Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has revealed his pride in announcing the induction of his late grandmother, Lia Maivia, into the WWE Hall of Fame for the class of 2024.
Maivia, a pioneering figure in sports entertainment promotion and one of the first women to achieve such prominence, will be honored posthumously.
Johnson shared a heartfelt video tribute on Instagram, celebrating Maivia’s legacy. She passed away in 2008 at the age of 77, according to ABC News.
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The Instagram post showed footage of Johnson visiting his grandparents’ cemetery at Diamond Head Memorial Park in Honolulu, Hawaii. In a voiceover, the pro wrestler walked through the legacy of his grandmother’s pioneering role in the professional wrestling industry.
“She took over my grandfather’s wrestling company here in Hawaii, and she made a promise to my grandfather when he was dying on his deathbed,” he said.
Following the death of her husband, WWE Hall of Famer “High Chief” Peter Maivia in 1982, Maivia assumed leadership of Polynesian Pro Wrestling, a National Wrestling Alliance territory in Hawaii.
She broke barriers as one of wrestling’s earliest female promoters, according to a release. Johnson honored Maivia in the caption, describing her as a trailblazer, protector of their family, and “the real Final Boss.”
Maivia’s notable achievements as a wrestling promoter included organizing the event “A Hot Summer Night” in 1985, which saw WWE Hall of Famers such as Andre the Giant, Ric Flair, Rocky Johnson, Dusty Rhodes, and Antonio Inoki, drawing a crowd of over 20,000, per WWE.
While announcing the news of her induction this week, the network added of Maivia, “her strong-willed business sense coupled with her love of sports-entertainment left a lasting and profound impact on the industry and the many people she influenced and impacted in her amazing life.”
Her induction into the WWE Hall of Fame is scheduled for Friday, April 5, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
