Tama Tonga got here to WWE and was instantly revered. As the appropriate hand man of Solo Sikoa’s newly fashioned Bloodline, Tonga has been quick tracked to greatness, being one half of the WWE Tag Crew Champions simply over three months since his debut. No matter your ideas on Sikoa’s Bloodline it’s arduous to argue that Tonga is not one of the pushed skills on the roster.
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Tonga could also be pushed like a beast, however he would not have to speak like one!
For the file, I am unfamiliar with Tonga’s work pre-WWE. I don’t know if he was barking like a canine throughout his days in NJPW. Even when he was barking in his pre-WWE profession, we are able to definitely depart issues like that behind as soon as we begin showing in a major event-caliber capability on the most important wrestling promotion on the planet, proper?
As a self-proclaimed connoisseur of absurd humor, I used to be completely dying when Tonga got here on the mic throughout Friday’s episode of “WWE SmackDown” and began barking. Like, truly barking. One half of the WWE Tag Crew Champions was on the microphone, snarling and growling like he was Taz from Looney Tunes, in entrance of Sacramento and everyone. It completely didn’t assist that Tonga was strolling with a squat, like he was Bigfoot. As Sacramento drowned out Tonga’s garbled speech with their boos, Kevin Owens stood in the midst of the ring, fingers folded over his physique, unimpressed. Your entire scene was simply so unnatural — not even in a derogatory manner. Tonga on the mic seems like one thing out a fever dream.
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I do form of love the unhinged power that Tonga’s animalistic yapping and overexaggerated speech patterns convey to the desk, and I’d truthfully want a promo type that’s excessive and ridiculous than one that’s flat and boring. Nonetheless, that does not change the truth that it appears very unbecoming for any person who’s a part of one of the dominant factions in WWE, and who’s a tag workforce champion. You’ll assume that after Tonga acquired put into this heightened place — Sikoa’s proper hand man, title holder, one of many first of Sikoa’s new Bloodline to emerge on the scene — he would study to sober up the promo type a bit. It additionally would not fairly match with how he has been represented inside the social ecosystem of the Bloodline. Certain, he is ruthless, however aren’t all of them? If there’s somebody to provide the wild, gibberish-style speech sample to, would not it’s Jacob Fatu, the “Samoan Werewolf?” Why is Tonga — not an animalistic nickname or gimmick in sight — slobbering all around the mic like he’s a rabid chihuahua?
If this had been actually every other promotion than WWE (specifically, a Jacksonville-based promotion that I applaud for its use of camp), I’d be throughout this speech selection. Nonetheless, WWE just isn’t recognized for its extensive use of ridiculous campiness, and permitting Tonga to carry out on this manner feels misplaced.
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Written by Angeline Phu
