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Whether he
played a babyface or a heel, Jimmy Snuka's athleticism and
intensity made him a tremendous performer in professional
wrestling. He wrestled at a time when high flying
athletes were rare in North America and he possessed an exotic
quality that added to his mystique.
After winning a bodybuilding
competition in Hawaii, Snuka began wrestling
professionally. Snuka was from Hawaii but he is of
Fijian descent. He teamed with Don Muraco in the
American Wrestling Association (AWA) as "the Islanders" and
spent a lot of time wrestling in the Pacific
Northwest.
Snuka teamed with Paul Orndorff in
Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling (MACW) to win the NWA
World Tag Team Titles. In 1979 Snuka won the U.S.
Heavyweight title in a twelve man tournament. In 1980 he
turned heel and was managed by the legendary Buddy
Rogers. Snuka was part of the infamous tag match in
which he teamed with the Iron
Sheik against "Nature Boy" Ric
Flair and Greg "the Hammer"
Valentine and helped Valentine demolish Flair and
break "the Nature Boy's" nose. He later teamed up
with the legendary Ray Stevens to win the tag straps from Jay Youngblood and Ricky Steamboat.
Snuka then traveled to the World
Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) in 1982 where he was involved
in a memorable program with then champion Bob Backlund. The program
culminated in a steel cage match
in Madison Square Garden where Snuka peformed his Superfly
dive off the top of the cage. Although Backlund rolled
out of the way, Snuka had become a legend and more and more
fans began to cheer for him despite the fact that he wrestled
as a heel.
 |
Jimmy Snuka's incredible dive
off the top of a steel cage in Madison Square Garden
during a title match against WWF champion Bob Backlund
has become legendary. |
The Superfly continued to be
managed by Captain Lou Albano until his former manager Buddy
Rogers revealed that Albano had been mismanaging Snuka's
funds. Snuka was turned babyface after Albano, Freddie
Blassie, and Ray Stevens destroyed Snuka in an unbelievably
bloody angle. Stevens piledrived Snuka twice on the
concrete and it looked as if Snuka's head had exploded all
over the floor.
Now a babyface, Snuka was one of
the most popular wrestlers in the world and a tremendous
draw. He feuded with the Magnificent Muraco, challenging
Muraco for his Intercontinental Title. The feud led to a
steel cage in Madison Square Garden which has become legendary
(and cited by several wrestlers including Mick Foley as the
inspiration for them becoming wrestlers). Just as he did
against Bob Backlund, Snuka peformed
the Superfly dive off the top of the cage. This time
though he hit Muraco. Unfortunately Muraco fell through
the cage door and held on to the I-C title in one of the
biggest flukes of all time.
After the feud with Muraco, Snuka
worked an even bigger program with "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. In one of
the biggest angles of all time, Piper interviewed Snuka on his
"Piper's Pit" interview segment. During the interview,
Piper insulted Snuka and then smashed a coconut over his head. Piper
brutally beat Snuka, whipping him before running to
safety. Piper and Snuka feuded, leading to an angle
where Piper broke Snuka's neck. Snuka's storyline cousin the
Tonga Kid arrived on the scene and began feuding with Piper as
well. Snuka and the Tonga Kid feuded with Roddy Piper
and "Cowboy" Bob Orton.
Although Snuka was an incredible
draw, he was having tremendous personal problems outside the
ring and began to miss shows more and more. Snuka was in
Hulk Hogan and Mr. T's corner for their main event match
against Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff at Wrestlemania I but
Snuka soon faded from the WWF.
After leaving the WWF, Snuka
wrestled overseas before going to the AWA. There he was
involved in a feud with Colonel
DeBeers.
In 1989 Jimmy Snuka returned to the
WWF but his days in the main event were far over. Snuka
wrestled as a mid-card babyface until leaving the WWF in
1993.
Snuka began working in indie shows
including a little promotion known as Eastern Championship
Wrestling (later to become Extreme Championship Wrestling)
where he became the first ECW champion.
In 1996 Snuka was inducted into the
WWF Hall of Fame. He made occasional appearances in the
WWF and in the indie scene. Snuka continues to perform to this
day despite being in his
60's. | 
