Tama Tonga Took Unusual Place In WWE History At Backlash France

Tama Tonga has joined an exclusive club.

At Backlash France, Tama Tonga made his in-ring WWE debut and helped The Bloodline to a huge victory over Kevin Owens and Randy Orton. Shortly before the bell rang, Nick Aldis announced the match would be a Street Fight to add even more spice to the contest.

What followed was nearly 20 minutes of wild action that peaked with Tonga taking a top rope Brainbuster onto four chairs. However, just as the referee was about to complete the three-count, Tanga Loa appeared from under the ring and made his presence felt. When all was said and done, it was Tonga, Solo Sikoa, and the debuting Tanga Loa who stood tall.

After the match, it was noted by Wrestling Stats & Info, that Tonga joined a slightly unusual club at the event. As a result of the match being turned into a Street Fight, Tonga became just the third WWE Superstar to make their in-ring debut in such a match, the others being Dominik Mysterio in 2020 and Jesús way back in 2004.

WWE Debut Was Months In The Works

Meanwhile, it’s been reported that Tanga Loa’s debut was planned several months in advance. The report from Dave Meltzer noted that Tonga and Loa were signed at the same time, with plans for the respective debuts drawn up well ahead of time.

While Tanga Loa is best known for his time in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, he appeared in WWE under the name Camacho between 2012 and 2014.