Lia Maivia

Lia Maivia
Lia Maivia
Born 22 May 1927
Lalomanu, Aleipata, Western Samoa[1]
Died 19 October 2008(2008-10-19) (aged 81)
Davie, Florida, U.S.
Nationality American
Other names Leah Maivia
Occupation Professional wrestling promoter
Years active 1982–2008
Spouse(s) Peter Maivia (m. 1953; his death 1982)
Children 1
Relatives Dwayne Johnson (grandson)

Ofelia "Lia" Maivia[1] (born Ofelia Fuataga; May 22, 1927 – October 19, 2008)[1] was a Samoan-American professional wrestling promoter. She is credited as one of the first female professional wrestling promoters. Maivia was the wife of Samoan professional wrestler Peter Maivia and the grandmother of actor and wrestler, Dwayne Johnson, also known as The Rock.

Professional wrestling career

Maivia took over the Polynesian Pro Wrestling (PPW) a territory of the National Wrestling Alliance in Hawaii following the death of her husband, "High Chief" Peter Maivia, in 1982.[2] She became one of wrestling's first female promoters.[1] In the mid-1980s, her promotion ran a show called Polynesian Pacific Pro Wrestling on the Financial News Network.[3] Her biggest card, A Hot Summer Night occurred on 3 August 1985 and had a crowd of 20,000.[1] Her show the following year did not do as well, and the promotion began to decline.[1] Maivia, her booker Lars Anderson, and Ati So'O faced extortion charges from a competing Hawaiian promotion, but were acquitted in November 1989.[1] PPW closed in 1988.[2][4]

Personal life

Maivia and her husband Peter Maivia had one daughter, Ata Fitisemanu Maivia.[1][2] Ata and her ex-husband Rocky Johnson are the parents of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.[2]

Maivia died of a heart attack at her home in Davie, Florida, on 19 October 2008.[2][4] There were conflicting reports of her age, as most outlets reported that she was 81 years old,[1][4] while The Miami Herald reported that she was 77.[2] The Anoa'i family established the "Lia Maivia Scholarship" in her honor.[5]

Bill Apter, a writer and journalist who specializes in wrestling, wrote of Maivia following her death: "When my daughter Hailey, who is now 23, met Lia at a wrestling event in upper New York state, Lia went to a gift shop at a nearby hotel and bought Hailey a stuffed rabbit as a gift. She had never met her before this day, and this shows what a heart she had!"[2] Greg Oliver, another professional wrestling journalist, wrote that Maivia "was considered a strong-willed businesswoman, demanding and challenging of her employees."[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Oliver, Greg. "Lia Maivia was a pioneering woman promoter". SLAM! Wrestling. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Brecher, Elinor J. (25 October 2008). "Grandmother of 'The Rock,' promoter". Miami Herald.
  3. ↑ Oliver, Greg and Steven Johnson (2010). The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Heels. ECW Press. p. 289. ISBN 1554902843.
  4. 1 2 3 "Leah Maivia passes away". WWE. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  5. ↑ "Scholarships". The Usos Foundation. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
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