WWE icon Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (50) has a successor: His eldest daughter Simone Johnson (21) entered the WWE ring for the first time on Tuesday evening as “Ava Rain”. During the airing of the show NXT, dedicated to the next generation of WWE stars, Simone was announced as one of the members of Schism. She initially stood in the background with a yellow smiley face mask and a red hooded sweatshirt, until she was revealed and swore allegiance to her group, to much acclaim.
“The love and acceptance that Schism shows me defies all preconceived notions of who I should be,” she said. “This family completes me.” Simone is the first fourth-generation wrestler in WWE history. Simone succeeds her father, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who retired from the organization in 2004, Dwayne’s father, “Soul Man” Rocky Johnson, and Dwayne’s grandfather, Prince Peter Maivia aka “The High Chief”. Simone’s great-grandmother, Lia Maivia, was one of the first female wrestling promoters.
Simone introduced herself to the public in 2020, but her debut was delayed due to injury. She had to undergo surgery for a knee injury.
Her father always emphasized how proud he is of her. As the fourth generation, she “wrote history,” said the 50-year-old “Entertainment Tonight” back in July. “She’s incredibly independent. It’s very important for her to make her own way. Make her own way. Make her own path. She doesn’t come to me expecting much and I respect that. And I’m here watching and supporting them.” On October 4, 2019, he himself ended his last wrestling appearance and career on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of “Smackdown”.
