Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's daughter Simone is training to be WWE's first fourth-generation wrestler
18-year-old says she's 'humbled, grateful and ready to work'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Simone Johnson has announced she plans to follow in her father Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson’s footsteps by becoming a professional WWE wrestler.
On Monday, the WWE Network announced that the 18-year-old has already started training at the WWE Performance Centre in Orlando, Florida, to become the first “fourth-generation superstar” in WWE history.
“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 Centre,” said Paul “Triple H” Levesque, executive vice president. “Not only does Simone now have an opportunity to cultivate and display her passion for WWE within the Performance Centre, but she’ll carry on the tradition of her incredible family lineage while creating her own impact as WWE’s first fourth generation Superstar.”
In a statement of her own, Johnson expressed her excitement over the opportunity to follow in her father, grandfather and great-grandfather’s footsteps.
“It means the world to me,” she said. “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.”
Johnson also shared the news on Instagram, where she captioned a photo of herself wearing a WWE shirt: “To the little girl who fell in love with wrestling and said: ‘This will be my life one day,’ this is for you.
“I’m humbled, grateful and ready to work. Let’s do this.”
Johnson’s great-grandfather Peter Maivia and her grandfather Rocky “Soul Man” Johnson were both WWE Hall-of-Famers while her father also started his career as a WWE wrestler before transitioning to acting.
Following Johnson’s announcement, the Jumanji star shared his support for his daughter on Instagram.
“Dreams ain’t just for dreamers,” the actor wrote. “Congrats to my #1 born, Simone Johnson on officially signing her wrestling contract with WWE and on her way to becoming the first-ever fourth generation WWE athlete.
“Carry our family name proudly, but your road will always be yours to create, earn and own. So proud. Live your dream. Let’s work.”
Johnson’s mother Dany Garcia also posted about the news on Instagram and offered words of support to the teenager.
She wrote: “It’s been the blessing of my life to watch you grow Simone Johnson and while the legacy of the family may be your platform, your future will be uniquely yours to earn.
“Congrats my love on living your dream and welcome to WWE.”
Johnson's announcement comes after her grandfather, one of the first African American World Tag Team Champions in WWE history, died in January at the age of 75.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments