What’s the story?
Matt Anoa’i, best known to longtime fans of WWE as Rosey, passed away three days ago in a tragic moment for all of the pro-wrestling. Initially, Rosey’s family reported to the press that the cause of his death was congestive heart failure but now new details have come to light about the incident.
In case you didn’t know...
Rosey had his big break in WWE in 2002 alongside his cousin Eddie Fatu in the stable 3-minute warning as Rosey and Jamal. He later went on to join Hurricane as a tag team with the superhero gimmick in 2003 but was released from his WWE contract.
The heart of the matter:
Rosey’s health was deteriorating very rapidly in the last few years while he gained too much weight too soon according to sources close to the family.
The 47-year-old apparently had weight issues as he alternated losing weight and gaining back more than he lost, as reported by longtime family friend Court Bauer who was a Creative Writer for WWE. At the time of his death, Rosey had reportedly weighed 450 pounds as opposed to his billed weight of 360 pounds.
Anoa’i was also suffering from weakness in general and was planning to undergo dialysis because of kidney problems.
Bauer mentioned in a quote:
“His health was clearly fading. He had a lot of struggles with his heart in 2014 and hadn’t lost weight over the past three years. In spite of his deteriorating health, he always had such a great, upbeat, positive outlook. He was like a big kid with the enthusiasm for life that he showed.”
Rosey was very positive even though his health was failing in the last few months, his friends and family reported.
Impact
The WWE Universe faced a terrible loss with the passing of Matt “Rosey” Anoa’i who is survived by his brother, WWE Superstar and former WWE Champion Roman Reigns, his three children, and father, Sika.
Reigns himself hasn’t commented on his brother’s passing or tweeted since then.
Author’s take
The WWE fan base and the IWC mourns for the fallen Star who made such a huge impact in the early 2000’s in the world of pro-wrestling. We offer our heartfelt condolences to those affected by Rosey’s passing, especially his friends and family.
