A former Bloodline member has finally addressed his shock WWE release and revealed that he wasn’t taken aback by the company’s decision to show him the door. Tonga Loa explained that he had foreseen being cut from the promotion, as it wasn’t the time he had become a victim of untimely roster cuts.
While his first tenure with WWE from 2009-2014 was fairly unremarkable, Loa, who’s the son of Haku, returned to the global juggernaut a decade later in 2024 as part of The Bloodline. Alongside his cousin, Tama Tonga, with whom he had made waves in NJPW, he aligned with the then-Bloodline, which was led by Solo Sikoa.
Thanks for the submission!
The duo even went on to capture the WWE Tag Team Titles on one occasion. However, just over two years later, in May this year, Tonga Loa was released from his deal, while Tama Tonga was retained. After months of maintaining dignified silence over the matter, Loa has now finally addressed his surprising exit.
During a virtual signing for K&S Wrestlefest, Loa confessed that unlike the previous time, he wasn’t shocked or disappointed about being released. He said that at the time of his departure, WWE had parted ways with several high-profile talents, and he had a feeling he would be shown the door too.
“I had a feeling because I was released the week after the big release of 20-plus talent, and I just felt like it was just gonna happen the following week. Jeff [Cobb] and I got released the following week, and that week, just filming and stuff, I could just feel it… I’ve been released by the company before…” (H/T – RingsideNews)
Tonga Loa was released at the same time as his MFT stablemate, Jeff Cobb, whose run with the company was even more head-scratching, as he had been with the company for barely a year before being cut.
Tonga Loa enjoyed his time in WWE
Furthermore, Tonga Loa confessed that, looking back, he had nothing but fond memories of working for WWE on both occasions. The 43-year-old performer added that getting to work with not just Tama Tonga but also Talla Tonga was an absolute pleasure, as they got to travel the world together.
“I enjoyed ‘em both. This time, I enjoyed it more because I was sober… What was even better was I was there with Tama [Tonga] and Talla [Tonga]. Even though we got to wrestle in Japan a little bit, we didn’t get to wrestle with Talla that much. But then, when we were all over with WWE and Talla was finally on the main roster, it was fun. It was just nice to work with them and get to travel.”
It’s unclear as to what Tonga Loa has planned for his future. He hasn’t rushed into signing a deal with any other company, and it remains to be seen what lies ahead.
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Edited by Arpit Shrivastava
