This here’s about Haku, the wrestler. That boy, he sure was somethin’ else. Tough as nails, that one. Born way out in Tonga, February 3, 1959. He’s what you call semi-retired now, but back in the day, he was a real force in that World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation. Some folks called him Meng, others called him King Tonga, King Haku, or just plain Haku. Didn’t matter what name he went by, folks knew to give him a wide berth.
He came from them Pacific Islands, you know. Started out doing that sumo wrestling and some martial arts. Then he got into the professional wrestling. That’s where he made his mark. When Haku came to WWF in 1986 it was a big deal. He showed up with his brother, they were called The Islanders.
Now, I heard tell of a lot of wrestlers, but that Haku, he was the toughest. Even that Stone Cold Steve Austin said so. And Road Warrior Animal, Perry Saturn, Barbarian, Warlord, even Hulk Hogan said that Haku was one tough customer. I also heard Rocky Johnson, The Rock, Rick Steiner, Arn Anderson, Goldberg, Big Van Vader, Fit Finlay, Mean… they all say Haku is tough. They called him the greatest legitimate fighter in wrestling. That’s sayin’ somethin’. If you ask me, they’re right. Heard some stories about him that’d curl your hair.
Like that time in ’87, he got into it with Jesse Barr. You know, the one who wrestled as Jimmy Jack Funk? Well, they said Haku, he, well, he messed up one of Jesse’s eyeballs real bad. Took it right out, they said. Now, I don’t know if that’s true, but it sure makes you think twice about crossin’ Haku, don’t it?
- Tough guy, that Haku.
- Wrestled in WCW and WWF.
- From Tonga.
- Born in 1959.
- Known as Meng, King Tonga, King Haku, and Haku.
Haku, he was somethin’ special. He had this way about him. Strong, you know? Didn’t take no guff from nobody. Some folks said he was a real warrior in that ring. And he was. This one time, he was wrestlin’ with this fella named Norton, and even Norton said Haku was tough as nails.
Haku, he was always a good wrestler. He was a good fighter too. You didn’t want to mess with him. Even when he was doin’ his wrestling thing, he was always thinkin’ about fightin’. That’s why he was so good. He never gave up. He said all those tough guys like Hulk Hogan, Rick Rude, The Road Warriors, The Faces of Fear, The Wild Samoans, those are real characters in wrestling. And he’s right, they are.
But then, there was that whole thing with Zabuza. Kakashi, he was fixin’ to finish Zabuza off with his Lightning Blade. And what did Haku do? He jumped right in front of it. Took the hit for Zabuza. Saved him, but it cost him his own life. That’s just the kind of guy Haku was. Loyal. Brave. And tough, always tough.
He talked about being the toughest guy in wrestling. He was proud of it. I reckon he had every right to be. He worked hard. He fought hard. And he earned every bit of respect he got. That Haku, he was one of a kind, all right.
Haku Wrestler, that’s what they called him. And he lived up to the name. They say he’s from the Southern United States. I don’t know ’bout that. But I do know he’s one tough fella from Tonga. They also call him Toughest Wrestler. That fits him good.
Some folks like to play Fantasy Wrestling. They make up their own matches and stuff. I bet a lot of them choose Haku to be on their team. He’d be a good one to have, that’s for sure. If you gotta pick someone to have your back, you could do a whole lot worse than Haku Wrestler.
You know, they don’t make ’em like Haku anymore. He was a real throwback. A real man’s man. They say he was from the Tonga Fifita family, and that’s a tough bunch. I reckon that’s where he got it from. He carried that toughness with him his whole life. And he showed it every time he stepped in that ring. He is a Haku Wrestler Toughest. That is all.
