Few Superstars can be said to have single-handedly influenced the development of sports-entertainment, but Jimmy Snuka is one of them. Snuka was the man who popularized maneuvers from the top ropes, and his innovative high-flying style was the precursor to much of what our fans see each week on WWE television. Because of his aerial ability, Snuka was at one time the most popular competitor in WWE.
A native of the Fiji Islands, the man known as “Superfly” perfected his aerial theatrics while cliff diving in his native land as a youngster. He began his sports-entertainment career in 1969, spending the 1970s working for several NWA regional promotions. In that decade, he held the NWA World Tag Team Championship on two occasions, and also defeated Ricky Steamboat in 1979 to win the United States Championship. Snuka also won a number of regional singles and tag team championships in places such as Texas and the Pacific Northwest.
In 1982, he made his WWE debut under the management of Capt. Lou Albano. Instantly rocketing to the top of contention, he challenged WWE Champion Bob Backlund in three consecutive main events at Madison Square Garden, culminating in a historic Steel Cage Match on June 28, 1982. That night, in one of the most talked-about moments in WWE history, Snuka leapt from the top of the 15-foot cage, only to miss his opponent and consequently lose the match.
Later in the year, the course of Snuka’s WWE career was altered when he discovered, thanks to the legendary Buddy Rogers (then working as a WWE announcer), that Albano was ripping him off. Snuka fired Albano and hired Rogers as his new representation, winning our fans over in the process. He was the target of a bloody attack by Albano and his new charge Ray Stevens, which led to one of the early ‘80s’ most violent rivalries.
As such, he became the target of perhaps the most hated Superstar in WWE at the time: fellow Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. In perhaps the most infamous moment in WWE history, Piper smashed a coconut over Snuka’s head during a segment of Piper’s Pit in 1984. Their rivalry lasted well over a year, and Snuka was at ringside at the first WrestleMania to second Hulk Hogan & Mr. T in their battle against Piper & Paul Orndorff.
Snuka left WWE shortly after, making a brief stop in the AWA in 1986 before returning to WWE in 1989. While he was no longer the “Superfly” of old, he was still one of the most popular Superstars on the roster. He even made amends with former bitter rival Piper, teaming with the “Rowdy Scot” at Survivor Series. 18 months later, Snuka met Undertaker at WrestleMania VII; while he lost, he went down in history as the first victim of Undertaker’s impressive 15-year undefeated streak at WrestleMania. Once again, however, Snuka left WWE in 1992.
Where he ended up was on the verge of history. Snuka headed to Philadelphia to compete for a small promotion called Eastern Championship Wrestling, where he became their first champion. He would hold that title twice, leaving the promotion before it morphed into its more famous incarnation: Extreme Championship Wrestling.
Snuka went into semi-retirement in 1994, but continued to make occasional appearances over the next decade. On the eve of Survivor Series 1996, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by Muraco; the following night, Snuka appeared as the mystery partner on Yokozuna’s team for a Classic Survivor Series Match, returning to the Madison Square Garden ring where he became a Legend.
A decade after becoming a Hall of Famer, Snuka was still going strong. He made numerous WWE appearances in 2003, and got back in the ring to victoriously team with Eugene at Taboo Tuesday 2005. In fact, Snuka climbed into the ring just as recently as June 2007, when he and Sgt. Slaughter unsuccessfully answered WWE Tag Team Champions Deuce & Domino’s open challenge at Vengeance: Night of Champions.
While he never held gold in WWE, Snuka was a key figure in the expansion of the company into what it has become today. His unique style, unprecedented aerial ability and quiet charisma made him one of the most popular Superstars in WWE history, and someone that our fans couldn’t miss when he stepped into the ring. Even today, you should always watch out, because you never know when “Superfly” will fly again.