name Rikishi.-The Samoan Swat Team:...
, later in his career.
While living on Perth, Australia
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Tuhakaraina met wrestler Sione Vailahi
Sione Vailahi
Sione Havea Vailahi is a professional wrestler best known in wrestling as The Barbarian.-Life and career:Born and raised in Tonga, Sione was one of five teenagers sent by the King of Tonga to Japan to study Sumo wrestling in the mid 1970s. Tonga Fifita was one of the other teenagers...
who advised him to attend Afa Anoa'i
Afa Anoa'i
Arthur "Afa" Anoa'i, Sr. is a Samoan American retired professional wrestler and professional wrestling manager. Since retiring in the 1990s, he has operated the World Xtreme Wrestling promotion and trained wrestlers at the Wild Samoan Training Facility.-Early life:Anoa'i was born in Samoa, but...
's Wild Samoan Pro Wrestling Training Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
. He corresponded via e-mail
E-mail
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
with Anoa'i for several months while building scaffolds with two of his brothers and his nephew in western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. He arrived in the United States not long after and lived with Salvatore Bellomo
Salvatore Bellomo
Salvatore Bellomo is a retired Belgian-Italian professional wrestler with a career spanning more than three decades.-Career:...
while training at the wrestling school. Training consisted of 1,000 squats
Squat (exercise)
In strength training, the squat is a compound, full body exercise that trains primarily the muscles of the thighs, hips and buttocks, quads , hamstrings, as well as strengthening the bones, ligaments and insertion of the tendons throughout the lower body...
, 100 sit-ups
Sit-up (exercise)
The sit-up is a strength training exercise commonly performed with the aim of strengthening the hip flexors and abdominal muscles. It begins with lying with the back on the floor, typically with the arms across the chest or hands behind the head and the knees bent in an attempt to reduce stress on...
, 100 leg raises
Calf raises
Calf raises are a method of exercising the gastrocnemius, tibialis posterior and soleus muscles of the lower leg. The movement performed is plantar flexion, aka ankle extension.-Bent-knee:...
and 200 pushups before entering the ring with instructor Moondog Molsonn. Along with additional training from Anoa'i and Samula Anoa'i
Samula Anoa'i
Samula Anoa'i is a professional wrestler best known as one half of The Headshrinkers/Samoan Swat Team under the name Samu. His father is Afa Anoa'i who trained Samula for his professional wrestling debut....
, Tuhakaraina graduated early from the program within 60 days breaking the previous record set by Billy Kidman at 96 days. He also became close friends with fellow graduates Tommy Suede and Supreme Lee Great while training at the school.
World Xtreme Wrestling
Introduced as a villainHeel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
, Tuhakaraina made his professional debut in World Xtreme Wrestling
World Xtreme Wrestling
World Xtreme Wrestling is a Northeastern-based independent professional wrestling promotion which has held events across the United States and have toured in Japan, the Middle East and South Pacific region including American Samoa and Guam....
defeating easily defeating his opponent, a masked wrestler aptly named Guy In A Mask. Tuhakaraina proved so popular with the crowd, that he would wrestle as a fan favorite
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
for much of his early career. He also began performing the Haka
Haka
Haka is a traditional ancestral war cry, dance or challenge from the Māori people of New Zealand. It is a posture dance performed by a group, with vigorous movements and stamping of the feet with rhythmically shouted accompaniment...
, a Māori war dance, prior to his matches. Some of his first opponents in his first years on the independent circuit included WWF veterans Virgil
Mike Jones (wrestler)
Mike Jones is an American professional wrestler, who most recently performed for World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Virgil, where he appeared on its Raw brand as Ted DiBiase, Jr.'s personal assistant...
, King Kong Bundy
King Kong Bundy
Christopher Alan "Chris" Pallies is an American professional wrestler, stand-up comedian and actor, better known by his ring name, King Kong Bundy.-Personal:...
, Tito Santana
Tito Santana
Merced Solis better known by his ring name Tito Santana, is an American professional wrestler whose heyday spanned from the late 1970s to the early 1990s, though he continues to appear on the independent circuit. He is best known from his time in the World Wrestling Federation...
and Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka
Jimmy Snuka
James William "Jimmy" Reiher is a semi-retired Fijian professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. Originally from the Fiji Islands, Snuka wrestled for several promotions in the 1970s and 1980s. Snuka is a two-time world heavyweight champion, having been a...
, ECW's Gary Wolfe, Tommy Dreamer
Tommy Dreamer
Thomas James "Tom" Laughlin is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is currently working for various promotions on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time spent with Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment...
and The Sandman
Jim Fullington
James "Jim" Fullington better known by his ring name Sandman, is an American professional wrestler, best known for his career with Extreme Championship Wrestling , where he developed into a "Hardcore Icon"...
as well Dave Batista and Lo Ki. He has also faced members of the Anoa'i wrestling family
Anoa'i family
The Anoa'i family, originating from American Samoa, is a family of professional wrestlers. Family members have comprised several tag teams and stables within a variety of promotions.-Family members:...
Samu, Rikishi
Solofa Fatu
Solofa F. Fatu, Jr. is an American professional wrestler, best known under the ring name Rikishi.-The Samoan Swat Team:...
and 3 Minute Warning (Rosey
Eddie Fatu
Edward Smith "Eki" Fatu was a Samoan-American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Umaga...
and Jamal
Matt Anoa'i
Matthew "Matt" Anoa'i is a professional wrestler, best known for his time on the independent circuit under numerous ring names, and his time in World Wrestling Entertainment , where he competed as Rosey....
).
A month after the 11 September attacks, he was denied a six month extension on his work visa
Visa (document)
A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport...
by the Immigration and Naturalization Service
Immigration and Naturalization Service
The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service , now referred to as Legacy INS, ceased to exist under that name on March 1, 2003, when most of its functions were transferred from the Department of Justice to three new components within the newly created Department of Homeland Security, as...
. Although forced to remain in New Zealand for some time, he eventually returned to active competition in early-2003 as one half of the Samoan Island Tribe with Samu.
On 28 April, he defeated Gene Snisky
Gene Snitsky
Eugene Alan "Gene" Snisky is a professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Snitsky, who is best known for his time spent with World Wrestling Entertainment. He had played college football at the University of Missouri and was on the pre-season roster in 1995 for the Birmingham Barracudas...
for the WXW Heavyweight Championship
WXW Heavyweight Championship
The WXW Heavyweight Championship is the top professional wrestling title in the World Xtreme Wrestling promotion. It was created in 1996 as the WSWF Heavyweight Championship under WXW's original name, the World Star Wrestling Federation. The promotion renamed to its current name in 1998, and the...
in Mountainville, Pennsylvania. Although he lost the championship to Rapid Fire Maldonado in Sciota, Pennsylvania two months later, he regained the title at SportsFest '04 in Allentown on 9 July. With nearly 8,000 in attendance, Tuhakaraina pinned Maldonado with a Samoan drop from the second rope. He was immediately attacked by Rob Dimension's Ivy League Havoc stable, led by newly crowned WXW Television Champion Boogaloo, before Dave Batista cleared the ring. His second reign lasted nearly three months before losing the title to Sinister X in a three-way match with L.A. Smooth
Lloyd Anoa'i
Lloyd Anoa'i is a Samoan American professional wrestler and professional wrestling manager who has performed under numerous ring names. He is one of the three sons of professional wrestling patriarch Afa Anoa'i, and a member of the Anoa'i family.-Career:...
on 29 October 2004.
In February 2005, he and John Cabbie would represent WXW in Chikara's 2005 World Tag Grand Prix and were eliminated by F.I.S.T. (Gran Akuma
Gran Akuma
Gran Akuma is a professional wrestler who currently works for Chikara and Combat Zone Wrestling, where he uses the ring name AKUMA. He has also worked for the Florida based Full Impact Pro. In Chikara, he was a member of the Kings of Wrestling stable, while also being a part of Team F.I.S.T. with...
and Icarus) in the opening rounds. During the next two years, Tuhakaraina would be involved in feuds with several former ECW wrestlers Balls Mahoney
Balls Mahoney
Jonathan Rechner better known by his ring name Balls Mahoney , is an American professional wrestler...
, Steve Corino
Steve Corino
Steven Eugene "Steve" Corino is a Canadian professional wrestler, who currently works for Pro Wrestling Zero1, Ring of Honor and numerous other independent promotions. Corino is a former NWA World Heavyweight Champion and ECW World Heavyweight Champion.-Early years :Corino began wrestling in 1994...
and, in 2006, against Abyss
Chris Parks
Christopher J. "Chris" Parks , better known by his ring name "The Monster" Abyss, is an American professional wrestler currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
. On 25 February 2006, he took part in the 2006 World Tag Grand Prix with Larry Sweeney
Larry Sweeney
Alexander K. Whybrow was an American professional wrestler and manager, better known by his ring name Larry Sweeney...
but was eliminated by Team DDT
Dramatic Dream Team
Dramatic Dream Team, better known by its initials DDT or its logo reading D2T, is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded in 1997 by Sanshiro Takagi...
(KUDO and MIKAMI) in the opening rounds once again.
Other promotions
As part of the Samoan Island Tribe with Samu, he defeated The S.A.T.The S.A.T.
The S.A.T. are a professional wrestling tag team mostly seen in independent promotions that consists of brothers Jose Maximo and Joel Maximo who were both born in Brooklyn, New York...
(Jose and Joel Maximo) at MLW Revolution although they lost to them in a rematch at MLW Hybrid Hell. On 10 January 2004, he and Samu lost to The Extreme Horsemen (CW Anderson and Simon Diamond) at MLW Reloaded #2. On 8 April, Tuhakaraina teamed with former enemies The SAT and Guillotine Legrande in an 8-man tag team match against Greg Spitz, Mark Mest, Rapid Fire Maldonado and Rockin Rebel at a show for Pro Wrestling WORLD-1. Losing to Dustin Rhodes the following night, he and Guillotine Legrande defeated the Christopher Street Connection
Christopher Street Connection
The Christopher Street Connection are a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Buff E and Mace Mendoza. They primarily compete in Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic independent promotions, most notably, World-1 South, Jersey All Pro Wrestling, Ring of Honor and Frank Goodman's United States...
on 10 April.
On 25 February 2005, Tuhakaraina defeated Tony DeVito
Tony DeVito
Anthony "Tony" DeVito is an American professional wrestler, best known for working in Extreme Championship Wrestling and Ring of Honor...
and The Sandman in a no disqualification three-way dance at a show for Pro Wrestling Unplugged. He appeared for Frank Goodman's USA Xtreme Wrestling the next night where he and Axl Rotten
Axl Rotten
Brian Knighton is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name, Axl Rotten.-Early years:After watching a professional wrestling match on television, Knighton decided to become a wrestler...
fought to a no-contest. At the debut show for MWA, he and Supreme Lee Great defeated Nikolai Volkoff
Nikolai Volkoff
Josip Nikolai Peruzović , better known by his ring name of Nikolai Volkoff, is a professional wrestler who is best known for his performances for the World Wrestling Federation...
and The Patriot
Tom Brandi
Tom Brandi is a professional wrestler known for his work in World Wrestling Federation as Salvatore Sincere. He is also known for his current work as The Patriot, working for such companies as Pro-Wrestling WORLD-1, National Wrestling Superstars, and other independent promotions on the East...
. That same year, he lost to Mike Quackenbush but later beat Josh Daniels and Mike Kruel
Mike Kruel
Michael "Mike" Mayo, Jr. is an American professional wrestler, better known under his ring name Mike Kruel. He began his career in the independent circuit, wrestling in Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling, Ring of Honor, East Coast Wrestling Association and USA Pro Wrestling, while occasionally making...
.
On 26 March 2006 he lost to Bobby Roode in a four-way match for the vacant CSWF Heavyweight Championship in Dover, New Jersey
Dover, New Jersey
Dover is a town in Morris County, New Jersey on the Rockaway River. Dover is west of New York City and west of Newark, New Jersey. As of the United States Census, 2000, the town's population was 18,188.-Geography:...
. The other participants were Matt Bentley
Matt Bentley
Matthew James "Matt" Bentley is an American professional wrestler best known for his work in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling by the ring name Michael Shane. He was trained by his cousin, former World Wrestling Entertainment wrestler Shawn Michaels, and he took the name Michael Shane as a play on...
and Rodney Mack. He had brief stints in a number of independent promotions throughout 2006, including Combat Zone Wrestling
Combat Zone Wrestling
Combat Zone Wrestling is a independent wrestling promotion. In 1999, John Zandig and four of his students, Ric Blade, Lobo, Nick Gage and Justice Pain began to run backyard wrestling shows in New Jersey and Delaware, showcasing a brand of hardcore wrestling dubbed as "ultraviolence"...
, NWA Cyberspace and Mikey Whipwreck
Mikey Whipwreck
John Watson , better known by his ring name Mikey Whipwreck, is a retired American professional wrestler best known for his career with Extreme Championship Wrestling where he became the third ECW Triple Crown Champion....
's New York Wrestling Connection.
Touring Australia with the Australian Wrestling Federation during the summer of 2007, Tuhakaraina lost to AWF Heavyweight Champion TNT
Greg Bownds
Gregory James Bownds better known by his stage name TNT, is an Australian professional wrestler and promoter, currently owning and promoting the Australasian Wrestling Federation....
on 24 August. He also lost to Steve Ravenous the following night. He wrestled for the Southern Hemisphere Wrestling Alliance (SHWA), and ran the wrestling school for a number of months before establishing NHPW as a separate federation. He now wrestles for New Horizons Professional Wrestling in Australia.
Retirement
Tuhakaraina competed in his final match at NHPW Final Chapter on 20 November 2010 after losing to Tama Williams and Headshrinker SamuSamula Anoa'i
Samula Anoa'i is a professional wrestler best known as one half of The Headshrinkers/Samoan Swat Team under the name Samu. His father is Afa Anoa'i who trained Samula for his professional wrestling debut....
in a Xtreme Tribal Warfare Triple Threat Match. He was pinned by Williams after an Air New Zealand Splash through a Barbed Wire Board to retain his NHPW Art of Fighting Championship.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Anahera Driver (Sitout double underhook powerbomb, sometimes from the second rope)
- Polynesian Plunge (Super Samoan drop)
- Signature moves
- Diving splash
- Double underhook lifted and dropped into a flapjack
- Inverted gutwrench suplex
- Inverted Samoan drop followed by a senton
- Over the shoulder reverse piledriver
- Running hip attack to the head of an opponent seated and leaning against the bottom turnbuckle
- Scoop lift spun out into a cutterCutter (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a cutter is a common term that refers to the three-quarter facelock bulldog maneuver. The move is also described as an inverted neckbreaker, though it is not one, it only bears an inverted style to it...
- Senton bomb
Championships and accomplishments
- Declaration of Independence
- Breakout Heavyweight of the Year (2004)
- DOI ranked him #34 of the Top 250 independent wrestlers in 2004
- IWA Championship Wrestling
- IWA Triple Threat Championship (1 time)
- NWA World Alliance of Wrestling
- NWA WAW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI ranked him #359 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI 500 in 2004
- World Xtreme WrestlingWorld Xtreme WrestlingWorld Xtreme Wrestling is a Northeastern-based independent professional wrestling promotion which has held events across the United States and have toured in Japan, the Middle East and South Pacific region including American Samoa and Guam....
- WXW Heavyweight ChampionshipWXW Heavyweight ChampionshipThe WXW Heavyweight Championship is the top professional wrestling title in the World Xtreme Wrestling promotion. It was created in 1996 as the WSWF Heavyweight Championship under WXW's original name, the World Star Wrestling Federation. The promotion renamed to its current name in 1998, and the...
(2 times) - Most Outstanding Wrestler (2001)
- Wrestler of the Year (2003)
- Heavyweight of the Year (2004)
- WXW Heavyweight Championship
- NHPW Australia
- NHPW Art of Fighting Championship (2009)