Lia Maivia
Ofelia "Lia" Maivia (1927 – 19 October 2008), also known as Leah Maivia, was a Samoan (American) veteran wrestling promoter. Maivia was the wife of Samoan professional wrestler Peter Maivia and the grandmother of actor and wrestler, Dwayne Johnson, also known as The Rock.[1] Dwayne Johnson is the son of Rocky Johnson and Lia and Peter Maivia's daughter, Ata Fitisemanu Maivia.[1]
Life and career
Maivia was born Ofelia Fuataga in Lalomanu in Aleipata, Western Samoa (the now independent Samoa, at the time under New Zealand rule).
Maivia took over the Polynesian Pacific Pro Wrestling in Hawaii following the death of her husband, "High Chief" Peter Maivia, in 1982.[1] She became one of wrestling's only female promoters and worked closely with the (WWE) World Wrestling Entertainment during her career.[1] She continued to run Polynesian Pacific Pro Wrestling until 1988.[1]
Maivia attended the March 2008 posthumous induction of her husband into the WWE Hall of Fame in Orlando, Florida.[1] Peter Maivia was inducted by Dwayne Johnson at the ceremony and the award was accepted by Lia Maivia's daughter, Ata.[1] Maivia's former son-in-law, Rocky Johnson, was also inducted during the same ceremony.[1]
Maivia died of a heart attack at her home in Davie, Florida, on 19 October 2008.[1] There were conflicting reports of her age, as most outlets reported that she was 81 years old, while The Miami Herald reported that she was 77.[1] 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 bunny as a gift. She had never met her before this day, and this shows what a heart she had![1]