Original GLOW wrestler Emily Dole, who performed as Mt. Fiji for the short-lived but beloved promotion, has passed away at the age of 60.
Patricia Summerland, otherwise known as GLOW wrestler Sunny the California Girl, tweeted the sad news Wednesday saying, “Rip Emily Dole ! WE LOST OUR GLOW SISTER THIS MORNING .We are very sad that she passed away . We are the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling . She was the CHAMP IN THE RING. Fly high Mountain Fiji.”
Rip Emily Dole ! WE LOST OUR GLOW SISTER THIS MORNING .We are very sad that she passed away . We are the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling . She was the CHAMP IN THE RING. Fly high Mountain Fiji ❤ pic.twitter.com/KI5FIijFo5
— Patricia Summerland (@glowsunnygirl) January 3, 2018
Mt. Fiji was one of GLOW’s biggest stars, and she never lost a match during the promotion’s entire run. She was so popular that she even appeared on “Regis and Kathie Lee” and “Donahue.”
At 350 lbs, Mt. Fiji was the largest member of the GLOW cast. For the first two seasons of the show, she feuded with Matilda the Hun, the only other wrestler on the roster who was comparable in size. Mt. Fiji also had a storyline little sister, Little Fiji, who was one of the smallest members of the cast and constantly needed rescuing by Mt. Fiji.
The character of Machu Picchu on the Netflix series “GLOW” appears to have been inspired by Mt. Fiji, although the connection has never been explicitly stated in the media.
It’s unclear what was Dole’s cause of death. However, in the 2012 Netflix documentary about GLOW, it was apparent that she was suffering from health issues.
Were you a fan of the original GLOW promotion? Do you have memories of watching Mt. Fiji wrestle? Share your comments below!