American professional wrestler and former football player Roman Reigns, aka Leati Joseph “Joe” Anoaʻi, lost his older brother Rosey on April 17, 2017.
Roman Reigns’ brother Rosey was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillation.
He was even hospitalized for the health issue in January 2014. Three years later, he passed away, leaving his family in intense grief.
Baby Roman Reigns and his brother Matt. 🥹✨🫶🏻 pic.twitter.com/6Ae2p944yn
— Ani♡ (@UndisputedReign) September 24, 2024
During an interview on WWE.com, Roman Reigns opened up on the demise of his brother and said,
It was an extremely sad weekend, and it’s still really tough. Everybody’s grieving. But to see our family come together and have a hundred-plus family and friends come together to celebrate my brother’s life really meant a lot. It just continually picks up our family and keeps us moving on.
Via Fox Sports
Roman further stated,
This is a tough time but like everything in life we can learn from it and get better from it. My only hope now is that I can continue to represent my family and represent my brother and continue to push our legacy.
Similarly, Roman Reigns also revealed that his brother Rosey was his number one fan.
He never missed any of his matches and always reached out to him with some good advice when needed.
Well, it’s been over half a decade since his passing, but the wrestling enthusiast still remembers Rosey, thanks to his younger Roman Reigns, who has been working hard inside the ring to continue his brother’s legacy.
Since the beginning of his professional wrestling career in 2010, Roman has come a long way.
He achieved ‘Grand Slam status,’ with six WWE World Championship reigns, single reigns as Intercontinental and United States Champion, and a stint as WWE Tag Team Champion.
Further, after his brother’s passing too, he maintained a good image as a wrestler with his skill and talent.
In 2018 and 2019, Pro Wrestling Illustrated named him the Inspirational Wrestler of the Year; in 2022, ESPN named him the Male Wrestler of the Year, and many more.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Roman Reigns’ brother, Rosey, was born to the former Samoan professional wrestler Sika Anoa‘i and Patricia Hooker on April 7, 1970, in San Fransisco, California. His original name was Matthew Tapunu’u Anoaʻi.
- Like his younger brother Roman Reigns, Rosey was a wrestler. He made his debut in the world of wrestling in 1995 and remained associated with it until 2017. He was 6 feet and 7 inches tall and weighed 420 lb.
- He married his wife, Mandy Vandeberg, from 2004 to 2012 and had three children.
