Simone Johnson, daughter of The Rock, gets new WWE in-ring name
Simone Johnson, the daughter of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Dany Garcia, appears to have received her WWE in-ring name.
On Twitter, the 20-year-old Johnson has changed her account name to “AvaRaineWWE.” WWE filed a trademark for the name “Ava Raine” on May 13.
WWE announced the signing of Johnson in February 2020, which was right before the company was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Johnson has yet to make her NXT in-ring debut.
Johnson underwent knee surgery in September 2020. It was the third time that she’s had surgery on her knee.
“It means the world to me,” Johnson said when she signed with WWE. “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.”
When Johnson makes her debut, she’ll become the first fourth-generation wrestler in WWE history. Her great-grandfather is Peter Maivia and her grandfather is Rocky Johnson.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.