Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson comes from a family that is deeply entrenched in the history of pro wrestling. His grandfather, Peter Maivia, was a Samoan wrestler of great renown, while his father Rocky Johnson was the first Black Georgia Heavyweight Champion. However, that is not all when it comes to Johnson’s heroic wrestling lineage, as his grandmother, the wife of Peter Maivia had a pretty storied career of her own!
Lia Maivia was one of the first female promoters in wrestling, famously in charge of promoting one of wrestling’s biggest events in Hawaii, titled ‘A Hot Summer Night‘, which brought in about 20,000 spectators on August 3, 1985. The event saw some of the biggest names in wrestling come down to Hawaii, among them Bruiser Brody, Antonio Inoki, Andre the Giant, and of course, Ric Flair, who was defending his World Heavyweight Championship title.
Ric Flair remembers what it was like working with Lia Maivia
One of the main attractions of the event organized by Lia Maivia was the fact that Ric Flair, then the reigning champion of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, defended his title against Siva Afi. With regards to working with the legendary promoter, Flair said:
“[It was] Entertaining. Different. I mean, Lia was great I would wrestle somebody for an hour and Lia would say “Ricy, you didn’t do that well in the box today”…Lia didn’t take any shit, man. When she and you were together, man, and you had a disagreement, it took 30 cops to get you out of her arms. “
Flair had fond memories of working with the wrestling legend, whose event went down as one of the biggest ones in wrestling history, being covered by a slew of publications in the 1980s, and coveted as one of the biggest events that brought in a huge crowd and a host of A-list wrestlers.
Dwayne Johnson will be inducting his grandmother into the WWE Hall of Fame
Dwayne Johnson announced via an Instagram video that he would be inducting his grandmother into the Hall of Fame for WWE, calling her a “trailblazer” in his post. The video details her career, her commitment to the PPW, and her relationship with her family, as Johnson continues to carry his family’s legacy into the wrestling world.
Given that Johnson’s daughter has also entered the world of WWE, making her the first fourth-generation wrestler, Lia Maivia’s legacy blossoms further as her family continues to handle the reigns of the WWE franchise, ushering in a brand new age for the brand and the sport. Her induction into the Hall of Fame is well merited, given her immense contribution to the sport, by promoting major events and taking over her husband’s position after his death.
