Armando Estrada Remembers Being Split From Umaga In WWE, Stephanie McMahon Saying It Was For Financial Reasons

The former manager of Umaga looks back on their split.

In the early 2000s, the late Edward Fatu a.k.a. Umaga was managed by Armando Alejandro Estrada on WWE television.

They were together from 2006 through 2007. Estrada guest appeared on Busted Open and reflected on when Stephanie McMahon informed him that he and Umaga were being split apart. She cited financial reasons and told Estrada about the costs of bringing a non-wrestling talent on the road.

“I don’t think that’s a surprise if I said I was disappointed (that Umaga and I were split up). I think that we were in a different time economically. Looking back now, I realize in 2007, 2008 — I remember Stephanie (McMahon) pulled me aside and told me that the company was gonna be moving me away from Umaga, and that I wouldn’t be on the road and she started to explain the costs involved in bringing a non-wrestler, because that’s what I was at the time. I was a non-wrestler, and how many talents that they had to allocate for each live event. So when they broke us up, it was disappointing, and I think it was more disappointing that there was never any story. One day, Bobby Lashley beat me up on Raw, and then I was gone. I was off TV for three months until they brought me back…”

In 2024, Estrada announced he had signed a five-year Legends deal with WWE.

If the quote in this article is used, please credit Busted Open with an H/T to Fightful for the transcription.