The Superstars of WWE paid a touching tribute to Akira Toriyama at a recent live event, following the manga titan’s death at the age of 68.
Toriyama’s death was announced last week. He had suffered an acute subdural hematoma, which is a type of bleeding near the brain, his studio reported. Toriyama is best known for creating the manga hit Dragon Ball, which has spawned shows, movies, video games, and more. The main series follows Goku and his efforts to collect the titular Dragon Balls to protect the Earth.
WWE Tributes to Akira Toriyama
At a recent WWE live event, WWE’s Zelina Vega and Naomi paid a special tribute to Toriyama while in the ring. The pair performed a ‘Fusion’ move from Dragon Ball. In the hit series, this allows two characters to ‘fuse’ and become even more powerful than as two individuals. On Twitter, Vega shared the spot in question.
FUUUUUSION! HA!!! @TheTrinity_Fatu #RIPAkiraToriyama ???? pic.twitter.com/CYlFXiXzl8
— ZV (@ZelinaVegaWWE) March 11, 2024
In a tweet of her own, Naomi said she was “fused for life” with her “sis” Vega. When a fan pointed out that the fusion in the show only lasts for 30 minutes, Naomi admitted that she’s still learning about Dragon Ball.
I’m still learning lol
— Trinity (@TheTrinity_Fatu) March 11, 2024
Zelina Vega and Dragon Ball
While Naomi is a newbie to the world of Dragon Ball, Vega’s love for the series can’t be denied. At WWE Money in the Bank 2023, Vega wore an attire referencing series villain Frieza, but was unsuccessful in the Women’s Money in the Bank ladder match that was won by reigning WWE Women’s Champion IYO SKY.