One of wrestling’s most legitimately tough men and a former WWE Tag Champion could be joining Paul Heyman in the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2024.
On the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, it was noted that Haku’s name has come up as a potential WWE Hall of Fame inductee.
Haku is the father of Tama Tonga, who recently signed with WWE after wrapping up his time in New Japan Pro Wrestling. TKO Board Member Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has previously called Haku his uncle, though the pair are not blood-related.
Haku in the Ring
Haku’s sole championship win in WWE saw him hold the Tag Team Championships with Andre the Giant. Haku held several titles in the NWA and other promotions, including Puerto Rico’s WWC.
During his time in WCW, Haku, known as Meng, won the WCW Hardcore Championship. In one of the final defections of the Monday Night War, Haku returned to the WWF in January 2001 while still holding the WCW Hardcore title.
The Toughest Man in Wrestling
Haku, who also competed as Meng, is widely regarded by wrestlers to be one of, if not the toughest man to ever step in the ring.
Ric Flair once described Haku as “the toughest son of a b**** I’ve ever met” and said he would have dominated MMA had he entered the Octagon.
Many more of his contemporaries have acknowledged Haku as the most legitimately tough person in wrestling, Hulk Hogan, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, Goldberg, Big Van Vader, and The Rock.
One legendary tale of Haku’s toughness saw the wrestler get into an altercation with some men at a Baltimore Airport bar in 1989. After the men called wrestling fake, Haku handily fought the men, despite being outnumbered, and bit the nose off of one of the individuals.
Shane Douglas once said that he’d be better off fighting the U.S. Army than legitimately fighting Haku. He also recalled an incident when law enforcement attempted to restrain Haku, who was able to fight them off.
During the altercation, Haku was hit in the face with a baton while sprayed with a can of mace but neither caused him any pain.