Ata Johnson Biography

Ata Johnson was born Feagaimaleata Fitisemanu Maivia on October 25, 1948, in Hawaii, USA. She was adopted by the popular Samoan-American professional wrestler Peter Maivia when he married her mother Ofelia 'Lia' Fuataga. Ata Johnson was exposed to wrestling early in her life as she was born into a family of wrestlers. Eventually, she fell in love with Rocky Johnson after meeting him in a wrestling match where he was partnered with her brother Peter Maivia Jr. Despite her father’s disapproval, Ata went on to marry Rocky Johnson in 1970. On May 2, 1972, the couple was blessed with their son Dwayne Johnson who would go on to become one of the most famous wrestlers of all time.

Ata Johnson made her television debut in 1996 when she appeared in one of the episodes of ‘WWE Raw.’ In 2000, she was seen attending ‘WrestleMania 2000’ which took place at ‘Honda Center’ in Anaheim, California. She then made a guest appearance in the popular television show ‘Late Show with David Letterman,’ appearing in the episode aired on May 10, 2002. In 2004, she spoke about her son in a TV documentary series titled ‘Biography.’ In 2009, she appeared in one of the episodes of a television series titled ‘Tagata Pacifika.’ She then went on to appear in several ‘WWE’ shows, such as ‘Survivor Series,’ ‘WrestleMania XXVIII,’ ‘WrestleMania XXX,’ and ‘WWE SmackDown Live.’ In 2016, she lent her voice to a documentary film titled ‘The Last Matai.’ The following year, she was seen in ‘WWE: Mae Young Classic Women Tournament.’

Ata Johnson’s mother, Ofelia ‘Lia’ Maivia, was a professional wrestling promoter. Credited as one of the first female wrestling promoters, Maivia took over ‘Polynesian Pro Wrestling’ (PPW) after her husband's death in 1982. She went on to become a strong-willed businesswoman and helped many wrestlers establish their respective career. Ata Johnson’s father, Peter Maivia, was a professional wrestler and promoter of the ‘National Wrestling Alliance’ in Hawaii. In 2008, he was posthumously inducted into the ‘WWE Hall of Fame’ by his grandson Dwayne Johnson. Ata Johnson accepted the award on his behalf.