Featured Image Credit: Instagram
Topics: Sport, Celebrity, WWE, Dwayne Johnson
Claire Reid
More than two years since she announced she’d be following in her dad’s footsteps Dwayne Johnson’s daughter has revealed her professional wrestling name.
Simone Johnson, 20, is a fourth generation World Wrestling Entertainment wrestler, with her dad, granddad and great-granddad all having carved careers for themselves in the ring.
Simone signed with WWE back in 2020, but had debut pushed back after picking up an injury that required surgery and further rehabilitation.
Thankfully, she now appears to be fighting fit and raring to go - and she’s already got a huge fan in the shape of her famous dad.
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During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in May 2020, Johnson, who wrestled under the name The Rock, said: "She signed her contract with the WWE and you know it blows my mind.
"First of all, what an honour that my daughter wants to follow in my footsteps, but more importantly - follow in my footsteps sounds cliché - but she actually wants to create and blaze her own path, which is so important."
Last night, Simone revealed that she’ll be wrestling under the name Ava Raine - is anyone else not a little bit disappointed that she didn’t go with The Pebble?
Posting on her Instagram Stories, Simone shared an image of a black background with the words Ava Raine written in red and criss-crossed with lightning bolts.
Johnson went on to praise his daughter for working hard behind the scenes to hone her wrestling skills for the past two years, adding: "She's 18 now, at 16 she was working her a** off quietly under the radar, in the ring getting thrown around - you know, all the bumps and bruises that go with pro wrestling. But she hung in there, and I'm very, very proud of her."
In a statement released back in February 2020 Simon said: "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."
While WWE executive vice president Paul 'Triple H' Levesque said: "Simone Johnson's unbridled passion and incredible drive has earned her a coveted spot training with the elite athletes from around the world at the WWE Performance Center.
"Not only does Simone now have an opportunity to cultivate and display her passion for WWE within the Performance Center, but she'll carry on the tradition of her incredible family lineage while creating her own impact as WWE's first fourth-generation Superstar."
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