The famous Fijian wrestler Jimmy Snuka, popularly known as Jimmy Superfly Snuka passed away recently at the age of 73. He became popular along with names like Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant and Randy Savage. These men started their wrestling career with Vince McMahon’s WWE.
Snuka’s daughter and current WWE superstar, Tamina Snuka reported the news of his death via Instagram. Snuka’s real name was James Wiley Smith, and his first foray into wrestling began in the bodybuilding circuit.
All throughout 1960, he continued to make his name in the bodybuilding circuit but felt that there was scope in the world of wrestling. He finally started his wrestling career in Hawaii and soon went over to the Pacific Northwest Wrestling by the 1970s.
Jimmy Superfly Snuka won his first Heavyweight Champion belt in 1973. He later went on to bag five more this title. Until the 1980s, Snuka was part of the National Wresting Alliance and spurred with many of the WWE greats like Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, Jesse “The Body” Ventura, Jerry, and Jack Brisco.
According to Rolling Stone Snuka made his way in McMahon’s roster in 1982 after a memorable match with champion Bob Backlund. The fight is remembered for the trademark Superfly Splash move where Snuka would jump off the top of the cage. However, the move wasn’t successful since Backlund moved out at the knick of time.
The McMahon company saw the Golden Era during the time Snuka was in it. Snuka is known to create one of the most memorable moments in the history of wrestling during his match against “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. The incident is known as Piper’s Pit in the world of wrestling.
During the match, Piper supposedly cracked open a coconut on Snuka’s head and then started to hit and yell that Snuka, who was completely dazed.
Following this incident, Snuka took some time off from the WWE and headed to Japan in 1985. He came back to join the McMahon company again in 1989. After returning, he fought with The Undertaker at the WrestleMania VII and lost to him.
Jimmy Snuka again took some time off from McMahon and went on to win at the Eastern Championship Wrestling, which was later named Extreme Championship Wrestling. Snuka returned to WWE in 1930, but only for a brief period before he went into semi-retirement. He fought in small matches and indie circuits.
He never went back to fighting in the big-league matches.
Snuka got into trouble with the law in 1983, for the alleged murder of his girlfriend/ mistress Nancy Argentino. Argentino died at the age of 23 years right after she was rushed to the hospital after a head injury. She was in Snuka’s Whitehall Township hotel room and had a terrible head injury.
She was always there with Snuka during his tours, and Snuka was charged with third-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter in 2015. The jury said that Snuka had repeatedly assaulted Nancy Argentino in the lodge and left her to die there. Snuka claimed that she had slipped and injured herself.
Mcall reported that these charges came to light when in 2013, Morning Call paper started the investigation once again during the 30th death anniversary of Argentino. The previously unseen autopsy report concluded that it was a homicide.
Snuka had already been diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2015, and he wasn’t fit to stand trial. He thought the policemen escorting him are fans seeking autographs. He stood on trial for four days but was then proved incompetent to stand trial.