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Sione Havea Vailahi (born September 6, 1958) is a professional wrestler best known under the name of The Barbarian. He was known for his diving headbutts, savate kick to the face and incredible strength.
[edit] Life and careerGrowing up in Tonga, Sione was one of five teenagers sent by the King of Tonga to Japan to study Sumo wrestling in the mid 1970s. Uliuli Fifita was one of the other teenagers. Sione was known in sumo circles as Sachinoshima. [edit] National Wrestling AllianceAfter migrating to the United States, he trained in professional wrestling under the tutelage of Rolland 'Red' Bastien. In 1980, he made his debut, wrestling Killer Karl Krupp in Modesto, California. He wrestled as King Konga in several NWA regional territories in 1981. He soon went to the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions where he teamed up with Ron Garvin as a face. Seeing the "heel" potential in a huge, intimidating man with surprising agility, Jim Crockett, Jr. changed him into Konga the Barbarian. He also joined the stable of Paul Jones. From 1985 to 1987, he wrestled as part of "Paul Jones' Army" and teamed with Pez Whatley, Teijho Khan, and Baron Von Raschke. It was during this time that "Konga" was dropped from his name and he became simply The Barbarian. In late 1987, he formed a team with Ivan Koloff, who was also his "coach." By early 1988, he was paired with The Warlord as The Powers of Pain. They feuded heavily with another team of big men, The Road Warriors, Animal and Hawk. They injured Animal's eye during a weight lifting contest and won the NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Titles, along with Ivan, from the Road Warriors and Dusty Rhodes. Also in 1987, he appeared in the movie Body Slam, as Axe the Cannibal. In April 1988, Crockett decided he wanted the feuding tag teams to have a series of scaffold matches, which neither team wanted because they felt that they were too large to safely participate. This was especially so for the Powers, who were scheduled to lose the matches and thus take the falls off the scaffolding. Barbarian and Warlord decided to leave for the WWF. The NWA announcers explained that the Road Warriors had run them off, even though they still held the Six-Man Titles. [edit] World Wrestling FederationUpon their arrival, the Powers were faces initially managed by Tito Santana and feuded with WWF World Tag Team Champions Demolition (Ax and Smash) who had defeated Strike Force (Santana and Rick Martel) for the titles and then injured Martel (kayfabe). The Powers were introduced as mercenaries to help Martel and Santana gain revenge on Demolition for both the title loss and the injury to Martel. Then later they were managed by The Baron. They soon dumped the Baron and took Demolition's manager Mr. Fuji, a double turn which made them heels and the increasingly-popular Demolition faces. After a long feud in which they failed to win the titles, the Powers were split up and The Barbarian went under the management of Bobby Heenan. He would have his image tweaked, changing from his Road Warrior-like mohawk and face paint to growing out his hair and wearing a reindeer-like helmet with antlers and a skull to the ring. He briefly wrestled in singles competition, defeating Tito Santana at Wrestlemania VI and facing the Big Bossman at Royal Rumble 1991 as part of the Heenan Family's feud with the correctional officer. Shortly after, he joined fellow Family member Haku in a tag team that would return in WCW. He rejoined the WWF for a short time in 1994 and early 1995, where he portrayed Headshrinker Sionne in a reformation of The Headshrinkers with Fatu. [edit] World Championship WrestlingWhen he signed with WCW in early 1992, he initially formed a heel stable with Tony Atlas and Cactus Jack. Atlas soon left the promotion, and they were joined briefly by Jake Roberts. They feuded with then-World Champion Ron Simmons, who Barbarian unsuccessfully challenged at Halloween Havoc 1992.[2] They also faced off against Sting, Barry Windham, Dustin Rhodes, and Nikita Koloff. He briefly won the WCW United States Tag Team Championship with Dick Slater, but the belts were retired one month later. By 1994, he had returned to WWF. In early 1996, Vailahi returned to WCW, wearing a mask and teamed with his former Powers of Pain tag team partner, The Warlord. They were known as the Super Assassins, managed by Col. Robert Parker. No mention was ever made of their former identities, and the team did not last long. Later on, he reunited with Haku (now called Meng) as the Faces of Fear. They were members of Kevin Sullivan's Dungeon of Doom, and teamed on a semi-regular basis for the remainder of their time in the organization, though they broke up and feuded briefly in 1998 and 1999. They challenged several times for the WCW World Tag Team Titles, but were never able to win them. Before WCW was purchased by Vince McMahon in 2001, Meng gave the Barbarian his WCW Hardcore Title as a gift (not part of wrestling storylines). Since the sale of WCW, he has worked the independent circuit, winning several regional titles. [edit] Independent circuitIn March 2004, he gained the NWA Virginia Heavyweight Championship, and feuded with David Flair for the title until he was ruled ineligible to compete due to lack of a valid Virginia wrestling license. In 2005, The Barbarian again teamed with The Warlord in Gladiator Championship Wrestling, and renewed his feud with Road Warrior Animal. In 2007 at the Annual Championship Wrestling/IRW Fun Fest Slam in Kingsport, Tennessee, the Barbarian wrestled 'Big' Steve Fury, the CW Heavyweight Champion, in front of 1,100 people. He also made an appearance in IWA Mid South at the April Bloodshowers 2007 event, where he wrestled Jimmy Jacobs. In 2008, The Barbarian teamed with Demolition Ax (Bill Eadie) managed by Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase in Seagrove NC to beat Cowboy Willie Watts & Leroy Greene. In 2009, The Barbarian teamed with the Iron Chief in the Ivan Kolfof's tag team tourney in the Allied Independent Wrestling Federation (AIWF) [edit] In wrestling
[edit] Championships and accomplishments
[edit] Personal lifeSione has seven children with wife Seini Tonga. His youngest son, Peter, is a standout college football player, having signed with Brigham Young University in February 2005. However, in the early stages of his BYU contract, Peter withdrew in order to play closer to his home in Charlotte, North Carolina. Peter just signed to attend Wingate University in Wingate, North Carolina. Sione's family is related to WCAU sportscaster Vai Sikahema, Philadelphia Eagles running back Reno Mahe, and Rock Star: INXS finalist Jordis Unga. When he is not wrestling, he runs a small construction business in his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina. [edit] Notes
[edit] References
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