Solo Sikoa
Joseph Yokozuna Fatu (born March 18, 1993) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs primarily on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Solo Sikoa. He is a member of The Bloodline and a former one-time NXT North American Champion. Fatu is a member of the Anoaʻi family of Samoan wrestlers.
Solo Sikoa | |
---|---|
Birth name | Joseph Yokozuna Fatu[1] |
Born | Sacramento, California, United States | March 18, 1993
Alma mater | Dickinson State University |
Spouse(s) | Almia Williams (m. 2023) |
Children | 2 |
Parent(s) | Rikishi (father) |
Family | Anoa'i |
Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name(s) | Sefa Fatu[3] Solo Sikoa[4] |
Billed height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)[3] |
Billed weight | 249 lb (113 kg)[3] |
Billed from | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
Trained by | Rikishi WWE Performance Center[3] |
Debut | April 29, 2018[5] |
Early life
Fatu was born on March 18, 1993, in Sacramento, California, U.S.[6] Fatu was born into the Anoaʻi family of Samoan wrestlers, which includes his father, Rikishi a WWE Hall of Famer, his older brothers, Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso, his cousin Roman Reigns, and many others including The Rock, Umaga, Yokozuna and the Wild Samoans. He played American football at American River College and Dickinson State University.[7][8] After finishing college, Sikoa gave up football to pursue wrestling.[9]
Professional wrestling career
Independent circuit (2018–2021)
Debuting on April 29, 2018, Fatu would wrestle under the ring name Sefa Fatu. Fatu would regularly team up with his cousins Jacob Fatu and Journey Fatu.[3] On the 24th of August, 2018 Fatu teamed with his father Rikishi, and cousin Vincenzo losefa Parisi to defeat Brubaker, Gringo Loco and Jay Bradley at the Zelo Pro 1 Year Anniversary Show.[10][11] Fatu debuted in Future Stars of Wrestling in December of 2018. On January 25, 2019, Fatu would win the FSW Nevada State Championship. He would hold the belt for 149 days until eventually losing to Hammerstone in June.[12][13] In June of 2019, Fatu would wrestle his first match for Arizona Wrestling Federation. Fatu would defeat Watson to win the AWF Heavyweight Title in August of 2019. He would hold the belt for 418 days, losing it in January of 2020.[13][14] In February of 2020, Fatu would defeat Carlito at Old School Championship Wrestling: Generation.[15][16]
NXT (2021–2022)
On August 30, 2021, it was announced Fatu signed a contract with WWE.[17] He was assigned to the development brand WWE NXT, making his debut on October 26, 2021 at Halloween Havoc as Solo Sikoa, interrupting a segment between the co-hosts Grayson Waller and L.A. Knight and subsequently attacked Waller, thus establishing himself as a face.[18] He entered into a feud with Boa after his alter-ego attacked and choked him backstage on the December 28 episode of NXT.[19] On the January 11, 2022 episode of NXT, Boa and Sikoa fought to a double countout and continued to brawl in the backstage area, resulting in Boa's alter-ego launching a fireball in Sikoa's face.[20] This led to a No Disqualification Falls Count Anywhere match on the January 25 episode of NXT, where Sikoa defeated Boa after splashing him through a table.[21] During the following months, he was involved in matches for the NXT North American Championship at Stand & Deliver (a five-way ladder match) and Spring Breakin' (a triple threat match), but was unsuccessful in winning the title.[22][23] On the August 2 episode of NXT, Sikoa defeated Von Wagner in a falls count anywhere match after weeks of brawling, though suffered a knee injury in the process.[24][25]
The Bloodline (2022–present)
On September 3, at the Clash at the Castle premium event, Sikoa made his return from injury, interfering in the main event match between his cousin Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre, helping Reigns retain the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against McIntyre and aligning himself with The Bloodline, turning heel in the process.[26] He made his main roster in-ring debut on the September 9 episode of SmackDown, losing to McIntyre by disqualification after Karrion Kross attacked McIntyre from behind.[27]
At NXT 2.0 One Year Anniversary Show on September 13, Sikoa made a surprise appearance and defeated Carmelo Hayes to win the NXT North American Championship.[28] After defending the title three nights later at SmackDown against Madcap Moss, Sikoa was forced to vacate the title on the September 20 episode of NXT.[29][30][31] During Reigns' Undisputed WWE Universal Championship defense against Logan Paul, Sikoa confronted Paul's younger brother, Jake Paul, who prevented The Usos from helping Reigns to retain his title by fighting them. Reigns later retained the title. At Survivor Series WarGames, Sikoa, along with The Bloodline, defeated the team of The Brawling Brutes (Sheamus, Ridge Holland and Butch), Drew McIntyre and Kevin Owens in a WarGames match in his pay-per-view debut.[32] On the March 27 episode of Raw, he challenged Cody Rhodes and was defeated, marking his first pinfall loss on the main roster. On Night 2 of WrestleMania 39, Sikoa and Paul Heyman accompanied Reigns in his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match against Rhodes. Halfway through the match, Sikoa was ejected from the match after he was caught interfering by the referee. Sikoa returned at the end of the match to assist Reigns in retaining his championship.[33]
Personal life
On February 28, 2023, Fatu married Almia Williams. The couple have two children.[34]
Other media
Sikoa is a playable character in the video game WWE 2K23, which marked his first debut in any WWE 2K game.
Fatu made his acting debut in Karyn Kusama's 2018 crime drama film, Destroyer, playing the role of Taz.[35][36]
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2018 | Destroyer | Taz |
Championships and accomplishments
- ESPN
- Best storyline of the year (2022) – part of The Bloodline and Sami Zayn[39]
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Faction of the Year (2022) – with The Bloodline
- Ranked No. 401 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2022[42]
References
- Goodman, Tim (July 12, 2019). "Shangri-La: TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
- "the bloodline's solo sikoa gets married in wwe superstar attended ceremony". sescoops. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
- "CAGEMATCH » Wrestlers Database » Solo Sikoa". CAGEMATCH.
- "Solo Sikoa - WWE". WWE. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
- Kreikenbohm, Philip (April 29, 2018). "KnokX Pro Wrestle Fair 2018 - Event @ Southern California Fair Grounds in Lake Perris, California, USA". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
- Rai, Samikshya` (September 14, 2022). "Solo Sikoa: Biography, Net Worth, Birthday, Age, Physical Stats and Extra News". The Boring Magazine. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
- "American River College". American River College. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
- "DSU Bluehawks Football Roster". Dickinson State University. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
- Solo Sikoa Talks About His Family, WWE and AEW!, retrieved October 2, 2022
- The Samoan Dynasty vs. Jay Bradley, Brubaker and Gringo Loco - Zelo Pro - 8/24/18, retrieved October 2, 2022
- Unnikrishnan, Pranav. "How did Rikishi help Solo Sikoa to win a championship before coming to WWE?". www.sportskeeda.com. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
- "CAGEMATCH » Titles Database » FSW Nevada State Championship". CAGEMATCH.
- Shezi, Sakhiwe. "4 things you should know about NXT 2.0's Solo Sikoa". www.sportskeeda.com. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
- "CAGEMATCH » Titles Database » AWF Heavyweight Championship". CAGEMATCH.
- Carlito VS Sefa Fatu(OSCW Generations 02-23-20), retrieved October 2, 2022
- "Solo Sikoa Discusses His Main Roster Debut And Relationship With Roman Reigns". sportzwiki.com. November 26, 2022. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
- Lambert, Jeremy (August 30, 2021). "Bobby Steveson, Sefa Fatu, Four Others Announced as New WWE Performance Center Recruits". Fightful. Archived from the original on September 7, 2022. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
- Moore, John (October 26, 2021). "10/26 NXT 2.0 results: Moore's review of Halloween Havoc with Tommaso Ciampa vs. Bron Breakker for the NXT Title, plus Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal stipulations for Raquel Gonzalez vs. Mandy Rose for the NXT Women's Title, and MSK vs. Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel for the NXT Tag Titles". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on July 10, 2022. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
- Moore, John (December 28, 2021). "12/28 NXT 2.0 results: Moore's review of Raquel Gonzalez and Cora Jade vs. Io Shirai and Kay Lee Ray for spots in the Triple Threat for the NXT Women's Championship, Solo Sikoa vs. Santos Escobar, Grayson Waller vs. Odyssey Jones, Harland vs. Andre Chase, Tiffany Stratton vs. Fallon Henley". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on January 24, 2022. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
- Moore, John (January 11, 2022). "1/11 NXT 2.0 results: Moore's review of AJ Styles vs. Grayson Waller, Santos Escobar vs. Xyon Quinn, Pete Dunne vs. Tony D'Angelo in a Crowbar on a Pole match, Solo Sikoa vs. Boa, Kacy Catanzaro, Kayden Carter, and Amari Miller vs. Indi Hartwell, Portia Pirotta, and Wendy Choo". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on January 24, 2022. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
- "WWE NXT Results – January 25, 2022". PWMania.com. January 25, 2022. Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
- Moore, John (April 2, 2022). "NXT Stand & Deliver results: Moore's live review of Dolph Ziggler vs. Bron Breakker for the NXT Title, Mandy Rose vs. Cora Jade vs. Io Shirai vs. Kay Lee Ray for the NXT Women's Title, Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel vs. MSK vs. The Creed Brothers for the NXT Tag Titles, the NXT North American Title ladder match". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on June 6, 2022. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
- Moore, John (May 3, 2022). "5/3 NXT 2.0 results: Moore's review of Spring Breakin' with Bron Breakker vs. Joe Gacy for the NXT Title, Cameron Grimes vs. Carmelo Hayes vs. Solo Sikoa for the NXT North American Title, The Viking Raiders vs. The Creeds, Cora Jade and Nikkita Lyons vs. Natalya and Lash Legend, Nathan Frazer vs. Grayson Waller, Tony D'Angelo and Santos Escobar meeting". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on July 5, 2022. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
- Moore, John (July 12, 2022). "7/12 NXT 2.0 results: Moore's review of Mandy Rose vs. Roxanne Perez for the NXT Women's Championship, Apollo Crews vs. Giovanni Vinci, Solo Sikoa vs. Von Wagner". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on September 4, 2022. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
- Powell, Jason (August 3, 2022). "Powell's NXT 2.0 Hit List: Solo Sikoa vs. Von Wagner in a Falls Count Anywhere match, Jacy Jayne and Gigi Dolin vs. Ivy Nile and Tatum Paxley vs. Kayden Carter and Katana Chance vs. Yulisa Leon and Valentina Perez in a four-way elimination match for the vacant NXT Women's Tag Team Titles, The Creeds vs. Tony D'Angelo and Stacks for the NXT Tag Titles". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on September 4, 2022. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
- McGuire, Colin (September 3, 2022). "WWE Clash at the Castle results: McGuire's review of Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, Gunther vs. Sheamus for the Intercontinental Title, Liv Morgan vs. Shayna Baszler for the Smackdown Women's Title, Seth Rollins vs. Riddle, Bianca Belair, Asuka, and Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley, Iyo Sky, and Dakota Kai". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on September 3, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
- Powell, Jason (September 9, 2022). "9/9 WWE Friday Night Smackdown results: Powell's review of Ronda Rousey vs. Sonya Deville vs. Xia Li vs. Natalya vs. Lacey Evans in a five-way elimination match for a shot at the Smackdown Women's Championship, Braun Strowman's appearance, Street Profits and Hit Row vs. Los Lotharios, Mace, and Mansoor". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on September 10, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
- Moore, John (September 13, 2022). "9/13 NXT 2.0 results: Moore's review of Pretty Deadly vs. The Creed Brothers in a cage match for the NXT Tag Titles, Carmelo Hayes defends the NXT North American Title against the winner of a fan poll, Axiom vs. Nathan Frazer in the second match of their best of three series, Zoey Stark and Nikkita Lyons vs. Kiana James and Arianna Grace". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
- Brookhouse, Brent (September 7, 2022). "Shawn Michaels promoted to WWE senior vice president of talent development creative". CBSSports.com.
- SmackDown results, Sept. 16, 2022 - WWE.com
- Powell, Jason (September 20, 2022). "9/20 NXT results: Moore's review of Tyler Bate vs. JD McDonagh for an NXT Title shot, Grayson Waller vs. Oro Mensah, Von Wagner vs. Sanga, Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams vs. Andre Chase and Bodhi Hayward, Cora Jade vs. Wendy Choo, Axiom vs. Nathan Frazer in a best of three series match, Rip Fowler and Jagger Reid vs. Malik Blade and Edris Enofe". Pro Wrestling Dot Net.
- Powell, Jason (November 26, 2022). "WWE Survivor Series WarGames results: Powell's review of The Bloodline vs. Drew McIntyre, Kevin Owens, and The Brawling Brutes in a WarGames match, Bianca Belair, Becky Lynch, Asuka, Alexa Bliss, and Mia Yim vs. Rhea Ripley, Nikki Cross, and Damage CTRL in a WarGames match, Seth Rollins vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Austin Theory for the U.S. Title". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
- Powell, Jason (April 2, 2023). "WrestleMania 39 results: Powell's live review of night two with Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, Bianca Belair vs. Asuka for the Raw Women's Title, Gunther vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus for the Intercontinental Title, Edge vs. Finn Balor in Hell in a Cell, Brock Lesnar vs. Omos". Pro Wrestling Dot Net.
- "Solo Sikoa gets married". ringsidenews.com. March 1, 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
- Destroyer (2018) - IMDb, retrieved October 2, 2022
- "Why did Solo Sikoa use Samoan spike? WWE superstar reveals reason". The Economic Times. December 27, 2022. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
- Kreikenbohm, Philip (August 10, 2019). "AWF Overdrive VI - Event @ Southwest Indian Ministries Center in Peoria, Arizona, USA". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
- Kreikenbohm, Philip (August 10, 2019). "AWF Heavyweight Championship". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
- "Pro Wrestling 2022 awards: The best male and female wrestler, feud, faction, promo and more". ESPN. December 28, 2022. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
- Kreikenbohm, Philip (January 25, 2019). "FSW Nevada State Championship". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
- Kreikenbohm, Philip (June 23, 2019). "FSW Ten Year Anniversary Show - Event @ Sam's Town Live in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
- Lambert, Jeremy (September 14, 2022). "Roman Reigns Tops 2022 PWI 500, Second Time At Number One". Fightful. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- "NXT North American Championship". World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
- Kreikenbohm, Philip (October 12, 2021). "NXT North American Championship". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
External links
- Solo Sikoa on WWE.com
- Solo Sikoa's profile at Cagematch.net, Internet Wrestling Database
- Solo on Twitter
- Joseph Fatu at IMDb