10 Things You Didn't Know About Rosey
Remembering the former World Tag Team Champion...
Wrestling fans were shocked and saddened Tuesday morning to learn about the passing of Matt Anoa'i, who competed in WWE as Rosey. He was 47. Since the news broke, many of the past and present WWE superstars who worked with Anoa'i have taken to social media to express their condolences, while his family released a statement to WWE asking for privacy and also letting the fans know just how much they meant to Anoa'i.
WWE fans likely remember Rosey primarily as a tag team wrestler. He joined the Raw roster with Jamal as Three Minute Warning, a pair of enforcers for Raw GM Eric Bischoff who would attack victims as soon as Bischoff spoke the words "three minutes." After Jamal was released, Rosey turned babyface and started teaming with Raw's resident hero, The Hurricane. That meant that Rosey became a "Super-Hero in Training," but before too long, he graduated to a full-fledged crimefighter and won the World Tag Team Titles alongside his partner.
Rosey's WWE tenure was filled with the kind of moments that fans can look back on fondly, but there was a lot more to his career and his life than just what came up on television...
10. He Played Football With Emmitt Smith
As a part of the legendary Anoa'i family, Rosey grew up in and around the sport of pro wrestling. That doesn't mean it was his first career goal, though. When young Matt Anoa'i was growing up in Pensacola, Florida, he - like his brother (but more on that later) - dreamed of playing pro football.
Anoa'i ultimately never made it as a pro. He earned a scholarship to the University of Hawaii and played ball there, but a leg injury forced him to give up the sport and ultimately switch to pro wrestling. While he was in high school, though, he had a teammate who would go on to an extremely successful pro career, to put it lightly - Emmitt Smith.
For those unfamiliar with American football, Emmitt Smith in universally considered one of the best running backs of all time. During his career he won three Super Bowls, was named the 1993 NFL MVP, and most impressively, broke Walter Payton's record for most yards rushed in a career. Smith's record still stands, and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010, his first year of eligibility.