Tama Tonga was recently fined a financial fine from WWE following a social media post he made prior to last week’s episode of Friday Night SmackDown.
This is because Tonga posted a 360-degree shot of the stage, field, and ring during rehearsals. WWE considered this post a violation of an unwritten company rule against filming during rehearsals and responded accordingly.
The video contained some sensitive material, but WWE’s position was that posting footage from inside the building during rehearsals was enough to warrant a penalty. The fine drew criticism on social media, with many pointing to WWE’s alleged contradiction of punishing 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 points by WWE
According to a report by Fightful Select, the fine fell in the five-figure range, meaning between $10,000 and $99,999.
This is not the first time that Tonga’s social media activity has caused problems in 2026. Earlier this year, she inadvertently spoiled a Royal Rumble contestant when she posted a clip of herself at a shisha bar that featured a faceless Mr. Iguana sitting in the background. That incident attracted attention at the time and now the rehearsal video has further complicated the matter.
Despite the fine, Tonga competed on the March 20 SmackDown, where he and Jeff Cobb lost the WWE Tag Team Championship to Damian Priest and R-Truth, making a change at the top of the tag division at the WrestleMania 42 season. He was also part of a backstage segment with Solo Sequoia.
No matter what fans think, the bottom line is that WWE will show what it wants to show. Obviously, they did not like the release of the footage and it sent a message to the locker room at the expense of Tonga’s bank account. As a result, efforts have been made to ensure that such incidents do not happen again, or at least reduce them.
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