WWE honored the legend Sika Anoa's with a special tribute display for SmackDown

WWE is renowned for its heartfelt tributes to pro wrestling stars who have passed away. Recently, the company partnered with a legendary figure to honor a Hall of Famer, garnering widespread attention beyond the wrestling community.
Sika Anoa'i, who passed away last Tuesday at the age of 79, was a three-time WWE Tag Team Champion with his brother, Afa Anoa'i, as The Wild Samoans.The father of Roman Reigns and Rosey, Sika was a respected elder of The Anoa'i Family and The Bloodline. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007 and the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2012. The wrestling community has been paying tribute to Sika since his passing, often making his name trend on social media.
WWE honored Sika on Friday's SmackDown at Madison Square Garden with a tribute graphic and video package. The iconic arena also paid homage to the Samoan legend by displaying a tribute on the marquee above the 7th Avenue entrance.
Fans at Madison Square Garden let out a loud "Sika!" chant during the tribute on WWE SmackDown. Since The Wild Samoans have a rich history of memorable matches at MSG, the tributes were especially poignant.
WWE History of The Wild Samoans at Madison Square Garden

The Wild Samoans, Afa and Sika Anoa'i, were initially signed by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 1979. This tenure lasted until the end of 1980. They returned in 1982 and stayed with the company until 1985. Sika had a solo run from 1986 to 1988, during which he also teamed up with Kamala.
The Wild Samoans, three-time WWE Tag Team Champions, made their debut at Madison Square Garden (MSG) in January 1980, where they defeated the then-champions Tito Santana and Ivan Putski by count-out. Both Afa and Sika challenged Bob Backlund for the WWE Championship, with Sika falling short at MSG in March 1980. In July 1983, the Wild Samoans teamed with Samu in a significant six-man match, losing to Putski, Dusty Rhodes, and Andre the Giant.
Sika had many memorable singles matches at MSG. He faced and was defeated by opponents such as Rocky Johnson, Tony Atlas, George Steele, Don Muraco, Jim Duggan, and Koko B. Ware. However, he also secured victories over notable wrestlers like Ivan Putski, Dominic DeNucci, Adrian Adonis, and Lanny Poffo.
Although Afa and Sika never won titles at MSG, they frequently defended and challenged for the tag team titles at the venue. One notable match was their loss to Dusty Rhodes and Pat Patterson in a 2-out-of-3 Falls match in October 1980. Despite the loss, they retained the titles due to a referee's decision.