Rosey dead: Former WWE wrestler, brother of Roman Reigns and cousin on The Rock dies aged 47

Rosey, real name Matthew Anoa'i, wrestled in the WWE from 200 until 2006

Rosey (right) was a former tag team champion and faced the likes of the Dudley Boyz (Getty)

The former WWE Superstar and brother of current wrestler Roman Reigns, Matthew Anoa’i, has died at the age of 47.

Better known by the ring name of Rosey, Anoa’i joined the WWE in 2002 and appeared on Raw as part of the 3-Minute Warning, before leaving the company in 2006 to continue his wrestling career in Japan among a number of other countries.

His father, Sika Anoa’i, was also a professional wrestler, and his brother, Leati Anoa’i, is one of the leading wrestlers in the WWE under his ring name of Roman Reigns, with his defining moment coming at WrestleMania this month when he beat The Undertaker to send him into retirement.

Reigns was absent from Monday’s Raw show before news of his brother’s death was made public, and he is also the cousin of former WWE Superstars Yokozuna, Rikishi, Umaga and The Tonga Kid, and also the non-biological cousin of Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and The Usos.

Rosey (right) was a cousin of Umaga (left) who died in 2009 (Getty)

His crowning moment in the WWE came when he won the World Tag Team Championship alongside The Hurricane in 2005 at Backlash after defeating La Resistance.

Anoa’i was admitted to hospital in January 2014 and was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillation.

It is not yet known what his cause of death was.