WWE paid tribute to legend with special display for SmackDown

WWE is known for its touching tributes to pro wrestling stars that have passed away. The company recently teamed with a legendary partner to honor a Hall of Famer with a special tribute that received mainstream attention from even outside the wrestling world.

Sika Anoa'i passed away last Tuesday at the age of 79. The father of Roman Reigns and Rosey was a three-time WWE Tag Team Champion with his brother, Afa Anoa'i, together known as The Wild Samoans. The elders of The Anoa'i Family and The Bloodline were inducted into the 2007 Hall of Fame by World Wrestling Entertainment, and then inducted in 2012 by the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. The wrestling world has continued to pay tribute to Sika since last week, making his name trend at times.

WWE paid tribute to Sika on Friday's SmackDown from Madison Square Garden, with a tribute graphic and video package. The World's Most Famous Arena also honored the Samoan legend by displaying a tribute on the iconic marquee that sits atop the 7th Avenue entrance.

Fans at The Garden broke out in a loud "Sika!" chant when the tribute aired on WWE SmackDown. The tributes were fitting as The Wild Samoans have had many great matches at MSG.

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The Wild Samoans' WWE history at Madison Square Garden

World Wrestling Entertainment first signed The Wild Samoans in 1979, and that run lasted until the end of 1980. Afa and Sika Anoa'i returned in 1982, and remained with the company until 1985. Sika returned by himself for a singles run from 1986 through 1988, but also teamed up with Kamala.

The three-time WWE Tag Team Champions debuted at Madison Square Garden in January 1980, defeating then-champions Tito Santana and Ivan Putski via count-out. They both ended up challenging Bob Backlund for the WWE Championship, with Sika coming up short at MSG in March of that year. A big six-man match happened in July 1983 as The Wild Samoans teamed with Samu for a loss to Putski, Dusty Rhodes, and Andre the Giant.

Sika had many more notable singles matches at The World's Most Famous Arena. He was defeated by opponents such as Rocky Johnson, Tony Atlas, George Steele, Don Muraco, Jim Duggan, and Koko B. Ware. He also held victories over names like Ivan Putski, Dominic DeNucci, Adrian Adonis, and Lanny Poffo.

While Afa and Sika never won gold at MSG, they did defend and challenge for the tag titles at the venue. One notable match was a loss to the team of Dusty Rhodes and Pat Patterson in a 2 of 3 Falls match in October 1980, but the Samoans still retained due to referee decision.