Tonga Loa saw his WWE release coming before the company actually gave him the news. Months after his second run came to an end, the former Bloodline member says there was already a feeling backstage that he might be next — and this time, getting released didn’t hit nearly as hard.
During a November 4 virtual signing with K&S WrestleFest, Loa opened up about WWE letting him go in May 2026. According to Loa, the timing was a pretty big giveaway because WWE had just released more than 20 other performers, and he could sense where things were heading while he was still filming for the company.
“I had a feeling because I was released the week after the big release of 20-plus talent, and I just felt like it was just gonna happen the following week. Jeff [Cobb] and I got released the following week, and that week, just filming and stuff, I could just feel it… I’ve been released by the company before…”
That previous experience made a pretty huge difference. Loa’s original WWE run ended in 2014, and he admitted that getting released back then completely caught him off guard.
“My first time getting released was a shock to me. But I was young then and probably drank too much too but, I was real clear-headed and I could feel it and I just had a better understanding of just the business.”
This time around, Loa says he was able to look at the situation differently. Despite sensing that WWE was preparing to cut him, he doesn’t believe there was some big personal issue behind the decision.
“How I conducted myself up there, I feel like it wasn’t personal.”
And despite how things ended, Loa actually enjoyed his second WWE run more than the first. He credited his sobriety as a major reason for that, while getting the opportunity to work and travel alongside his brothers Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga made the experience even better.
“I enjoyed ‘em both. This time, I enjoyed it more because I was sober… What was even better was I was there with Tama [Tonga] and Talla [Tonga]. Even though we got to wrestle in Japan a little bit, we didn’t get to wrestle with Talla that much. But then, when we were all over with WWE and Talla was finally on the main roster, it was fun. It was just nice to work with them and get to travel.”
Loa’s second WWE run started at Backlash France in May 2024, when he joined Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga in The Bloodline. He went on to become recognized as a WWE Tag Team Champion, competed in the Bloodline WarGames match at Survivor Series 2024 and later returned from a torn bicep before ultimately being released in May 2026.
There is one part of WWE life that Loa admits he’s a little jealous about now. With his father Haku appearing alongside Tama and Talla on SmackDown, Loa is watching his brothers get an opportunity he would have loved to share with them.
“I’m just really happy that our dad is up there now. Not gonna lie, I’m a little envious that my brothers get to work with my dad on the road, but, I’m happy that he’s back.”
So while Loa apparently knew the writing was on the wall before WWE officially released him, there doesn’t seem to be much bitterness attached to it. His bigger takeaway from the second run is getting to experience WWE sober and alongside his brothers — even if watching them hit the road with their dad now gives him a little bit of FOMO.
What do you think about Tonga Loa admitting he could already feel his WWE release coming before it happened? Let us know what you think in the comments.
