In a move that’s bound to shake the wrestling world more vigorously than an elbow drop from the top rope, The Rock has announced he’s about to do the honors of inducting his grandma, Lia Maivia, into the WWE Hall of Fame. That’s right, folks, the SmackDown Hotel is officially welcoming one of its founding members.
Taking to social media, The Rock, also known by the less intimidating name “The Final Boss” (a title he’s now officially passing down to grandma), shared the news with the kind of enthusiasm usually reserved for winning a championship belt or finding out it’s all-you-can-eat pancake day.
“My grandmother, Lia Maivia, was a trailblazer, one of the first-ever female promoters in professional wrestling. She was the real Final Boss,” said The Rock, probably while flexing his eyebrows in respect.
Lia Maivia wasn’t just any promoter. After the passing of her husband, Peter Maivia, she took the reins of Polynesian Pro Wrestling like she was born to it, running the show until 1988. Her legend grew so large, she even snagged a spot on the “Young Rock” TV show, where fans got a glimpse of her wrestling-promoting prowess (and learned about that one time she got arrested, which is just a typical Tuesday in the wrestling world).
This year’s Hall of Fame lineup is as star-studded as a night sky in the desert, featuring the likes of Japanese wrestling icon Bull Nakano, NWA star Thunderbolt Patterson, tag team legends The U.S. Express (Mike Rotunda and Barry Windham), and the one and only Paul Heyman, who somehow convinced the WWE Undisputed Universal Champion, Roman Reigns, to induct him. And for the celebrity cherry on top, Muhammad Ali will be posthumously floated like a butterfly into the Hall of Fame.
So, mark your calendars, set your DVRs, and prepare your finest wrestling chants. After this week’s “WWE SmackDown,” the Hall of Fame ceremony will roll out the red carpet for its latest inductees. If The Rock’s speech doesn’t end with “If you smell what my grandma is cooking,” we’ll all be sorely disappointed.