• Look Back In History
• Pmessages
• Quiz
• Stump The Staff
• Top Fifty
• Close

Bios

Prince Maivia

Height: 6' 0"

Weight: 285 lbs.

From: American Samoa

Birthday: May 1st

Pro Debut: 1950

Aliases: Auleaga Maiava, Big Head Maiava, Mia Via, Neff Maiava, Neff Maivia, Prince Maiava, Prince Maivia, Prince Mia Via, Prince Neff Maiava, Prince Nefu Maivia

Feds Worked For: NWA-West, TSW, NWA, All Star Wrestling (Canada), Atlantic Athletic Commission (MA), Big Time Wrestling (Canada), Capitol Wrestling Corporation, Championship Wrestling from Florida (FL), Eastern Sports Enterprises (NJ/NY), Fred Kohler Enterprises (IL), Gulf Athletic Club (TX), International Wrestling (Canada), Kola Kwariani Booking Office (NY), M & M Promotions (NM/TX), Maple Leaf Wrestling (Canada), Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling (NC/C), Mid-Pacific Wrestling (HI), Minnesota Boxing & Wrestling Club (MN), National Wrestling Federation (NJ/NY/OH/PA), NWA Chicago (IL), NWA Hollywood (CA), NWA Los Angeles (CA), NWA Montreal (Canada), NWA Polynesian Wrestling (HI), NWA Upstate (NY), Provincial Sports Association (Canada), San Francisco (CA), Stampede Wrestling (Canada), Salt Lake Wrestling Club (UT), Southwest Sports (TX), St. Louis Wrestling Club (MO), Tri-States Sports (ID/UT/WA), Upstate Athletic Club (NY), Wrestling Promotions, Inc. (AZ)

Finisher: Headbutt

Signature Moves: Used hair to cut his opponent's hands, Headlock

Career Highlights: -NWA Hawaii Champion (6x)
-NWA Hawaii Tag Team Champion (8x; 4 w/ James Blears, 2 w/ Sam Steamboat, 1 each w/ Billy White Wolf and Pampero Firpo)
-NWA Texas Tag Team Champion (w/ Ray Gunkel)
-NWA (Idaho/Utah/Washington) World Tag Team Champion (w/ Oni Wiki Wiki)
-NWA Western States Tag Team Champion (w/ Oni Wiki Wiki)
-TSW Southwester Tag Team Champion (w/ Johnny Walker [1st])

Affiliates: Coconut Willy, Oni Wiki Wiki, James Blears, Sam Steamboat, Billy White Wolf, Pampero Firpo, Ray Gunkel, Johnny Walker [1st]

Notable Feuds: Curtis Iaukea, Killer Kowalski, Lou Newman/Shoulders Newman, Karol Kalmikoff, Ivan Kalmikoff, Ripper Collins, Duke Keomuka, Cowboy Cassidy, Lou Plummer, Kinji Shibuya, Mr. Sakata/Tosh Togo, Danny McShain, Karl Von Schober, Johnny Barend, Don Evans

Other Facts: -Real name was Auleaga Maiava
-As Mia Via, Neff Maiava, and Nefu Maivia, he used the nickname "Prince"
-Known for walking on a bed of nails that they would bring into the ring and he would walk on it
-According to the majority of wrestling record books and title histories, Neff Maiava's surname was recorded as Maivia. Neff Maiava never used the Maivia name during his wrestling career. He has always gone by his family name Neff Maiava (Mai-ava).
-Peter Maivia wrestled in Europe with the surname Anderson and when Maiava popularized the Samoan gimmick Maivia was sent to learn it from Maiava, thus he took the fake surname Maivia to be billed as Maiava's cousin
-Maivia's quick rise to stardom led to the popularizing of the surname Maivia and non Samoan speakers often mixed up the two very similar names which is why Neff's surname is sometimes recorded as Maivia instead of his true surname Maiava
-Born in American Samoa,and was moved to Hawaii at the age of 2 months old
-Was one of the early pioneers for Polynesian wrestlers. Neff was also a pioneer in hardcore wrestling.
-Broke boards over his head, he walked over legit boards of nails, and fans would put their cigarettes out on Neff's feet.
-Performed the fire and knife dances during shows also
-In one of his early matches, Neff's finisher the Headbutt was invented when both he and Bobo Brazil went criss-cross off the ropes and collided heads together in Madison Square Garden.
-Neff's manager, Coconut Wily would bang a drum while he entered the ring.
-Once had an encounter with a bear at a wrestling show. A fellow wrestler had hired to wrestle the bear. The wrestler spent all day tormenting the animal as it was locked in a cage. When it came time for the man to wrestle the bear, the bear was furious, and it stood up a full 10 feet. The wrestler ran away, leaving Neff Maiava (who wasn't even booked for the angle) to take matters into his own hands. Neff had his own honey which he ate to give him energy for his matches. Neff rubbed the honey all over his body, he entered the ring and lay down on the canvas. The bear licked Neff all up as the crowd watched in awe
-Stayed in complete kayfabe when he toured around the United States. He never spoke a word of English when he traveled. Wrestling fans recognized Neff on the street and would help him cross the road believing that he didn't know what the green and red lights symbolized.
-When Neff was thrown out of the ring during his matches, he'd land next to the women and rub himself up against their legs because "he didn't know better".
-Had a liking for ties. He would play with the announcer's tie during his interviews
-A female fan told Neff that she almost missed giving birth in the hospital because her husband was busy watching one of his matches. While waiting for her husband in the car, she heard him scream "give him the headbutt" and immediately knew who's match her husband was watching
-Challenged Killer Kowalski (who stood 6' 5) to a contest to see who could jump the highest. Kowalski refused to at first, but eventually caved in due to Neff poking his chest -Kowalski jumped 4 feet high. Neff told Kowalski he can jump higher. Neff breathed in and out, pacing, and preparing himself for a massive jump. He puts all emotion into his face, and then jumps an inch off the ground. The effect was so funny to Killer that he broke into a laughing fit.
-Wrote a children's book (Island Heritage) called "Da Grouchy Moocher Boogie Man"
-Passed away in his sleep on April 21, 2018 at the age of 93.