The Samoan Bulldozer, better known as Umaga, was arguably one of the most feared professional wrestlers during his time with WWE. Weighing nearly 350 pounds, Umaga was able to impose his size and will on whoever stepped inside the ring with him. During his time with WWE, Umaga was able to become a two-time Intercontinental Champion. However, he may be remembered best for his vicious matches with some of WWE's elite.
Umaga would go on to battle with the likes of Jeff Hardy and CM Punk, often coming out victorious. His battles with John Cena over the WWE Championship are still regarded as modern-day classics. Umaga would also push Triple H to his absolute limit, justifying the persona he would often exude.
10 Umaga vs Kane (Raw, 9/18/2006)
To quote the great Jim Ross, "this match is like a human demolishing derby" and it certainly was nothing less than that. On a September 2006 episode of Raw, Umaga and Kane were set to square off in a match pitting the two "monsters" against each other. Despite the competitor's size, the match had incredible pace and had fans on their feet.
Kane was surprisingly on the other side of a beatdown but was able to battle back. The match ended after Kane delt Umaga three massive chair shots, but the brawl continued backstage. This match should have been used as a blueprint to future "big man" matches.
9 Umaga vs Bobby Lashley (ECW, 4/24/2007)
Following Bobby Lashley's victory and Vince McMahon's head being shaved at WrestleMania 23, Lashley and Umaga clashed on an episode of ECW. The match started with both men posturing at the center of the ring, the two men would exchange blows quickly after that and the match was on.
After Lashley launched Umaga over the top rope, Armando Estrada struck Lashley over the head with the ECW Championship. Unfortunately for Estrada, this was ineffective and led to his eventual beatdown at the hands of Lashley. Although the match duration was short, it was filled with hard impacts and added a layer to the ongoing rivalry.
8 Umaga vs Jeff Hardy (Raw, 1/7/2008)
On an episode of Raw, the Intercontinental Champion Jeff Hardy and Umaga clashed in a steel cage match. Just before the match begins, WWE Champion Randy Orton makes his way down to the ring to "watch" the match. As a fan, it was extremely entertaining watching the polar opposite styles clash and it worked out beautifully.
Both men would gain and lose momentum throughout the match, with Umaga imposing his will, and having Hardy battle back was truly something to watch. Hardy ultimately hit a match-winning whisper in the wind from the top of the steel cage. Even though Umaga lost, his versatility as a wrestler was on full display.
7 Umaga vs RVD (Raw, 4/30/2007)
A common trend in Umaga's career was being matched up against much smaller, faster opponents. For most big men, this is a difficult task and leads to slow-moving matches. However, Umaga was the exception. During an episode of Raw, RVD was the next opponent in Umaga's warpath.
The match was filled with back-and-forth action with RVD fairing surprisingly well, but that luck soon ran out. RVD was poised to win the match when Umaga caught RVD in a chokehold (keep in mind that Umaga was laying down). Umaga would win this match, but this display of poise was a new element to Umaga's game.
6 WrestleMania 23: Umaga vs Bobby Lashley
"The Battle of the Billionaires" was the headline that pitted Bobby Lashley against Umaga at WrestleMania 23. Umaga represented Vince McMahon while Lashley represented Donald Trump, with the loser having their head shaved. With such high stakes, both men had everything to lose and the match certainly did not disappoint.
Both wrestlers went at each other, exchanging blows, each trying to gain the upper hand, and special guest referee Steve Austin struggled to control them. Ultimately Umaga lost control and attacked Steve Austin, who retaliated by giving Umaga a stunner. This lead to Lashley hitting a spear and winning the match for his side.
5 WrestleMania 24: Umaga vs Batista
At WrestleMania 24, Umaga and "The Animal" Batista squared off to settle an ongoing beef. It is not very often that fans get to see either of these Superstars being manhandled and this match gave fans a lot of action.
With both men exchanging massive blows, the match looked as if it could go either way. Umaga gained the upper hand, but just for a moment as Batista countered a Samoan Spike. Batista would deliver a massive Batista Bomb to end the match and send the crowd into a frenzy.
4 Intercontinental Championship Match: Umaga vs Jeff Hardy (Raw, 2/19/2007)
Jeff Hardy was the reigning Intercontinental Champion and was ordered to defend his title against the monster Umaga. With Hardy being at the obvious disadvantage, he hoped his speed would lead him to victory. Unfortunately for the champion, this strategy proved frivolous as Umaga quickly overpowered him.
With momentum solely in his grasp, Umaga took a methodical approach to the rest of the match. Inflicting damage as he pleased with little resistance from the reigning champion. Not to anyone's surprise, Umaga would gain the victory and the title with a little foreshadowing of what was to come.
3 Royal Rumble 2007: Umaga vs John Cena
The WWE Champion John Cena and Umaga faced off in a brutal Last Man Standing match for the WWE Championship at the 2007 Royal Rumble. With John Cena nursing some injured ribs, everything pointed in Umaga's favor. However, the champion proved to be more than capable of inflicting damage of his own.
At one point in the match, Cena vaulted the steel steps over the top rope onto Umaga's head and Umaga was miraculously able to rise to his feet. The match was filled with brutal moments that left fans shocked and Cena would go on to win this match, but fans applauded both participants.
2 No Mercy 2007: Umaga vs Triple H
After capturing the WWE Championship just an hour prior, Triple H was set to defend his newly won title against Umaga. Fans were absolutely ecstatic to see two wrestlers with bruising wrestling styles clash for the title. After the opening bell, the men quickly went outside the ring where Triple H would send Umaga into the steel steps.
However, momentum quickly shifted to Umaga's favor after he countered multiple pedigree attempts and countered an attempt into a vicious Samoan drop. With Umaga in control of the match and landing brutal shots on Triple H, everything was in his favor. Triple H would hit a timely counter and land a massive pedigree for the win, but fans believe this to be one of Umaga's best performances.
1 New Year's Revolution 2007: Umaga vs John Cena
At the 2007 New Year's Revolution pay-per-view, John Cena was set to defend his WWE Championship against the red-hot Umaga. The match began with fireworks as both men tried to impose their wrestling style on one another. While John found some success early in the match, Umaga was quick to thwart any momentum Cena gained.
Umaga was dominant throughout and had yet to be beaten in his WWE career so far, so the outlook was grim for the defending champion. After multiple failed finishers from Cena, Umaga looked to capture his first major title until John Cena pulled an all-time reversal. With this small opportunity, Cena capitalized and handed Umaga his first defeat. This match is still regarded as a modern-day classic and lived up to every second.