Biographie
Born on the South Pacific island sharing his first name, Tonga Uliuli Fifita was immersed in sports from a young age. He attended Tonga College, an all-boys school where rugby was the top sport. After a visit by a group of Japanese sumo wrestlers aiming to spark local interest, Fifita was chosen at 14 to train in sumo wrestling in Japan along with other Tongan wrestlers. (Sione Vailahi, also known as 'The Barbarian', later followed a similar path.) However, impressed by the lucrative earnings of professional wrestlers in Japan, Fifita switched careers at 18 and turned pro. After competing in various circuits across Japan and Canada, he debuted in the World Wrestling Federation in 1985 as 'King Tonga'. He quickly became a fan favorite, notably bodyslamming Big John Studd on WWF Superstars in 1986.
He stayed with WWF for six years, turning heel as 'Haku' after teaming with manager Bobby Heenan. In 1987, he formed the tag team 'The Islanders' with Sam Fatu, known as the 'Tonga Kid'. He earned the WWF 'King' title in 1988 and, alongside Andre the Giant, captured the WWF tag team championships from Demolition in 1989. Later, he appeared in World Championship Wrestling on WCW Monday Nitro (1995) and WCW Thunder (1998) as 'Meng', displaying a tougher persona and mastering the Tongan death grip. By 2000, amid WCW's financial turmoil and mismanagement, Tonga was released from his contract and hired on a per-event basis. Shortly after winning the WCW Hardcore Championship at WCW Sin (2001), he was contacted by rival WWF and offered a contract. He returned as the 29th entrant in the 2001 Royal Rumble. This proved beneficial as WCW soon closed and was acquired by WWF. During this period, he formed a brief alliance with Rikishi, brother of the Tonga Kid, feuding with the Undertaker and Kane on "Raw Is War" (1997) and WWE Smackdown! (1999).
Now largely retired from active wrestling, he remains engaged in commercial ventures such as Tri Women's Fitness, where WWE stars Torrie Wilson and Victoria began their careers. He also works as Detail Manager at David Maus Toyota in Central Florida. Tonga lives in Poinciana, Florida, with his wife Dorothy, sons Tevita, Alipate, and Taula, and daughter Vika.
