{{Short description|New Zealand professional wrestler}} {{about|the original Samoan Joe who wrestled in Australasia during the 1970s and early 1980s|the American professional wrestler |Samoa Joe}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}} {{Infobox professional wrestler |name=Samoan Joe |image=Samoan Joe.JPG |caption= |birth_name = Joseph Afamasaga |names=Samoan Joe <!-- Please don't change the height or weight. These are the measures as officially stated and they should not be changed. --> |height= {{height|ft=5|in=11}} |weight= {{convert|290|lb|kg|abbr=on|lk=on}} |birth_date = {{birth date|1947|1|4|df=y}} |birth_place = New Zealand |death_date = {{Death date and age|2015|07|09|1947|01|02|df=y}} |death_place = Melbourne, Australia<ref>{{cite web |title=Samoan Joe |url=https://magazine.fighttimes.com/samoan-joe/ |publisher=Fight Times Magazine |access-date=24 January 2023 |date=16 July 2015}}</ref> |billed=Western Samoa |trainer= |debut=c. 1976 |retired=c. 1989 |website= |}} '''Joseph Afamasaga'''<ref name="Clarke">{{cite web |url=http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/columns/43305/Ask-411-Wrestling-07.26.06:-Joe,-Reckless-Youth,-No-Way-Out,-More....htm |title=Ask 411 Wrestling 07.26.06: Joe, Reckless Youth, No Way Out, More... |author=Clarke, Chris |date=26 July 2006 |work=Columns |publisher=411mania.com |accessdate=26 July 2010}}</ref> (4 January 1947 – 9 July 2015), better known by his ring name '''Samoan Joe''', was a New Zealand professional wrestler who competed in the Australasian and South Pacific region during the 1970s and early 1980s.
He was a popular fan favourite while wrestling for Steve Rickard's All Star-Pro Wrestling and frequently appeared on the long-running wrestling television programme ''On the Mat''. He later travelled to the United States where he had a brief stint in the American Wrestling Association before his retirement in 1989. In 2009, Afamasaga was ranked #10 by ''New Zealand Herald'' sports columnist Chris Rattue as one of his "Top 10" favourite wrestlers of all-time.<ref name="Rattue"/>
==Professional wrestling career== Joe Afamasaga began wrestling in New Zealand during the mid-1970s and soon joined All Star-Pro Wrestling, then on the rise, under Steve Rickard. He quickly became very well known throughout the country while accompanying the promotion on its national tours as far north as Whangārei<ref>{{cite news |title=WRESTLING - Wrestling returns to Whangarei |author=Eves, Tim |work=The Northern Advocate |date=5 February 2007|url=http://www.northernadvocate.co.nz/sport/news/wrestling-wrestling-returns-to-whangarei/3720567/|accessdate=2010-07-17|publisher=APN News & Media Ltd.}}</ref> as well as his regular appearances on the wrestling programme ''On the Mat''.<ref name="Byers">{{cite web |url=http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/columns/131232/Into-the-Indies-03.09.10:--NWA-On-the-Mat.htm |title=Into the Indies 03.09.10: NWA on the Mat |author=Byers, Ryan |date=9 March 2010 |work=Columns |publisher=411mania.com |accessdate=2 August 2010}}</ref><ref name="Anderson">{{cite web |url=http://www.nzpwi.co.nz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6044&Itemid=36 |title=On The Mat on NZ On Screen! |author=Anderson, Scott |date=13 June 2010 |publisher=NZPWI.co.nz |accessdate=2 August 2010}}</ref>
By 1977, he had established himself as one of New Zealand's most popular "fan favourites" often appearing on the undercard or in main events against native and foreign "heel" wrestlers alike.<ref name="Clarke"/><ref name="Rattue">{{cite news |title=Chris Rattue: NZ's 10 favourite wrestlers |author=Rattue, Chris |newspaper=The New Zealand Herald|date=6 March 2009 |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/new-zealand/news/article.cfm?l_id=71&objectid=10560235 }}</ref> That year, he teamed with Mark Lewin and Siva Afi in a losing effort against Bruiser Brody, Bruno Bekkar and King Curtis Iaukea in Wellington, New Zealand on 12 September 1977.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.midatlanticgateway.com/Resource_Center/results/results_brody.htm |title=Mid-Atlantic Superstar Wrestling Results - Bruiser Brody |author=David Baker |author2=Mark Eastridge |author3=Rich Tate |author4=Jim Zordani |name-list-style=amp |date=16 April 2010 |work=David Baker's Mid-Atlantic Superstar Wrestling Results |publisher=MidAtlanticGateway.com |accessdate=26 July 2010}}</ref> Other opponents included Merv Fortune, "Cowboy" Billy Wright,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kiwiprowrestling.co.nz/Cowboy-Billy-Wri.629.0.html |title=Cowboy Billy Wright |author=Kiwi Pro Wrestling |authorlink=Kiwi Pro Wrestling |date=November 2007 |work=Legends |publisher=KiwiProWrestling.co.nz |accessdate=26 July 2010 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Lars Anderson and Larry O'Day as well as forming a successful tag team with fellow Samoan Lu Leota. He and Fortune also had a memorable mixed tag team match with midget wrestlers Coconut Willie and Little Kevin respectively.<ref>{{cite video | people=All Star-Pro Wrestling (Producer) | date=1979 | url=http://www.freewebs.com/harrysmatchlistings/hawaiinzaustralia.htm | title=Best of New Zealand, Disc 2 | medium=DVD | location=New Zealand | publisher=Harry's Classic Match Listings}}</ref>
He was among the top New Zealand stars to appear at the Gay World Stadium, as did American wrestlers Killer Karl Krupp, The Masked Assassin and King Kamaka, during ASPW's tour of Singapore in May 1982, along with wrestlers from the United States, West Germany, Australia, Samoa and South America.<ref>{{cite news |title=Samoan wrestler in All-Star show |newspaper=The Straits Times |date=4 May 1982 |url=http://newspapers.nl.sg/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19820504.2.119.6.aspx }}</ref> When the NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship was vacated the following year, Afamasaga entered a championship tournament and lost to Rip Morgan in the finals held in Auckland on 8 September 1983.<ref name="NewZealandTitle">{{cite web |url=https://www.wrestling-titles.com/nz/nz-h.html |title=New Zealand Heavyweight Title |year=2003 |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |work=Wrestling-Titles.com|accessdate=2010-06-09}}</ref> In his final New Zealand TV appearance, Afamasaga wrestled with Larry O'Day, Mel Fortuna, Tony Rickard and Rip Morgan in the final episode of ''On the Mat'' which aired on 23 July 1984.<ref>{{cite news |title=Crazy capers in What's Up, Doc? |newspaper=New Straits Times |date=23 July 1984 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8aNUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6o8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6722,4818732&dq=samoan-joe+-samoa-joe&hl=en }}</ref>
After the cancellation of ''On the Mat'', Afamasaga moved on to Australia where he found some success<ref name="Byers"/> before heading to the United States. He spent the last year of his career in the American Wrestling Association,<ref name="Conlan">{{cite web |url=https://onthematwrestling.blogspot.com/2008/10/man-mountain-link.html |title=On the Mat: Man Mountain Link |author=Conlan, Jason |date=26 October 2008 |work=Blog Archive |publisher=OnTheMatWrestling.blogspot.com |accessdate=26 July 2010}}</ref> mainly used as a preliminary wrestler against opponents such as Brian Knobs and The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pwchronicles.com/links/territory/AWA/espn.htm |title=ESPN Classics on ESPN |work=Professional Wrestling Territories (Pre-1990s) |publisher=PWChronicles.com |accessdate=26 July 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wrestleholic2001.com/awaonespn1988_fr.shtml |title=AWA on ESPN 1988 |work=AWA on ESPN |publisher=Wrestleholic2001.com |accessdate=26 July 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/tv_reports/76010/411%5C%5Cs-AWA-on-ESPN-Classic-Report-05.19.08.htm |title=411's AWA on ESPN Classic Report 05.19.08 |author=Harrison, Randy |date=20 May 2008 |work=TV Reports |publisher=411mania.com |accessdate=26 July 2010}}</ref> before retiring around 1989. Afamasaga subsequently relocated to Australia<ref name="Clarke"/> where he joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and later completed a Mormon mission. He later settled in Victoria where he served on the high council of a Stake presidency. During the 2009 Samoa tsunami, he used Twitter to report on conditions in his homeland and, according to his aunt, claimed that "the body count is in the hundreds" but that his family had escaped danger by reaching higher ground.<ref>{{cite news |title=Latest updates: Tsunami disaster |newspaper=The New Zealand Herald|date=1 October 2009 |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/samoa-tsunami/news/article.cfm?c_id=1502844&objectid=10600595 }}</ref>
Afamasaga appeared in both episodes of ''On the Mat'' were chosen to be shown on NZ On Screen in early-2010;<ref name="Anderson"/> the first was a tag team match between him and Lu Leota against Sweet William and Brute Miller (29 July 1980) and the second against Johnny Garcia (17 March 1981).<ref name="Byers"/> On 9 April 2010, Scoop.co.nz reported that ''On the Mat'' ranked #3 among the top 10 most watched videos on NZ On Screen.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1004/S00050.htm |title=NZ On Screen: Top 10 for March 2010 |date=9 April 2010 |work=Top Scoops |publisher=Scoop.co.nz |accessdate=2 August 2010}}</ref>
A number of New Zealand media personalities have referred to Afamasaga as their favourite wrestlers while watching "On the Mat" as children. Wallace Chapman, co-host of the political interview show ''Back Benches'', claimed that his "favourite TV moment" was watching Afamasaga among other "On the Mat" stars as a child.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tvnz.co.nz/cheers-to-50-years/my-favourite-moment-part-4-3530983 |title='My favourite moment is...' (part 4) |author=Television New Zealand |author-link=Television New Zealand |year=2010 |publisher=TVNZ.co.nz |accessdate=2 August 2010}}</ref> Jason Conlan, longtime cartoonist for ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'', has also claimed that Afamasaga was his favourite wrestler.<ref name="Conlan"/> In March 2009, sports columnist Chris Rattue of the ''New Zealand Herald'' named several former "On the Mat" stars including Afamasaga as among his "Top 10" favourite wrestlers of all-time.<ref name="Rattue"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Professional wrestling profiles|wrestlingdata=9813}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Samoan Joe}} Category:1947 births Category:2015 deaths Category:Australian male professional wrestlers Category:New Zealand male professional wrestlers Category:New Zealand people of Samoan descent Category:Sportspeople of Samoan descent Category:Sportsmen from Victoria (state) Category:20th-century Australian sportsmen