Wikipedia

Peter Maivia

Not to be confused withNeff Maiava.

Fanene Leifi Pita Maivia(bornFanene Pita Anderson;April 6, 1937 – June 13, 1982), better known asPeter Maivia,was a Samoan-American professional wrestler, actor and stunt coordinator.[3]Maivia was the grandfather ofDwayne "The Rock" Johnsonvia adoption, and was also part of the famousAnoaʻi familyvia blood brother pact. He was also thepromoterof theNational Wrestling AlliancememberPolynesian Pro WrestlinginHawaii.[2]

Peter Maivia
Maivia in 1969
Birth nameFanene Pita Anderson
Born(1937-04-06)April 6, 1937
Western Samoa[1]
DiedJune 13, 1982(1982-06-13)(aged 45)
Hawaii,U.S.
Cause of deathCancer
Spouse(s)
​
(m.1953)​
Children2
RelativesDwayne Johnson(step-grandson/adoptive grandson)
Nia Jax(first cousin once removed)
Roman Reigns(great nephew)
FamilyAnoaʻi family
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Prince Peter Maivia
High Chief Peter Maivia
Billed height5 ft 9 in (175 cm)[2]
Billed weight275 lb (125 kg)[2]
Billed from"The Isle of Samoa"[2]
Trained bySteve Rickard[2]
Debut1960
RetiredFebruary 11, 1982

Professional wrestling career

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Early career (1960–1964)

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Maivia made his debut in 1960 at the age of 23.[4]He worked forNWA Hawaii,and in other places including France, and the United Kingdom.[4]

New Zealand and Australia (1964–1968)

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After spending his first twenty years in American Samoa, Maivia moved to New Zealand.[3]He began competing, wrestling under the ring name Prince Peter Maivia.[4]He was trained inNew Zealandby local wrestler and promoterSteve Rickard.[3][4]

Both in and out of the ring, Rickard taught the young Samoan a great deal about professional wrestling, and under his guidance, Maivia developed at an amazing rate. On 3 August 1964, after less than a year in the business, he won theNew Zealand Heavyweight Championship.[3]The title victory was impressive, however Maivia's reign was extremely short, and he held the championship for just three days, with the championship returning to Rickard on August 6, 1964.[3]The point had been made though, and from then onward, Maivia enjoyed main-event status in theNWA's New Zealand territory.[4]

Later in 1964, Maivia followed up his previous success by winning theNWA Australasian Heavyweight Championship.[4]Maivia became the new Australasian champion by defeatingKangaroo Kennedy,and he carried the belt for four years before finally losing it toSteve Rickardin 1968.[3]After developing his repertoire and ring skills in New Zealand, Maivia slowly began to branch out and take bookings in larger promotions.[3][4]

Maivia in 1975

Various promotions (1968–1977)

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Maivia continued working mainly in Hawaii during most of his career. In 1968 he worked forInternational Wrestling Enterprisein Japan.[3]From 1969 to 1975 he worked inNWA San Francisco,NWA Hollywood,WCCW,Houston Wrestling,and theAWAwinning many championships in the process.[3]

World Wide Wrestling Federation (1977–1981)

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Maivia (left) pullsBob Backlund(right) by the hair during their steel cage match, circa 1979

He joined the World Wide Wrestling Federation in mid-1977.[3]He was one of the company's biggest stars, working matches with many top wrestlers such asSuperstar Billy Graham,Ivan PutskiandBob Backlund.[3][4]He turned heel for the first time in his career in 1978 on Backlund in a match againstSpiros ArionandVictor Rivera.[3][4]During his tenure in the WWWF, he also competed in Hawaii, Japan, Toronto, Detroit, San Francisco, Los Angeles and New Zealand. He left the WWWF, which had now been renamed to the WWF, in 1981.

Later career (1981–1982)

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After leaving the WWF, Maivia returned to California and won theNWA Americas Heavyweight Championship.[3]He wrestled in his last match in Hawaii in February 1982, defeating Victor Rivera in a singles match. He retired on February 11, 1982, due to his battle with cancer.[5]

Personal life

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Maivia, also known as the Flyinʻ Hawaiian, was of theAli'ilineage ofMalietoa.[6]Maivia'straditional Samoan tattoos,which covered his abdomen and legs, were a symbol of his High Chief status.[2]According toSuperstar Billy Graham,they were completed in three days. His wife Ofelia Fuataga, more commonly known asLia Maivia,was one of the first female professional wrestling promoters.[7][8]Maivia adopted Lia's daughter Mataniu Feagaimaleata "Ata" Fitisemanu.[1][9]

Maivia was theblood brotherof Amituanai Anoaʻi, the father ofthe Wild Samoans(AfaandSika), and thus theAnoaʻi familyregard the Maivia family as part of their own family.

Maivia was also an actor, appearing in the fifthJames Bondfilm,You Only Live Twice,where he played a driver who transports a disguised Bond to Osato headquarters. His character also fights Bond, is hit with a sofa, wields akatana,and is put down when a statue is broken on his head. He was also the film'sstunt fight co-ordinator.

Death

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In 1981, Maivia was diagnosed with inoperablecancer,having reportedly ignored symptoms along with his friends and family's requests to see a doctor.[4]He died on June 13, 1982.[2]

Legacy

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Maivia was posthumously inducted into theWWE Hall of Fame,along with his daughter's ex-husbandRocky Johnson,in 2008 by his grandsonDwayne Johnson,with the award being accepted on his behalf by his daughter Ata Maivia-Johnson.[2]

In the 2016 Disney animated film,Moana,the character design ofMauiwas derived from photographs of Peter Maivia, according to interviews with his grandson, Dwayne Johnson, who voices Maui in the film.[10]

Filmography

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Championships and accomplishments

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ab"Wrestler and promoter Peter Maivia, 45, dies".The Honolulu Advertiser.June 16, 1982. p. 57.RetrievedFebruary 29,2024.
  2. ^abcdefghij"Hall of Fame: High Chief Peter Maivia".World Wrestling Entertainment.RetrievedMarch 29,2011.
  3. ^abcdefghijklm"Peter Maivia profile".Online World of Wrestling.RetrievedFebruary 24,2022.
  4. ^abcdefghijVon Slagle, Stephen (June 4, 2020)."Peter Maivia".History of Wrestling.RetrievedFebruary 24,2022.
  5. ^abcdKreikenbohm, Philip."Peter Maivia".Cagematch.RetrievedFebruary 24,2022.
  6. ^Ahching, Leiataua Ahching.Polynesian Interconnections(p.19)
  7. ^Oliver, Greg (October 23, 2008)."Lia Maivia was a pioneering woman promoter".SLAM! Wrestling.Canadian Online Explorer.RetrievedFebruary 24,2022.
  8. ^Grasso, John (2014).Historical Dictionary of Wrestling.Scarecrow Press. p. 29.ISBN9780810879263.RetrievedFebruary 3,2020.
  9. ^Mochizuki, Koh (June 7, 2022)."The Rock Brings His Mom To Tears After Surprising Her With A New Home In Emotional Video".Comic Sands.RetrievedMay 12,2024.
  10. ^McCarthy, Kelly (November 21, 2016)."Dwayne Johnson Shed 'Manly Tears' Making Disney's 'Moana'".ABC News.RetrievedNovember 29,2016.
  11. ^"Hawaii Heavyweight Title".Wrestling Titles.RetrievedFebruary 24,2022.
  12. ^"Hawaii Tag Team Title".Wrestling Titles.RetrievedFebruary 24,2022.
  13. ^Will, Gary; Duncan, Royal (2000). "Texas: NWA Texas Heavyweight Title [Von Erich]".Wrestling Title Histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present.Pennsylvania: Archeus Communications. pp.268–269.ISBN0-9698161-5-4.
  14. ^"NWA Texas Heavyweight Title".Wrestling Titles.RetrievedMarch 30,2017.
  15. ^"NWA Americas Heavyweight Title".Wrestling Titles.RetrievedFebruary 24,2022.
  16. ^"British Empire Heavyweight Title (New Zealand)".Wrestling Titles.RetrievedFebruary 24,2022.
  17. ^"AWA/NWA United States Heavyweight Title (San Francisco)".Wrestling Titles.RetrievedFebruary 24,2022.
  18. ^Johnson, Mike (November 20, 2015)."PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING HALL OF FAME MOVING FROM UPSTATE NEW YORK TO TEXAS".PWInsider.RetrievedNovember 20,2015.

References

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