The Haku WWF run in 2001

[Guest Trivia247]

Haku was a WWF maystay since 1986 till 1992 give or take a few months.

In the beginning Haku was lean and actually a well accomplished wrestler especially in the tag team ranks with Tama in the Islanders. In singles competition he also held his own, even being the second King of the Ring the 80's ran with You can take the Survivor Series 87 as an example of his skill. Over the years Haku gained weight and became more of a power and rough wrestler rather than what he was intially. However Haku manage to maintain his balance to still hit his stiff thrust kicks, and added more power moves. Haku wrestled with what I hear without a wrestler's ego. Probably due to the Samoan wrestling traditions he didn't bitch moan whine over jobbing or not getting title shots in anything. He did good as a worker in the ring. He manage to take on the world tag titles when teaming with Andre in the Collassal connection. But there, Haku was also the Work horse of the team, which is obvious in WM6 match vs Demolition.

 

Haku did a stint in Japan in Tenryu's ill fated SWS promotion as a WWF tour with their partner fed in Japan which SWS was at the time. After this stint Haku's contract was concluded in WWF. Haku went into WCW as Meng. Where he teamed with his old Heenan Family buddy Barbarian. Meng was billed as a tough legit wrestler, a Monster, a carnivore as JR would say. For the Most part Meng's stint in WCW was decent. in the Meng incarnation he got over a few wrestlers he couldn't have in the WWF at the time. He even defeated Chris Benoit in a Deathmatch on a WCW ppv. Meng's Tonga Deathgrip complimented his character's gimmick and translated well for the later years. in the later years of WCW Meng was waning in the company. Like in WWF, Meng didn't have that wrestler ego that would demand his spot, which pretty much signed his careers death warrent in WCW where it was all about egos being stroked. However Meng did manage to obtain one of the few Single titles he claimed in the states.. the WCW Hardcore title.

 

Then...

 

Haku returned at the Royal Rumble 01. Making a impact there of. Haku went after Undertaker and Kane hinting the possible feud that was to come. Rikishi and Haku formed together in a head shrinking Islanders team. Feuding with Undertaker and Kane. This feud would not develop in a PPV blow off, and Haku begin fading away from the public view here and there. Haku then became "The King" of Heat. Haku even developed a cult following from Heat fans who would Chant for Haku and wear the Samoan Afro Puff wigs that were sold. Haku then disappeared almost totally, until he resurfaced briefly during the WWF's vs WCW angle. Haku became apart of many of the backstage meetings and was even involved in that big time beat down of the WWF vs WCW wrestlers in the ring. However after that Haku faded off of WWF tv and was shipped to OVW. Haku made some decent matches there so I heard, then he managed the Island boys there for a good period of time, until they moved to the WWF and Haku was finally releashed. Haku can be found in Floridia as a used car dealer (an honorable profession I tells ya!)

 

What could have been done????

 

Haku and Rikishi would have been a decent tag team of the midcard rankings. maybe even a tag title run or two. Haku himself could have went back into the Hardcore title hunt. Or forget title runs, at least keep Haku on TV as a legit tough guy who could be a hired bountyhunter for maybe titleholders trying to eliminate challengers.... Or even Haku and Rikishi start a Islanders stable with the Island boys and feud with the Rock for being the wayward cousin of the Anoai Wrestling family. And even if he couldn't wrestle, I could have easily imagined Haku to be "The New Afa" and Manage the likes of the Island boys when they debut.

 

What was against Haku...

His age of course those fans on here would wants to Logan run any wrestler over 35 and retire them. His weight, though technically not overweight, his stocky weight prevented the more crisp moves and spots he did back in his first WWF stint. However he did replace that with the Japanese sumo like style he developed as Meng.

Haku doesn't do mic work.. Either it was part of his character, or the fact being an old school wrestler he simply never felt the need to develop it.

 

and of course the wrestler ego or lack there of. It seems the wrestling political machine is more important than the work or value a wrestler can put in. Now clearly Haku's value was more limited than he was intially. But he never seem to demand anything more out of his career and was content to let the chips fall where they may. Now that is a noble quality in most things in life. But in the wrestling world being a whiny backstabing Bitch of a spotlight stealer, a Hogan a HHH a goldberg etc etc etc is how someone gets to be on top.

 

Any memorible matches he did?

 

I'll list them

 

Haku's good showing at the Survivor series 87 tag team SS match

 

Haku vs Harley Race Royal Rumble 89

 

Haku vs Hercules Wm 5

 

Haku & Jumbo v Mr.Perfect & Rick Martel WWF/AJPW 1990 Tour

 

Haku and "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase defeated the Great Kabuki and Takashi Ishikawa on March 30, 1991 at the Tokyo Egg Dome.

 

Haku and Yoshiaki Yatsu beat Genichiro Tenryu and Randy Savage at Tokyo's Sumo Hall.

 

Haku & Yatsu beating Natural Disaters for the SWS tag titles

 

Meng v Hacksaw Martial Arts match WCW Uncensored 1995

 

Meng v Brian Pillman 1995 WCW Slamboree

 

Meng v Chris Benoit Deathmatch WCW Slamboree 97

 

Meng & Barbarian v Ernest Miller & Glacier WCW World War III 97

 

Meng v Barbarian Road Wild 98

 

Meng v Lex Luger Mayhem 99

 

Meng v Crowbar v Terry Funk WCW Sin 00

 

 

Big rant there.. lol but I didn't want this to be some Hakumania mark out thread but something more meaty then that. Hopefully gain feedback over perhaps

[Guest jm29195]

I thought Haku and Rikishi wuld have been a good monster tag team, I'm sure they would have been at Wrestlemania fighting someone but Rikishi suffered a broken eardrum on Smackdown against Taker shortly after No Way Out and was sidelined until Judgment Day, thus causing the break up of that tag team and Haku getting lost in the midcard... He probably would have recieved a push if it wasn't for the WCW buy out, as there were tons of new guys with loads more potential that WWF managment felt should be pushed over him....

[tbondrage99 0]

Im somewhat suprised that The WWE didnt put him in there hardcore division and have him say that he came to the WWEs hardcore division because there wasnt any compition for him in WCWs hardcore division. I think that would of been a good route to go, it would of made Haku & The WWE look good and make WCW look bad, not that they needed it at the time.

[cawthon777 0]

I don't really think McMahon had any plans for him when he signed him. IMHO, it was just Vince getting off on stealing WCW talent out from under his competition's nose ... given the fact Haku was the WCW Hardcore Champ at the time just made it that much more fun.

[MillenniumMan831 0]

For those that got WCW Worldwide in their area, Meng was feautred in a Hardcore Title match a week after he already returned as Haku at RR01.

[Guest jm29195]

For those that got WCW Worldwide in their area, Meng was feautred in a Hardcore Title match a week after he already returned as Haku at RR01.

 

 

 

You think that's bad, in the UK we got WCW Worldwide on a 5 week delay, we got an episode with one of the Radicals appearing (Saturn I believe) and Bobby Duncum Jr wrestling maybe 2 weeks after he had DIED!!!

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

That's both funny and sad or various levels...

[Guest Your Olympic Hero]

Haku & Barbarian vs. The Rockers at Wrestlemania VII kicked all kinds of ass.

[Lil' Bitch 0]

I'm still a fan of Haku since his "King" days. I marked the fuck out when he came out for the RR.

[TheBigSwigg 0]

I watched the 01 RR and I couldn't believe they didn't run more with a Rikishi Haku team. They could've feuded with Too Cool had Rikishi turned heel. It would've been magic...........

[Zack Malibu 0]

Rikishi was already heel at that point.

[PLAGIARISM! 0]

I don't think I could be bothered to make a post as long as that about SATURN~! let alone anyone else. I think if he was with rikishi in the same capacity as Chavo Classic I would have no objections. Even though rikishi is my mortal enemy and jobs even less than Nash. Bastard. He'll have had a 'shite but loyal' ME push by the end of the year, I tells ya...