The daughter of WWE legend The Rock, Simone Johnson, has unveiled her new WWE ring name ahead of her future debut in the company.
The Rock’s family has a long history of success in wrestling. His father, Rocky, and grandfather, Peter Maivia, were both professional wrestlers during the last century.
He is also an honorary member of the Anoa’i family. Members of the family include WWE stars Roman Reigns and The Usos are part of. The family also consists of WWE Hall of Famers Rikishi and Yokozuna.
Therefore, it is perhaps no surprise that one of his children is on her way to becoming a big star. And she could be competing in WWE soon.
Simone Johnson set to join NXT?
WWE could be about to call up Simone Johnson, the daughter of The Rock, to the NXT brand. She would compete on the yellow brand alongside the likes of Mandy Rose, Cora Jade and Roxanne Perez.
The 20-year-old signed with WWE in February 2020. She was assigned to their Performance Center. However, she has undergone three knee surgeries which has affected her progress.
In May of last year, Wrestling Observer Newsletter‘s Dave Meltzer claimed (as per Bleacher Report) that Johnson was named as the most improved in a WWE internal list for lifting amongst Performance Center trainees between January and May.
Taking to Twitter, Johnson revealed that she now has a new ring name – Ava Raine. In addition, her Twitter handle has changed.
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE filed for the trademark ‘Ava Raine’ on May 13.
A WWE name change, in this scenario, tends to suggest that a Superstar is either making their NXT or main roster debut soon. WrestlingNews also claim that this is the case.
For instance, Santino Marella’s daughter, Bianca, recently announced her ring name would be changed to Arianna Grace.
She has recently debuted in NXT after several matches on 205 Live. Furthermore, Grace was defeated by Nikkita Lyons in the Women’s Breakout Tournament.
Johnson – now Ava Raine – will become the first fourth-generation wrestler in WWE history when she makes her debut.
Featured Image Credit: Instagram / Simone Johnson