Tama Tonga Addresses Five-Figure WWE Fine: “Deserved”

Tama Tonga rehearsal footage from the March 13 SmackDown — and he’s not making excuses. After initially addressing the situation during a TikTok live stream, Tonga followed up with a written statement on X that was direct and accountable.

“Yes I was fined — deserved. I knew better — a careless mistake. Lesson learned. Take the hit and move on. Back to work,” Tonga wrote. During the live stream, he also noted with a degree of self-awareness that getting in trouble is nothing new for him. “I been in the doghouse my whole life. No getting out of the doghouse. Yeah, I’m moving like I’m in the doghouse always.”

Tonga’s Fine Comes on the Heels of Losing the Tag Team Championships

The incident adds an extra layer to an already difficult stretch for Tonga. The same night the fine was reportedly issued — March 20 — he and JC Mateo lost the WWE Tag Team Championships to Damian Priest and R-Truth on SmackDown. The SmackDown footage fine also follows an earlier incident in 2026 where Tonga accidentally revealed Royal Rumble surprise entrant Mr. Iguana in a social media post. His response this time around suggests he’s taking the lesson seriously and moving forward.