How Will You Be Remembered? 6: Meng

[Chicago1989]

Back with another edition of "How Will You Be Remembered?" here...

These "How Will You Be Remembered" threads are about looking back at the careers of legendary wrestlers and giving you guys the opportunity to say what will you remember the most about someone, sort of like a testimonial. Was it their contributions to the wrestling business?, The great matches they delivered?, Their legacy in wrestling?....that's all on you. I'll also give a short review of the career of that certain wrestler as well.

In this sixth edition of HWYBR?, we're gonna cover the infamous wildman known as Haku or Meng.

As a teen, Meng studied the Japanese sport of Sumo in Japan back in the early 70's. He continued studying Sumo until he was forced to retire from the Japan Sumo Association in 1976. He then joined his first wrestling promotion, All Japan Pro Wrestling. Meng then wrestled for a Canadian wrestling promotion and was known as "King Tonga". He battled legends such as The Road Warriors, Dino Bravo, and Butch Reed. In 1986, He debuted in the WWF, bodyslamming Big John Studd, in his rookie year. He formed a team with Tama (Tonga Kid) called The Islanders with Bobby Heenan as their manager. They feuded with The British Bulldogs until Meng continued his singles career. He competed as "King Haku" and feuded with Harley Race and "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan. He also formed teams with André the Giant and The Barbarian.

He then debuted in WCW as Meng. He first played a bodyguard gimmick before first wrestling for WCW. He was then being known for his intense, physical style and for incidents that had wrestlers keeping their distance from him backstage. He battled Sting for the WCW US title at the Great American Bash '95 and lost. He joined the Dungeon Of Doom and formed a tag team with The Barbarian, known as the Faces Of Fear. Meng then began an undefeated streak in 1998, resulting in a main event match against Goldberg for the WCW Heavyweight Championship. He lost and then feuded with Sting, Lex Luger, and Bret Hart before becoming the last WCW Hardcore Champion. He returned to the WWF at the 2001 Royal Rumble and had a short-lived tag team with Rikishi. He was then released on July 23, 2001 after wrestling in lower-card matches. He now occasionally wrestles in the indy scene.

So after a worldwide career, with tag teams and incidents of aggression, what will you remember the most about Meng?

 

[One to Remember]

deffinently under utilized in WCW. The faces of fear were on par with Harlem Heat and the Steiner brothers. He was like the Vader of the South Pacific, he deserved more championship oppurtunities. WCW should had given him its NWA World's title or something. He deffinently had the power.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

The thing I'll remember most about Haku is probably him being one of the legitimately toughest guys to ever get in a wrestling ring. Now this doesn't really come across in his ring work (well it does, but acting tough and being tough are 2 different things) but what I remember most about him was definitely all the stories I've heard about the guy.

Stories like him ripping out Jimmy Jack Funks eye and lifting Beefcake off the floor by his throat are things I'll remember most about him. Pretty much every wrestler who ever worked with him all say that he was the toughest guy they've ever met (even Bad News (a guy Andre backed out of a fight from) said Haku was the toughest). Even though he had a pretty good career compared to most it was at a time where he was often in the background, although he had good matches he was never a guy who was showcased a lot.

Although I do remember his career and I was even a fan of the guy, the thing I will remember most is all those stories I've heard about him from other wrestlers, most describe him as the toughest man ever who has a good heart. At the end of the day those stories I've heard about his legitimate toughness are more memorable than his in ring career.

 

[RuKDaD]

Why would he be remembered? He didn't accomplish much in the ring. He was one half of the tag team champions with Andre the Giant, and he was anointed King before beating an old Harley Race. So what he feuded with Sting and wrestled Goldberg. He just doesn't have enough of a background to be remembered as anymore than a wrestler. There are a lot of tough guys in this world. Probably a couple that would look at him and laugh. I'm not going to pretend I'm one of them but we shouldn't make him out to be this great thing in the ring.

 

[WRESTLING_GENIUS]

The thing i will remember about King Haku(Meng) is that he was a WWF Tag Team Champion with Andre The Giant, And then winning the KING OF THE RING in 1988, going to WCW and debuting the Tonga Death Grip(which i use on my girls son and lil kids cuz its funny) him winning the WCW TV championship for a brief moment, But my most remebral moment of Haku is i was watching Saturday Night Main Event and He was going for a clothsline in the corner and he went so fast that he hit the Camera Man off the Steps and the camera going berzerk(or the Camera Man was to close) I'll never forget that ever since i was watching it live and it was funny as hell, Also i will remember him and Barbarian being the secret tag team on WCW/NWO Revenge, But as far as that Hardcore championship title run, i remember him beating Norman Smiley for the belt at WCW's January PPV in 2001 and then a week later he made a surprise entrant in the Royal rumble, and then he had a match on Smackdown X(The Smackdown sign had a red X over it) and was in a first blood tag match with Rikishi against Undertaker and Kane, the i didnt hear or see from him again.... I would of never known he was alive if it wasnt for this thread, but in all Meng will not be a big part of Wrestling( no hall of fame or no classic matches that i can remember)......

 

[Whatsinaname696]

Will remember his tagging with Andre and Barbarian, Demolition vs Andre/Haku is one of my fav. matches of all time, def remember his strength, loved his runs as Haku and Meng, both companies coulda done more with him, but yeah those two teams are still high up on my list of all time greats

 

[meathead320]

King Haku was likely one of the strongest men on earth to have not competed in a strongman or powerlifting contest. If he has competed someone correct me.

Anyway, in all the shoot intereviews and books writen by wrestlers one thing most of the wrestlers had mentioned about him is that he was a very powerful man.

I cannot ever remember him having anything to say. I guess he was "silent and dangerous" in theme.

I think he could have been more popular too. Could have used a good push.

 

[Tastycles]

Weirdly, my memory of Haku isn't as Meng, or in his first run, but when he returned at the Royal Rumble 2001. Partly because it was one of the most random returns ever, and partly because it summed up the state WCW was in, where one of their champions could turn up on a WWF PPV and they didn't even need to make a big deal about it. It was so nonchalont. Meng's return to WWF was a true sign that the Monday Night Wars were all but over.

 

[CyDeez]

I guess he will be remembered by what the first thing that pops in your head when you think about him.

For me I think it's hard to let go of the days around the time when he was King Haku. He wrestled at numerous Wrestlemanias (Not as "King" Haku but as Haku) and feuded and/or had matches with the biggest names there was. Hulk Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior, Bret Hart, Randy Savage and list goes on.

BUT... That's what I think of as Haku.

When I hear the name Meng... I think of The Tongan Death Grip and him almost defeating Goldberg on Nitro. Best run of his career. They had him basically unbeatable and how big he had gotten, AND due to his intensity, it was believable.

 

[phlewfy]

I remember when Meng had his match with Goldberg. Even though I knew there was no way that Meng was going to go over Goldberg, it didn't stop me from joking that Meng was going to be the man to end the streak. It would have been awesome if Goldberg's streak and title run ended on a random Nitro match to Meng. If I remember correctly, they actually had a pretty good match.

Other than the Goldberg match I remember The Colossal Connection beating Demolition for the tag titles and Haku and the Brain turning on Andre at one of the Wrestlemanias.

I always liked Haku/Meng, and even though he had a solid career, think he could have been used better throughout it. Big ups to Tonga Fifita.

 

[swamprat37]

I always liked him, especially as Meng. He was the prototype for the Umaga we saw rampaging over the WWE. I don't think he ever got the attention he deserved.
I always wanted a couple more tag belts for him, as well as a long reign as US champ, maybe leading to a feud for the world title.

 

[Ruthless-RKO]

In WCW...

His wacky hair, he is one of, if not thee toughest wrestler ever and it has been said by a lot of hi opponents including Goldberg..this guys has done some serious shit backstage and those stories will stay in my head...

Also the sight of him choking the life outta someone..I used to think he killed them, ahh well back them days I thought a lot of things..

Oh and his WWE theme...it was just GOOOOOOOOD!!

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