The Rock's daughter begins training for WWE
The Rock’s family legacy will be carried on by his eldest daughter, Simone Johnson, according to an announcement from the WWE on Monday. The 18-year-old reported to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, to begin her training, which sets her on the athletic path of her three forefathers.
Her great-grandfather was WWE Hall of Famer High Chief Peter Maivia, as was her grandfather Rocky Johnson, who unfortunately passed away last month. Her father, The Rock, hasn’t been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, but he is a legend in his own right in and out of the ring.
DWAYNE JOHNSON'S FATHER, HALL-OF-FAME WRESTLER, LEAVES THE RING OF LIFE
“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,” The Rock wrote in a heartfelt Instagram post that showed him hugging her.
“Carry our family name proudly, but your road will always be yours to create, earn & own,” he continued. “So proud. Live your dream. Let’s work.”
He also couldn’t be prouder of his daughter after spending years discussing the career path with her.
“I love the idea. We had this big conversation, she came with me to Hong Kong [and] Beijing,” he told "Good Morning America" in 2018. “I said, ‘Honey, whatever your passion is, I support that.’ And wrestling was good to me, I started my career in Madison Square Garden. So, yeah, bring it on, she’s going to be a champ.”
DWAYNE 'THE ROCK' JOHNSON REVEALS ‘DWANTA CLAUS’ ICE CREAM FLAVORS
Simone Johnson made sure to issue a statement of her own when the news broke.
“For the little girl who fell in love with wrestling & was determined to make this dream a reality - this is for you. I’m beyond thankful for this opportunity & ready to get after it. Let’s do this,” she wrote in an Instagram post that showed her sporting a WWE Performance Center T-shirt and a bright smile.
The soon-to-be pro wrestler also updated her social media profiles to include the WWE and NXT to signify her new status as a trainee.
WHERE DOES WWE MAKE ITS MONEY?
Simone Johnson received a wave of support online from her mother, Dany Garcia, fellow NXT trainee Aliyah, WWE correspondent Kayla Braxton and WWE Divas Billie Kay and Vanessa Borne. Even 14-time WWE World Champion Triple H made sure to give her a shout-out on Twitter.
“Carrying on the legacy and beginning her own,” he wrote. “@SimoneGJohnson has earned her place at the @WWEPC training with the best in our industry. Congratulations, Simone!”
It’s not just WWE stars who are proud to have Simone Johnson as an addition to the roster. WWE Assistant Head Coach Sara Amato also thinks she has what it takes to succeed.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
“Simone is a wonderful girl. She’s like a sponge, it’s pretty amazing,” Amato said in an interview with WWE. “She knows what it takes to succeed and all the hard work and sacrifice that goes into it. I wouldn’t have expected anything less.”
It’s not clear whether she may have a chance to join the cast of “Total Divas” – the WWE reality TV show that airs on E! Entertainment and gives an inside look of the personal and professional lives of the women who wrestle at the company.
FOX Business reached out to NBCUniversal to inquire about the possibility of Simone Johnson joining the cast, but a spokesperson for the company said there is no news to share at the time of publication.
However, former “WWE Tough Enough” cast member and NXT trainee Mandy Rose joined “Total Divas” in its fifth season, which aired a year before her main roster debut in 2017. The show also documented former WWE Diva Eva Marie’s journey from the main roster to NXT before she left the company.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS
Fans of the show would certainly be interested in learning more about Simone Johnson if given the chance.
Related Articles
