In the glorious world of wrestling, The Anoa’i family might arguably be the most renowned one in WWE’s history. The family’s bloodline goes a long way, making the likes of Roman Reigns and The Rock a part of it. However, sometimes it is hard to differentiate reality from kayfabe in the realm of pro wrestling.
The bloodline gimmick has been an age-old one and has included several memorable storylines for fans to cherish. One from the 90s that comes to mind is The Undertaker and his ‘brother’ Kane. Despite not being related by blood, the duo went on to captivate the audience with their on-screen chemistry and unmatched convincing power.
When it comes to ‘The Great One’ and Roman Reigns, they are not real-life brothers. Even though this might come across as saddening news to some fans, unfortunately, the duo doesn’t share the same blood. However, they do belong to the same iconic family of Anoa’i, which is why they refer to each other as cousins.
‘High Chief’ Peter Maivia grandfathered The Rock, while Roman and the Usos share their grandfather in Reverend Amituana’i Anoa’i. Not many fans know that Peter Maivia and Amituana’i are actually blood brothers. Due to this connection, the two families have always considered themselves as one. Thus, despite not sharing the same bloodline, The Rock and Reigns share the same family in a way.
The promotion convinced the fans that the 50-year-old is as much a part of the Anoa’i family as Reigns. However, such is not the case. The Rock’s father, Rocky Johnson married Peter’s adopted daughter named Ata. Hence, Johnson performed in the ring under the name Rocky Maivia, paying homage to his status. The parallel 3rd generation family of the Anoa’i clan are considered cousins of The Rock.
Afa and Sika happen to be the sons of Amituana’i and thus referred to Peter Maivia as their uncle. The duo performed under the ring name of ‘The Wild Samoans’ in the 70s and 80s in the same promotion. 90s fans might remember Rikishi, Yokozuna, and the late Umaga. All three are part of the iconic Anoa’i family.
Do The Rock and Roman Reigns like each other in real life?
The WWE has managed to convince the fans that Dwayne Johnson and Roman Reigns share the same blood. However, the two only happen to be second cousins. Despite sharing the grandest stage of them all and performing under the same bright lights, Dwayne Johnson and Reigns have mutual respect for each other. The duo has never had any sort of friction or bad blood between them.
The Rock is one of the top-most paid actors in Hollywood. His Samoan cousin, on the other hand, is one of the most well-known wrestlers on today’s roster. Reigns’ fame and reach are unequaled. The duo far from dislikes each other. In fact, Johnson even signed Reigns to star in his action thriller, Hobbs and Shaw, in 2019. The Rock happened to display glimpses of the Samoan family history in the final segment of the flick.
Whether or not these two face each other in the squared circle as part of a storyline, only time will tell. Do you think the pairing can bring to the show if they work together? Let us know in the comments down below.