Former WWE Superstar, the late great Umaga passed away at a very young age. The legendary superstar was just 36 years old when he died. It came as a shock to the whole wrestling world back in 2009. No one had expected this news, as the athlete was in the prime of his life and career. Even more than a decade after his passing, his fans still miss him.

Umaga was an exceptional athlete, and he started wrestling professionally in 1999. However, he went through several gimmicks before making it big in WWE. In fact, he had different gimmicks in WWE itself before he got repackaged as ‘Umaga’, a monstrous heel. He had the potential to become one of the biggest names in the industry. However, he tragically died of a heart attack in 2009.

His family reported Umaga’s death as they declared that he had passed away at a hospital in Houston, Texas. At the time, the declared reason for death was a heart attack. However, his autopsy reports later surfaced multiple things that could have aided his condition.

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It was reported that Umaga’s autopsy suggested he died of acute toxicity and liver failure, in addition to the heart attack. The toxicity resulted from consuming hydrocodone, carisoprodol, and diazepam, which caused a reaction. Moreover, this toxicity aided his heart condition and failed liver to cause his unfortunate demise.

Even though Umaga was taken from this world way before his time, he left an indelible mark on the wrestling industry.

The legacy of Umaga in WWE

Umaga, a.k.a. Edward Smith Fatu had a deep connection with the wrestling business. His Samoan heritage linked him with many former and current wrestlers in WWE, including The Rock and Roman Reigns. Umaga showed up in WWE during dark matches and house shows as “Eddie Fatu” and also as “Ekmo” in 2001.

He soon transitioned to be on WWE TV as Jamal. He was part of a tag team called “The Three Minute Warning”.

Umaga finally found his best character in 2006. Repackaged as a monstrous heel, which he played brilliantly, he had feuds with WWE legends like John Cena and Triple H. In the Ruthless Aggression Era of WWE, Umaga quickly became one of the top heels in the company. Unfortunately, his tragic passing on December 4, 2009, brought an end to a promising career.

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However, till today wresters and fans alike miss Umaga and his legacy remains intact.