WWE News: Heartbreak For Roman Reigns As Brother ‘Rosey’ Dies, Was Heart Failure The Cause Of Death?

WWE Monday Night Raw star Roman Reigns has been left heartbroken after his brother, former WWE star Matthew ‘Rosey’ Anoa’i died aged 47. Rosey was himself a WWE superstar between 2002 and 2006, when he wrestled as part of the tag-team 3-Minute Warning. Rosey was part of the Anoa’i family wrestling dynasty And Roman Reigns’ older brother. In addition to Reigns, the American-Samoan family has connections to numerous wrestling stars, including The Rock, Rikishi, Yokozuna, and The Usos. Rosey’s death was announced by a statement from the Anoa’i family on the WWE website on Tuesday morning.

“The Anoa’i family is mourning the loss of Sika’s son, Matt aka Rosey, due to an untimely death.”

“We want to let his fans know that he loved them and the wrestling world so much. In his passing, he left three beautiful young children and a heartbroken family. Please respect the privacy of his children and family as they mourn the loss of this kind, loving, gentle man, who was a father, son, brother and a superhero to us all.”

“Our family appreciates your prayers and continued support during this very difficult time.”

During his tenure with the WWE Rosey became a bodyguard figure to the then RAW general manager Eric Bischoff. After leaving the WWE Rosey appeared on other wrestling franchises including All Japan Wrestling and AWF.

Rosey’s death comes at a time when Reigns has been absent from WWE, reportedly because of a ferocious attack by Braun Strowman on Monday Night Raw 10 days ago. As was reported in the Inquisitr at the time, Strowman threw Reigns around like a rag-doll, before overturning an ambulance with Reigns inside.

It was no surprise when Reigns didn’t appear on this week’s Monday Night Raw, but earlier this week the WWE announced that Reigns will have an opportunity for payback against Strowman at the Payback PPV on April 30.

How Did Rosey Die, What Was The Cause Of Death?

To date, there has been no official announcement as to the cause of Rosey’s death, but he has been suffering heart problems. According to Wrestleview, Rosey has had serious heart problems since 2014. Rosey was admitted to hospital with an enlarged heart that was said to be functioning at just 25 percent efficiency. Anoa’i was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillation, and he had over 62 pounds of fluid drained from his body.

Rosey was a huge man, his billed weight as a wrestler was over 430 pounds. After leaving the WWE network Rosey took part in a reality TV show called Fat March. The show featured a group of overweight people who were taken on a 550-mile walk in an attempt to lose weight. At the time Rosey suggested that he was taking part in the show in an effort to get himself fit enough to return to the Wrestling ring. he dropped out of the show as the result of a knee injury.

Whilst there has been no official announcement as to the cause of Rosey’s death, Cageside Seats report that online comments from family and friends suggest that his cause of death was congestive heart failure.

As you would expect Rosey’s family, including Roman Reigns, are said to be heartbroken at his passing. WWE stars have taken to social media to lament Rosey’s passing. Eric Bischoff described Rosey as a “kind, gentle and talented man,” and WWE fans rallied around to support Reigns.

Reigns is a divisive character in the WWE universe. In many ways, Roman is the man the fans love to hate, but one fan summed up the feelings of many as he urged wrestling fans to support Reigns during this difficult time. One fan said, “no matter if you like Roman Reigns or not – let’s come together [and] send our love for his fallen brother.”

Another said, “if you hate a character on TV… great hate the character on TV, but don’t say you wish it was Roman Reigns over Rosey.”

If you hate a character on TV… great hate the character on TV but don't say you wish it was Roman Reigns over Rosey. Heartless. #RIPRosey pic.twitter.com/j0Jzdu66vt

— Johnny (@WWEJohnny05) April 18, 2017

Rosey is survived by his ex-wife Mandy Vandeberg and their three children.

[Featured Image by WWE]