One of the hottest rumours for the upcoming WrestleMania is a possible return from Dwayne Johnson to take on his family member Roman Reigns.
The match has been built up for over a year by wrestling fans, and recently Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that their meeting is “Not Off The Boards” For WrestleMania.
But other than Dwayne Johnson and Roman Reigns being bonafide superstars, some may be surprised to know that the two have something “closer to home” in common.
How Are Roman Reigns & Dwayne Johnson Related?
Both Dwayne Johnson and Roman Reigns are from the famous Anoa’i family. The Anoa’i family is one of the most well-known families in professional wrestling due to it spawning an incredible amount of top-level stars over the last century.
The family tree of this wrestling dynasty started in 1914 with the birth of Amituana’i Anoaʻi, who married Tovaleomanaia Amituana’i, and has continued to the current day, with many wrestling stars linked to the Anoa’i name.
Officially, Roman Reigns and Dwayne Johnson are cousins. “The Rock” is the son of Rocky Johnson, a former WWF Tag Team Champion. Roman Reigns is the son of Sika Anoa’i, who held the same championships three times as part of the Wild Samoans.
Like all family trees, the connection of cousins to “second cousins” to “second once removed” can get confusing, but it is fascinating to see the names attached to the Anoa’i family.
Other than Dwayne Johnson and Roman Reigns, famous names include former WWF Champion Yokozuna. Of course, Roman Reigns’ cousins Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso and Solo Sikoa are part of the family. Rikishi Fatu, known for his two-decade tenure in the WWF/E, is Roman Reigns’ cousin.
Then there’s Rosey of 3-Minute Warning fame, “The Samoan Bulldozer” Umaga, and Jacob Fatu, a rising star currently competing in Major League Wrestling.
If Dwayne Johnson and Roman Reigns bump into each other on-screen in 2023, they will undoubtedly have a big story to tell through their family connection alone.