Samoan Gangstas

Infobox Wrestling team
article_name=Samoan Gangstas
type=T


caption=Kevin Nash and Scott Hall
heights=height|foot=6|inch=7 - Matt
height|foot=6|inch=2 - Lloyd
weights=convert|713|lb|kg st|abbr=on|lk=on
billed=
hometown=
trainer=Wild Samoan Training Centercite web|url=http://www.wildsamoan.com/Matt.htm|title=Rosey Bio|publisher=Wild Samoan|accessdate=2008-03-01] cite web|url=http://www.wildsamoan.com/LASmooth.htm|title=L.A. Smooth Bio|publisher=Wild Samoan|accessdate=2008-03-01]
members=Matt E./Matty Smalls/Big Mattie Smalls L.A. Smooth
former_members=
names=Samoan Gangstascite web|url=http://www.solie.org/ttwxw.html|title=WXW World Tag Team Title History|publisher=Solie's Title Histories|accessdate=2008-03-01]
debut=1997
disbanded=1998
promotions=WXW|

Samoan Gangstas was a professional wrestling tag team in the independent promotion World Xtreme Wrestling (WXW). The tag team consisted of members from the legendary Anoa'i wrestling family.

History

World Xtreme Wrestling (WXW)

1997

Samoan Gangstas was a tag team, made up of cousins Matt E. Smalls and L.A. Smooth (LA stands for Lloyd Anoai) from the Anoa'i wrestling family. [cite web|url=http://www.wildsamoan.com/samoandynasty.htm|title=Samoan Dynasty|publisher=Wild Samoan|accessdate=2008-03-01] Their tag team was formed in 1997 in World Xtreme Wrestling (WXW), the promotion of one half of the legendary Wild Samoans, Afa Anoa'i, who is also L.A. Smooth's father. The duo received success in WXW in the tag team division. On June 24, they won their first WXW Tag Team Championship by beating Love Connection (Sweet Daddy Jay Love and Georgie Love). However, they were temporarily suspended and the titles were declared vacant. [cite web|url=http://wxwwrestling.homestead.com/historytitles.html|title=Samoan Dynasty's first WXW Tag Team Championship summary|publisher=WXW Wrestling|accessdate=2008-03-01|quote=5/24/97: Samoan Gangstas (LA Smooth & Matt E. Smalls) beat Love Connection. 6/97: (Samoan Gangstas are temporarily suspended, titles vacated)] Matt was repackaged as Matty Smalls. They returned in the summer of 1997 and defeated Siberian Express (The Mad Russian and Russian Eliminator), on September 17 to win their second WXW Tag Team Championship.cite web|url=http://wxwwrestling.com/homestead.com/historytitles.html|title=Samoan Dynasty's second WXW Tag Team Championship summary|publisher=WXW Wrestling|accessdate=2008-03-01|quote=9/17/97: Samoan Gangstas beat Siberian Express. 3/27/98: After a family feud, LA Smooth beat Matt E Smalls (loser leaves Top Rope) BELTS VACANT]

1998

Problems began between Smalls and Smooth. The two partners began feuding with each other and couldn't focus properly on their tag titles. On March 27, 1998, Smooth defeated Smalls in a Loser Leaves Town match. As a result of losing this match, Smalls was forced to leave the promotion. He left WXW while Smooth focused on a singles career. After a short while, Smalls returned back to WXW and the two partners reunited again as Samoan Gangstas and began teaming in the tag team division. They feuded with several tag teams in WXW and focused to regain the WXW Tag Team Championship.

However, due to their family disputes and problems with each other, they didn't take part in the tournament for the vacated tag titles, and instead feuded with each other.

Aftermath

Samoan Gangstas feuded with each other after their splitting until Smalls left WXW and began wrestling as Kimo. He began teaming with Ekmo as The Island Boyz and the duo worked in Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW) before signing with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and working in its developmental territories.

In wrestling

* Finishing and signature moves:* Samoan drop - L.A. Smooth [cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldowrestling.com/profiles/l/l-a-smooth.html|title=L.A. Smooth Profile|publisher=Online World of Wrestling|accessdate=2008-03-01] :* Chokeslam - Matty Smalls

References

Championships and accomplishments

* World Xtreme Wrestling:* WXW Tag Team Championship (2 times)

External links

* [http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/r/rosey.html Matty Smalls' OWW Profile]
* [http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/l/l-a-smooth.html L.A. Smooth's OWW Profile]