"High Chief" - WWE veteran recalls wrestling The Rock's grandfather (Exclusive)
WWE Hall of Famer Bushwhacker Luke recently recalled sharing a ring with The Rock's grandfather, Peter Maivia, in the 60s.
The Brahma Bull comes from the illustrious wrestling family, Anoa'i, which has given the business some of its biggest names. One of those was Peter Maivia, who also happens to be The Rock's maternal grandfather. The late great Maivia wrestled across the globe, including in WWE from 1970 to 1981.
Speaking to Sportskeeda Wrestling, Bushwhacker Luke opened up about the time when he and Bushwhacker Butch wrestled Peter Maivia. The wrestling veteran recalled that he and Butch wrestled the High Chief quite a few times in New Zealand during the early stages of their career.
Furthermore, Luke also looked back at wrestling Andre The Giant when he went by the name Geant Ferre. He disclosed that he and Bushwhacker Butch often competed against the former WWE Champion in two-on-one handicap matches in the late 1960s.
"You know, in the 60s, Butch (Bushwhacker) and me were wrestling The Rock's grandfather. High Chief Peter Maivia. We wrestled him in the 60s. And Andre, it wasn't Andre The Giant, it was Geant Ferre. We wrestled in the 1960s. Geant Ferre was 350 pounds, seven foot two. And we had him in the last match before he left WWF he was 540. So he went from 350 to 540. We wrestled him in handicap matches all around New Zealand in 1969-70," said Bushwhacker Luke. (0:25 - 1:14)
Check out the full video below:
Bushwhacker Luke on WWE legend Andre The Giant's drinking habit
In the same interview, Bushwhacker Luke also shared a funny story of Andre The Giant going on a drinking spree while on the road.
The WWE Hall of Famer recounted that the seven-foot-two performer and his long-time manager, Frank Valois, consumed a staggering 72 beers in just about 90 minutes.
"Andre and his manager, he was a Frenchman, about 270 pounds, I forgot his name. They drank 72 beers in 90 minutes. And for Andre, a beer would be two or two and a half sips. We were on a road trip; we had to stop and get 72 more beers. Butch and me were in the backseat and Andre was in the front, and his manager was beside him," said Bushwhacker Luke. (6:02 - 6:40)
Andre The Giant buying beer. https://t.co/vohJbYOYn4
Considering he's active in the ring to this date, it's safe to say that not many have seen wrestling evolve as Bushwhacker Luke has over the last six decades.
Who's your favorite member of the Ano'i family? Let us know your picks in the comments section below.
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You may purchase The Bushwhackers: Blood, Sweat, and Cheers at this link: https://www.amazon.com/Bushwhackers-Blood-Sweat-Cheers/dp/B0BHKYMTS5