Sad news to report today as original Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling star Mountain Fiji has passed away at the age of 60. Fiji — real name Emily Dole — reportedly died late on Tuesday night/early Wednesday morning, and while a cause of death has not been announced, anyone who saw her portion of the heartbreaking 2012 documentary GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling knows she’d been dealing with health problems and had been staying in an assisted living facility.
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
— Original GLOW Wrestler /Sunny The California Girl (@glowsunnygirl) January 3, 2018
Dole, the direct influence for Britney Young’s Carmen ‘Machu Picchu’ Wade on the current Netflix hit GLOW, joined the Gorgeous Ladies upon their inception in 1985, quickly becoming the most popular hero on the show. She had notable feuds with G.L.O.W.’s biggest villains, including Matilda the Hun and Big Bad Mama, and never lost a match during her time with the company. It was almost impossible to even knock her down.
Fiji used her popularity as a Gorgeous Lady of Wrestling to appear in various movies and TV shows from the era, including battling Paulie Shore in Son in Law and grappling with Vicki Lawrence on an episode of Mama’s Family. She also once took on Sting and the WCW in a game of Family Feud.
We’d like to send our condolences to the Dole and G.L.O.W. families. If you don’t know much about the Mountain Fiji, here are a few video clips to remember her by. Rest in power, Fiji!
