Umaga’s half-painted face was never a style choice. It was a sign he was running behind.
The late WWE star was known for his athleticism and his iconic face paint designs. Fans also spotted him at times with only half of it done.
His son, NXT star Zilla Fatu, explained the reason during an appearance on Busted Open.
It’s really something small, but I don’t think the world knows. So if you see Umaga anywhere on a loop show or a dark show or whatever with half the face paint, that means he got in late.
Fatu said his father did his paint on the way to the venue.
He tried to get to the venue really early, so guess what he did on the way to the venue? He was doing the paint. And, you know, he never did the full face paint because he was late.
So if you guys go double back and you watch some of my dad’s matches, and you see him sometimes with half the face paint, it’s because the man is running late and he didn’t get to the venue on time.
Mama Zilla Wasn’t Having It
Fatu added that his mother tried to keep Umaga on schedule, with mixed results.
My mom was on his a–. Mama, shout out to Mama Zilla, she was on his a– and she was like, ‘Come on, come on, you gotta tighten up, you gotta get there early.’ He was like, ‘No, no, it’s okay.’
Umaga passed away in 2009 at just 36 years old.
Fatu has followed in his father’s footsteps. He has since signed with WWE and become a regular part of the NXT roster, drawing praise from AJ Styles for his debut. John Cena also picked him for the John Cena Classic, years after Cena’s own rivalry with Umaga.
