Tanga Loa Debuts at WWE Backlash: The Bloodline’s Latest Member Explained

At WWE Backlash, The Bloodline added another new member with a debut that shocked fans. With Roman Reigns taking a backseat for an undisclosed amount of time, Solo Sikoa has risen to the top of the group, at least for the time being. Reigns may not be physically present in WWE but he is said to have “substantial” creative input over the storyline which recently saw former multi-time NJPW Champion Tama Tonga make his WWE debut. 

Tonga wrestled his first official match for WWE at Backlash, teaming with Sikoa against Kevin Owens and Randy Orton. When it appeared that Orton and Owens had the upper hand and were going to best The Bloodline, Tanga Loa appeared from under the ring and attacked them. In the end, Sikoa and Tonga ended up with the win as all three men stood tall over them. 

Who is Tanga Loa?

As mentioned by WWE on commentary, Loa is the other son of Haku, a Tongan professional wrestler that dominated WWF throughout the mid 80s until the early 2000s. His last official match with the company was in 2002 at a house show against Diamond Dallas Page for the European Title. Though he’s still wrestling to this day, his legacy is carried on through his two songs Tama and Tanga. Loa’s in-ring wrestling career began in 2008 and he’s been part of various promotions, including TNA, CMLL, NJPW, and WWE.

For the last few years he’s been competing in New Japan with his brother as part of the Guerillas of Destiny or G.o.D. for short. While the stable is still active in Japan with El Phantasmo, Hikuleo and Jado, Tonga and Loa led the stable as a tag team. With them officially reunited in WWE, that tag team will likely be revisited in the new Bloodline story arc. 

Tanga’s WWE Past

Plenty of wrestlers have a past in WWE whether it’s as enhancement talent or they were formally signed at one point. In Loa’s case he was a full-time competitor in WWE. He first appeared in 2012 as Camacho teaming with Hunico. Much of his matches at the time were house shows, though he did eventually move to NXT in 2014 when it was established as the developmental show for the company. He wrestled his final match in April of 2014 and was released just two months later in June alongside Drew McIntyre, Jinder Mahal, Aksana, Curt Hawkins and more.

As for his future, as things stand it looks like The Bloodline may add one more member — likely Jacob Fatu — into the fold. He had about as dominant of a debut as you can have as a debuting star against two of WWE’s top stars in Owens and Orton. In November, Lance Anoa’i revealed that WWE wanted to sign he and Fatu and have them be part of Reigns’ “Tribal Court” storyline but due to their MLW contracts, that wasn’t possible.