Makini ‘Big Mak’ Manu Says COVID-19 Pandemic Prevented Him From Getting WWE Contract
The pandemic put Makini Manu’s WWE dreams on hold.
Makini ‘Big Mak’ Manu is a Power Slap competitor and sumo athlete. He was interviewed by Darren Paltrowitz and commented on his wrestling training.
He shared that WWE once planned to offer him a contract, but the COVID-19 pandemic prevented that.
“So I’ve actually been doing pro wrestling since 2020, and I’ve been training at an academy called KnokX Pro Academy, ran by WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi… I saw an ad online to tryout for the WWE, and I just signed up. ‘They’re not gonna pick me.’ They invited me to a WWE tryout in April of 2019, and I was still fit, and they loved me and they told me, ‘We got a contract coming your way.’ But then COVID hit, and so they pushed a lot of the guys from that tryout out and then they just said, ‘Hey, go train here at KnokX Pro to be ready for when we call you up,’ and so I went and I didn’t have anything to my name…”
Manu had been on a five-fight winning streak in Power Slap until April 2026 when he lost to Dayne Viernes via split decision.
If the quote in this article is used, please credit the Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz with an H/T to Fightful for the transcription.
