Wrestler:	Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka
Real Name:	James Reiher
Birthday:	May 18, 1945
Hometown:	The Fiji Islands
Marital Status:
Height & Weight:	5’10″ – 250 lbs
Trained by:	Frankie Lane
Debut:	1969
Previous Names:	Jimmy Kealoha Lani Kealoha Tami Snuka Great Snuka Big Snuka Superfly Snuka “Phenom” Silver Shadow -masked-
Finishing Move:	The Superfly Splash
Favorite Moves:	Flying Cross Body Jumping Headbutt Flying Headbutt Knee drop Chop
Notable Feuds:	Jesse Ventura Buddy Rogers Bob Backlund Cpt Lou Ray Stevens Fred Blassie Don Muraco Bob Orton Roddy Piper Col DeBeers Honky Tonk Man The Warlord The Warlord Irwin R. Sheister

Jimmy Snuka Title History

NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team titles w/Frankie Laine defeating Norman Fredrick Charles & Jonathan Boyd (July 23, 1971);

NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team titles w/Dutch Savage defeating Ripper Collins & Bull Ramos (October 27, 1973);

NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight title defeating Bull Ramos (November 16, 1973);

NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight title defeating Ripper Collins (Febuary 23, 1974);

NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team titles w/Dutch Savage defeating Mati Suzuki & Kurt Von Steiger (March 22, 1974);

NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight title defeating Ripper Collins (June 4, 1974);

NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight title defeating Rasputin (October 7, 1974);

NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight title defeating Bull Ramos (August 9, 1975);

NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team titles w/Dutch Savage defeating Norman Fredrick Charles & Jonathan Boyd (December 25, 1975);

NWA (Vancouver) Canadian Tag Team titles w/Don Leo Jonathan defeating Seigfried Steinke & Gene Kiniski (April 12, 1976);

NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team titles w/Dutch Savage defeating Bull Ramos & Jesse Ventura (August 3, 1976);

NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team titles w/Dutch Savage defeating Buddy Rose & Jesse Ventura (November 5, 1976);

NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight title defeating ??????? (March 13, 1977);

NWA Texas Heavyweight title defeating El Gran Goliath (May 27, 1977);

NWA Texas Tag Team titles w/Gino Hernandez defeating Mike York & Bruiser Brody (August ??, 1977);

NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team titles w/Dutch Savage defeating Iron Sheik & Bull Ramos (June 10, 1978);

NWA (Mid Atlantic) World Tag Team titles w/Paul Orndorff defeating Baron Von Raschke & Greg Valentine (December ??, 1978);

NWA (Mid Atlantic) United States Heavyweight title defeating Ricky Steamboat [Tournament] (September 1, 1979);

NWA (Mid Atlantic) World Tag Team titles w/Ray Stevens defeating Jay Youngblood & Ricky Steamboat (June 22, 1980);

PWI (Pro Wrestling Illustrated) 1980 Tag Team of the Year (Jimmy Snuka & Ray Stevens)

NWA (Georgia) National Tag Team titles w/Terry Gordy defeating Steve O & Ted DiBiase (July 6, 1981);

PWI (Pro Wrestling Illustrated) 1982 Match of the Year (Jimmy Snuka vs. Bob Backlund)

PWI (Pro Wrestling Illustrated) 1983 Most Popular Wrestler (Jummy “Superfly” Snuka)

CWA (Memphis) International Tag Team titles w/J.T Southern defeating Tarzan Goto & Akio Sato (March 2, 1987);

ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling) Heavyweight title defeating Salvatore Bellomo (April 25, 1992)

ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling) Heavyweight title defeating Johnny Hot Body (July 14, 1992)

ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling) Television title defeating Glen Osbourne [Tournament] (March 12, 1998);

NWA Tri State Heavyweight title defeating Viper (May 27, 2000);

USA Pro New York State Heavyweight title defeating Ken Sweeney (November 5, 2000);

The oh-so familiar legendary hollering as the music of the one and only “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka would run to the ring barefoot and ready to wrestle. The name Jimmy Snuka is a familiar and legendary one in our fair sport, and for very good reason. He is most famous for his stints in the world wrestling federation dating back to the days even before Hulk Hogan became a main event spectacle, the days of the early 80′s when the so-called glory days were just approaching.

While Superfly Jimmy Snuka never won a world heavyweight championship in the World Wrestling Federation, the legacy he sealed in the company is simply irreplaceable. His most famous moment took place against his long-time rival, Bob Backlund, in Madison square garden in a match for the Worlf Wrestling Federation World Heavyweight Championship in 1982 in which Superfly, living true to his name, became the first man to ever dive from the top of a steel cage in a moment that still to this day inspires awe, and in my personal opinion, it was this move that got so much mainstream attention that it inspired so much of the high risk entertainment we see on our television screens to this day.

Snuka, hailing originally from the Fiji Islands, also made even more history in his most successful and awe inspiring feud ever in a segment in Piper’s Pit, a talk show hosted by the legendary and controversial Rowdy Roddy Piper in which Piper controversially hit Snuka over the head with a coconut knocking him out cold, this moment garnished much media attention.

He is also known to be the first victim in the legendary streak of The Undertaker, and it is thanks to Snuka agreeing to put him over that Undertaker is as successful as he was today, the WrestleMania streak may not even have existed without the help of the Superfly!

To this day, Jimmy Snuka still makes sparing wrestling appearances and his most recent stint with World Wrestling Entertainment was a spot in the WWE Royal Rumble in January 2008, in which both he and long-time rival Rowdy Roddy Piper were entrants. As both men entered into the match, the other superstars circled around them as the two icons stood toe to toe and exchanged blows, although neither man won, it added just another chapter in the long time and seemingly never ending rivalry of two of the greatest of all time.

Long live, Superfly Jimmy Snuka!

 written by Wayne K. Wilkins

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Posted by admin on November 16th, 2010 :: Filed under

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