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Sione Vailahi

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Sione Vailahi is a professional wrestler best known under the name of The Barbarian. He was known for his flying headbutts and for his incredible strength. He could press a 220 lb (100 kg) wrestler over his head with both hands, remove one hand, and hold him there for quite some time.

Contents

Life and career

Growing up in Tonga, Sione was one of five teenagers sent by the King of Tonga to Japan to study Sumo wrestling. He was known in sumo circles as Yokinoshima.

After 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, and he 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.

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.

Upon arriving in the WWF, they were paired as faces with Baron Von Raschke, simply called "The Baron". They started a feud with Demolition, Ax and Smash, over the Tag Team Titles. 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 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.

When 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 challenged at Halloween Havoc 1992, and they also faced off against Sting, Barry Windham, Dustin Rhodes and Nikita Koloff. He briefly won the WCW United States Tag Team Titles with Dick Slater, but the belts were retired two days later.

He rejoined the WWF for a short time in 1994 and early 1995, where he portrayed Headshrinker Seone in a reformation of The Headshrinkers with Fatu.

Shortly afterwards, Vailahi once again signed with WCW, and reunited with Meng (the former Haku) 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, but he never got to defend the title on television, and WCW management scrapped the title. Since the sale of WCW, he has worked the independent circuit, winning several regional titles.

In 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.

Vailahi appeared in the 1987 movie Body Slam, playing Axe the Cannibal.

Personal Information

Sione 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. 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 finalist Jordis Unga.

When he is not wrestling, he runs a small construction business in his hometown of Charlotte.

The Powers of Pain with Ivan Koloff & Paul Jones
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The Powers of Pain with Ivan Koloff & Paul Jones

In Wrestling

Previous Managers

Previous Factions

Championships/Accomplishments

World Championship Wrestling

National Wrestling Alliance

Other titles

 

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