In the world of professional wrestling, where larger-than-life characters and scripted rivalries dominate, the name Haku (or Meng, as he was known in WCW) stands apart. Not just for his formidable presence in the ring, but for the almost mythical status he holds as perhaps the most legitimately tough and feared individual to ever step foot in a locker room. Numerous stories, shared by those who worked alongside him, paint a picture of a man whose real-life capabilities were as intimidating as any wrestling gimmick.
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The reputation of Tonga ‘Uli’uli Fifita, the man behind the Haku and Meng personas, is built on a foundation of anecdotes detailing incredible feats of strength, surprising pain tolerance, and a fierce protectiveness that could turn terrifying if provoked. Even among wrestlers known for their toughness, Haku was considered in a league of his own. As his manager Bobby “The Brain” Heenan famously put it, the mighty Andre the Giant was legitimately afraid of only two men: Harley Race and Haku.
Many of the most circulated stories involve altercations outside the ring, often in bars or public places, frequently triggered by someone disrespecting wrestling or challenging Haku directly. One infamous incident at an airport bar, where men called wrestling “fake,” led to a brutal brawl. Haku himself confirmed part of the tale, stating, “I reached over without thinking… grabbed his face, and bit his nose off. Then the fight started.” According to accounts, he then spat the severed piece back at the man. Veteran wrestler Kevin Sullivan corroborated a similar bar fight, describing how Meng “bit through the guy’s shirt like a wolf, bit a chunk out of the guy’s back, then spit it on the floor.”
Haku’s strength was legendary. Ted DiBiase recounted a stunning display where Meng, handcuffed behind his back by police, simply looked at the officers and snapped the handcuffs with a single motion. Bobby Heenan shared another terrifying story of Haku’s hand strength, claiming he used two fingers to reach into a man’s mouth and broke off the guy’s bottom teeth during a confrontation.
His pain tolerance was equally astonishing. Rick Steiner described a fight with police where Meng was sprayed with mace but seemed unfazed, closing his eyes, taking a deep breath, and continuing to fight. Steiner noted, “Scotty and I always thought we were tough guys, but that was before we met Meng.”
Beyond the bar fights, stories within the wrestling community highlight Haku’s willingness to use his toughness when he felt it was necessary. A famous incident involved Brutus Beefcake complaining to WWF management about Haku being too stiff in the ring. When Haku found out, he reportedly confronted Beefcake, pulled him from the shower, and began choking him, lifting him two feet in the air while other wrestlers watched, too scared to intervene until Hulk Hogan arrived to calm the situation.
The brutal incident with Jesse Barr in Puerto Rico in 1987 is another often-told tale. After Barr disrespected a local, Meng confronted him. When Barr argued back, Meng grabbed him, and according to some, popped his eyeball out of the socket. Meng clarified his version, stating, “I didn’t take his eyeballs off. I was ready to, my hands were in there, ready to take his eye off, but then I realized how stupid we were.”
Even law enforcement wasn’t always able to easily subdue Haku. Stories from The Warlord and The Barbarian describe Haku throwing a police officer across a room during a bar fight. Rick Steiner’s account of Haku fighting eight cops, shrugging off mace, and snapping handcuffs further illustrates his incredible resilience and power.
Chris Jericho shared a story of being with Meng at a Mexican airport when Jericho had an issue with security. When the situation escalated, Meng reportedly stepped in, clearing a path through the security personnel with force, leading to both of them being detained in “airport jail.”
The legend is so pervasive that even the reason for his never being fired from WCW is attributed to fear. Former WCW head Eric Bischoff and others have stated that no one in management was considered brave enough to deliver the news to Meng face-to-face.
While some details may have been embellished over years of retelling, the sheer volume and consistency of these stories from credible wrestling figures solidify Haku’s reputation. From ripping off doors and pushing men through walls to surviving mace and snapping handcuffs, the anecdotes paint a vivid picture of a man who was genuinely feared and deeply respected, earning him a unique and enduring place in wrestling folklore as perhaps the toughest of them all. As Jake “The Snake” Roberts famously quipped, he’d rather shoot himself than face an angered Meng in a tank.
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