Bruce Prichard Reflects On Umaga, Says He Was a Generational Talent

Bruce Prichard looked back at the career of the late Umaga on the latest episode of his podcast. Umaga had two runs with WWE, one from 2001 through 2003 as Jamal and then another from 2006 through 2009 under the gimmick he is traditionally known as now. Prichard talked about the late Anoaʻi family member on Something to Wrestle With, praising him as someone who was very safe in the ring and who had that X factor that makes a star.

“Umaga was just that kind of athlete that you were comfortable with,” Prichard said (h/t to Wrestling Inc). “You’d go out and you knew that he could do anything, and you also knew that by giving your body to him that you were in the safest hands you could possibly be.”

He continued, “Umaga was one of those generational talents that only comes along every once in a while. It was a charisma, an unspoken charisma, and everyone believed in him and… you still had that little bit of fear of Umaga because as sweet as he could be, he was also one of those guys that made you believe he had a switch that when flipped, he was an uncontrollable maniac.”

Umaga was released from his WWE contract in mid-2009 and was rumored to be making his return to the company, but tragically passed away in December of that year.