Peter Maivia was a promoter for the National Wrestling Alliance in Hawaii.
22 Facts About Peter Maivia
2.
Peter Maivia worked for NWA Hawaii, and in other places including France, and the United Kingdom.
3.
Peter Maivia began competing, wrestling not as The High Chief, but as Prince Peter Maivia.
4.
Athletic, naturally talented and quick to learn, Peter Maivia received training in New Zealand, under the watchful eye of local wrestler and promoter Steve Rickard.
5.
The title victory was impressive, however Peter Maivia's reign was extremely short, and he held the championship for just three days, dropping the championship back to Rickard on August 6,1964.
6.
The point had been made though, and from that point onward, Peter Maivia enjoyed main-event status in the NWA's New Zealand territory.
7.
Later in 1964, Peter Maivia followed up his previous success by winning the NWA Australasian Heavyweight Championship.
8.
Peter Maivia became the new Australasian champion by defeating Kangaroo Kennedy, and he carried the belt for four years before finally losing it to Steve Rickard in 1968.
9.
Peter Maivia continued working mainly in Hawaii during most of his career.
10.
Peter Maivia joined the World Wide Wrestling Federation in mid-1977.
11.
Peter Maivia was one of the company's biggest stars, working matches with many top wrestlers such as Superstar Billy Graham, Ivan Putski and Bob Backlund.
12.
Peter Maivia turned heel for the first time in his career in 1978 on Backlund in a match against Spiros Arion and Victor Rivera.
13.
Peter Maivia left the WWWF, which had now been renamed to the WWF, in 1981.
14.
Peter Maivia wrestled in his last match in Hawaii in February 1982 defeating Victor Rivera in a singles match.
15.
Peter Maivia retired on February 11,1982, due to his battle with cancer.
16.
Peter Maivia, known as the Flying Hawaiian, was of the Ali'i lineage of Malietoa.
17.
Peter Maivia disapproved of his daughter's relationship with Rocky Johnson because he was a wrestler.
18.
Peter Maivia was the blood brother of Amituanai Anoa'i, the father of the Wild Samoans, and thus the Anoa'i family regard the Peter Maivia family as part of their own family.
19.
Peter Maivia was an actor, appearing in the fifth James Bond film, You Only Live Twice, where he played a driver who transports a disguised Bond to Osato headquarters.
20.
In 1981, Peter Maivia was diagnosed with inoperable cancer, having reportedly ignored symptoms along with his friends and family's admonitions to see a doctor.
21.
Peter Maivia died on June 13,1982, at the age of 45.
22.
Peter Maivia was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, along with his son-in-law Rocky Johnson, in 2008 by his grandson Dwayne Johnson; with the award being accepted on his behalf by his daughter Ata Peter Maivia-Johnson.