Andrew Ravens
Tama Tonga was recently hit with a financial penalty from WWE following a social media post made ahead of last week’s episode of Friday Night SmackDown.
The reason is that Tonga posted a 360-degree shot of the stage, arena, and ring during rehearsals. WWE considered the post a violation of an unwritten company rule against filming during rehearsals and responded accordingly.
The video itself contained little sensitive content, but WWE’s position was that posting footage from inside the building during rehearsals was enough to warrant the penalty. The fine drew criticism on social media, with many pointing to the perceived contradiction of WWE penalizing a talent for pulling back the curtain while the company simultaneously airs WWE: Unreal on Netflix — a series now two seasons deep that offers its own behind-the-scenes look at the product.
Tama Tonga fined five figures by WWE
According to a report from Fightful Select, the fine landed in the five-figure range, meaning between $10,000 and $99,999.
It is not the first time Tonga’s social media activity has caused problems in 2026. Earlier this year, he inadvertently spoiled a surprise Royal Rumble entrant when he posted a clip of himself at a shisha bar that showed a face-paintless Mr. Iguana sitting in the background. That incident drew attention at the time, and the rehearsal video has now compounded the issue.
Despite the fine, Tonga competed on the March 20 SmackDown, where he and Jeff Cobb lost the WWE Tag Team Championships to Damian Priest and R-Truth, marking a change at the top of the tag division heading into the WrestleMania 42 season. He was also part of a backstage segment with Solo Sikoa.
Regardless of what fans may think, the bottom line is that WWE will show what it wants to show. Obviously, they didn’t like the footage being released, and it sent a message to the locker room at the expense of Tonga’s bank account. As a result, to make sure that instances like this one don’t happen again, or at least cut down on them.
