Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s daughter, Simone, has already made history following her WWE debut on Saturday night, as she became the first fourth-generation wrestler in her family. Simone, who goes by her stage name Ava Raine, appeared at her first live event yesterday to film a promo scene in front of a live crowd.
And according to social media, the 20-year-old put on quite the show when she was said to have “trash-talked” the rest of the NXT women’s roster and referred to herself as “the Final Girl.” Simone has not yet appeared on television, but given that she recently changed her Twitter name to her stage name would strongly imply that her time in front of the camera is right around the corner.
Tonight was reportedly Simone Johnson’s first promo in front of fans #WWENXT #nxtorlando @AvaRaineWWE https://t.co/oDWvtJmx95
— Jay Reddick (@runninjay) July 10, 2022
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She also revealed her new black and red hairstyle over the weekend, which some fans believe could become her signature look. With her debut on Saturday night, she follows in the footsteps of her dad Dwayne, grandfather Rocky Johnson, and great-grandfather Peter Maivia, who all worked as professional wrestlers at WWE.
Simone recently addressed critics who found it odd that she would not want to distance herself from having “Johnson” in her stage name, saying, “I probably sound like a broken record, and hopefully this is the last I’ll mention this, but I don’t understand why people being portrayed as separate individuals from their family name is such a heated topic,’ she argued. ‘A name doesn’t discredit any prior accomplishments from any family.”
“I could build my entire career around my father & people would still bash me anyway.”
WWE announced it had signed Simone to its roster back in 2020, but her initial debut appearance had to be delayed after she had to undergo three knee surgeries before she was able to commence training sessions. The grueling recovery process ultimately kept her from working out as much as she would have liked, but Simone seems fitter and better than ever before, determined to get her moment in the spotlight and make her family proud.
happy nxt tuesday 🃏 thanks for being my personal photographer @sofiacromwell pic.twitter.com/lHg24pX0n1
— AVA (@AvaRaineWWE) June 8, 2022
Speaking of her family’s association with the world of wrestling entertainment, “It means the world to me. To know that my family has such a personal connection to wrestling is really special to me and I feel grateful to have the opportunity, not only to wrestle but to carry on that legacy.”
In support of his daughter’s decision to pursue a career as a professional wrestler, Dwayne penned a heartfelt message for Simone on Instagram, where he wrote, “Dreams ain’t just for dreamers. Congrats to my #1 born, Simone Johnson on officially signing her wrestling contract with @wwe @wwenxt and on her way to becoming the first-ever 4th generation WWE athlete.
“Carry our family name proudly, but your road will always be yours to create, earn & own. So proud. Live your dream. Let’s work.”