As a writer, I have put admiration into my reader’s shoes. Most of my readers are disturbed by Jimmy Snuka’s cause of death. He died of stomach cancer and dementia.
As I was doing my research a number of fans wanted to know Jimmy Snuka‘s cause of death, wife, daughter, career, and net worth that we will delve into in the proceeding lines.
First, I could let you understand that Jimmy Snuka, also known as “Superfly” Snuka, was a Fijian-American professional wrestler who was best known for his high-flying style and his signature move, the Superfly Splash.
He was a WWE Hall of Famer and a pioneer of hardcore wrestling.
He died on January 15, 2017, at the age of 73, after a long battle with stomach cancer and dementia.
Snuka was diagnosed with stomach cancer in August 2015 and underwent surgery to remove part of his stomach and lymph nodes.
He also received chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
However, his condition worsened and he was moved to hospice care in late 2016. He also suffered from severe dementia, which affected his memory and cognitive abilities.
He was unable to stand trial for the 1983 death of his former girlfriend, Nancy Argentino, due to his mental incompetence.
Snuka’s death was announced by his daughter, Tamina Snuka, who is also a WWE wrestler.
She posted a picture of their hands on Instagram and wrote: “I love you dad.” She also tweeted: “#RIPSuperfly one of the greatest icons in the history of our business.”
Many other wrestlers and fans paid tribute to Snuka and his legacy on social media.
Jimmy Snuka’s Wife
Jimmy Snuka was married three times in his life.
His first wife was Carol Perry, whom he married in May 1967 and divorced in 1970.
They had one son together, James Reiher Jr., who also became a wrestler under the name Deuce.
His second wife was Sharon Snuka, whom he married in December 1971 and divorced in 1999.
They had four children together: Liana Snuka, Sarona Moana Marie Reiher Snuka (Tamina), Ata Snuka, and Jimmy Snuka Jr.
His third wife was Carole Snuka, whom he married in September 2004 and remained with until his death.
She acted as his caretaker, confidant, and manager during his illness.
Jimmy Snuka Daughter
Tamina Snuka is the second daughter of Jimmy Snuka from his second wife, Sharon Snuka.
She was born on January 10, 1978, in Vancouver, Washington.
She followed her father’s footsteps and became a professional wrestler in 2009.
Tamina is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Tamina.
She is a nine-time WWE 24/7 Champion and a one-time WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion.
Tamina Snuka made her WWE debut on May 24, 2010, as a villainous character, along with Jimmy and Jey Uso, by attacking The Hart Dynasty.
She later turned face and began flirting with Santino Marella.
Tamina also formed alliances with various female wrestlers, such as AJ Lee, Naomi, Sasha Banks, Natalya, and Lana.
She has competed in several matches for the WWE Divas Championship and the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship, but has never won either title.
Tamina Snuka is also an actress and has appeared in the film Hercules (2014) as one of the Amazonian warriors.
She has two daughters from her previous marriage to Brandon Polamalu.
Jimmy Snuka Career
Jimmy Snuka had a long and illustrious career as a professional wrestler that spanned from 1968 to 2015.
He wrestled for several promotions around the world, such as NWA, AWA, WWF/WWE, ECW, AJPW, NJPW, WCW, and various independent circuits.
He won several championships and accolades throughout his career.
Some of his notable achievements are:
- He was the inaugural ECW World Heavyweight Champion (a title he held twice) in Eastern Championship Wrestling (later Extreme Championship Wrestling).
- He was the first WWF wrestler to jump off the top of a steel cage onto an opponent (Don Muraco) at Madison Square Garden in 1983. This moment is considered one of the most iconic in wrestling history.
- Jimmy was involved in the first-ever WrestleMania match against The Executioner (Buddy Rose) at WrestleMania I in 1985.
- He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1996 by Don Muraco.
- Jimmy was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2012 as part of the Modern Era wing.
- He was ranked No. 29 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the “PWI Years” by Pro Wrestling Illustrated in 2003.
Jimmy Snuka’s Net Worth
According to various web sources, Jimmy Snuka’s net worth at the time of his death was estimated to be around $200 thousand.
Most of his earnings came from his wrestling career.
Whether it was WWE or independent circuits, his whole life he was a wrestler and a proud man to begin with.
However, Snuka also faced some financial difficulties in his later years.
He was sued by several creditors for unpaid debts, such as medical bills, taxes, and mortgages.
Jimmy also had to pay legal fees for his murder case, which was reopened in 2014.
He was accused of killing his former girlfriend, Nancy Argentino, in 1983, but the charges were dropped in 2017 due to his mental incompetence.
Conclusion
Jimmy Snuka was a wrestling legend who inspired generations of fans and wrestlers with his high-flying style and charisma.
He was a WWE Hall of Famer and a pioneer of hardcore wrestling. He died on January 15, 2017, after a long battle with stomach cancer and dementia.
Jimmy was married three times and had five children, one of whom is Tamina Snuka, a WWE wrestler.
He had a successful career that spanned from 1968 to 2015 and won several championships and accolades.
Jimmy had a net worth of $200 thousand at the time of his death.
He was also involved in a controversial murder case that was never solved.
Jimmy was loved and respected by many in the wrestling industry and beyond.
He will always be remembered as “Superfly” Snuka.
I hope you enjoyed reading this article you can follow for more on our blog page as sampled below:
