New footage has come out of the WWE debut of Rodney 'Yokozuna' Aanoa'i, who worked under a much different name from the one fans would come to know for years.
The WWE Vault Youtube channel has shared new footage of an interview with Yokozuna, working under the name 'The Great Kokina' and his uncle Afa Sr. of the Wild Samoans. The name was also a nod to the superheavyweight's time in the AWA in the late 1980s, where he worked as 'Kokina Maximus.'
The Great Kokina's debut match came in an untelevised match on September 1, 1992, at a WWF Superstars taping in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The match saw Kokina make short work of Ron Neal and would mark the only time he wrestled under the gimmick.
Yokozuna debuted on the Halloween edition of WWF Superstars with the sumo wrestler fans would come to fear, as well as Mr. Fuji as his manager.
Yokozuna's brief time as The Great Kokina reflect how a wrestler may work under a variety of names or gimmicks before landing on one that works. Seth Rollins even worked as 'God' and Gixx early into his career before settling on the Tyler Black name he used pre-WWE. Whether it was as Yokozuna, The Great Kokina, or Kokina Maximus, Rodney Anoa'i forged a legacy in wrestling that won't be forgotten by fans new and old anytime soon.
