Tag: Ava Raine

NXT’s Ava, Trick Williams, Elektra Lopez make WWE SmackDown debuts

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Three NXT stars, including Ava, the daughter of WWE legend Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, made their SmackDown debuts on Friday’s episode. 

Ava, Trick Williams, and Elektra Lopez all made surprise debuts on SmackDown in a variety of segments on the Royal Rumble go-home show. 

After being named the storyline general manager of NXT on this past Tuesday’s episode, Ava was featured in multiple backstage segments with SmackDown GM Nick Aldis in her debut as various stars drew their order of entry for Saturday’s Royal Rumble match. 

Williams made his debut in saving Carmelo Hayes from a post-match attack at the hands of Austin Theory & Grayson Waller after Theory defeated Hayes on SmackDown. Hayes & Williams are partners in NXT’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic and will wrestle in a semifinal match in that tournament against the LWO’s Joaquin Wilde & Cruz Del Toro on the next episode of NXT. Williams is also set to challenge Ilja Dragunov for the NXT Championship at Vengeance Day on Sunday, February 4.

Lopez rejoined the latest iteration of Santos Escobar’s Legado Del Fantasma on SmackDown after a brawl broke out between Legado and the LWO after an Escobar vs. Carlito singles match. Lopez was previously aligned with LEgado in NXT when the group was comprised of Escobar, Wilde, & Del Toro. Wilde & Del Toro have since left the group and joined the LWO.

The Rock: Wrestling helped save my relationship with Simone Johnson

Posted on by Josh Nason

In an interview on The Pivot, former WWE star and pop culture icon Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson opened up about his daughter, Simone Johnson, and how wrestling has been “a savior” for both his family and relationship with her.

Johnson said when he had his daughter, now known as Ava in WWE NXT, he was wrestling full-time, making his transition into movies and “flying by the seat of my pants.”

“I had so much sh*t going on. So, I like to say me and Simone grew up together. We had a relationship where I was always gone, but we tried to keep it together. Now years later as she becomes a pro wrestler, it’s actually brought us closer together,” he explained. “So, in a way, it’s helped save that relationship too. In many ways, pro wrestling has been my family’s savior.”

The 21-year-old Ava/Johnson started at the Performance Center in February 2020 and is currently part of The Schism faction on NXT TV. She has wrestled just a few times with only one of them televised.

WWE NXT drops Ava Raine’s last name

Posted on by Ethan Renner

The Rock’s daughter is the latest WWE talent to undergo a name change. 

Ava Raine will now be known simply as “Ava” going forward, according to the NXT star’s WWE.com profile page. 

Raine appeared on this week’s NXT program during the Thea Hail vs. Tiffany Stratton bout, and was referred to only as “Ava” on commentary. All references to the Raine name have been dropped from her WWE.com biography. 

Ava, real name Simone Johnson, made her NXT debut on a live event in July 2022, cutting an in-ring promo at the house show. Her television debut as the mouthpiece for The Schism faction came during the October 25, 2022 episode of NXT. 

WWE announced in February 2020 that Johnson, now 21 years old, had begun her training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. 

The Rock commented on his daughter’s Ava Raine ring name and on her debut in a Jimmy Kimmel live appearance in July 2022. 

Schism sit-down interview announced for WWE NXT

Posted on by Joseph Currier

One week after her debut, Ava Raine is set for another appearance on NXT.

WWE has announced that a sit-down interview with Schism will air on NXT this Tuesday night. The faction has four members: Joe Gacy, Rip Fowler, Jagger Reid, and Raine.

After weeks of a mysterious hooded figure appearing on NXT, Raine unmasked last week and was revealed as the newest member of Schism. Raine (Simone Johnson) is the eldest daughter of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

Raine cut a brief promo while debuting last week.

“The love and acceptance the Schism has given me defies any preconceived notions of who I’m supposed to be,” Raine said. “This family completes me.”

A match with Thea Hail facing Kiana James has also been added to this Tuesday’s NXT, and Odyssey Jones will make his in-ring return on the show. Jones’ opponent has yet to be announced.

The updated lineup for Tuesday’s NXT is listed below:

  • Mandy Rose one-year NXT Women’s Championship celebration
  • NXT Champion Bron Breakker appears
  • R-Truth vs. Grayson Waller
  • Sit-down interview with Schism
  • Thea Hail vs. Kiana James
  • Odyssey Jones makes his in-ring return

Jimmy Uso ready for Ava Raine to ‘pop off and represent The Bloodline’

Posted on by Ian Carey

Jimmy Uso was impressed with Ava Raine’s WWE NXT debut.

Real-name Simone Johnson, the daughter of The Rock was revealed as the newest member of The Schism on Tuesday. Jimmy Uso spoke to TMZ recently about the 21-year-old’s future in the business. 

“I’m ready to see what she can do. I’m ready for her to pop off and represent The Bloodline,” he said. 

“We are all family. We all look out for her. She has the whole squad side on her side.”

Jimmy Uso also commented on Raine being part of The Schism faction.

“Schism throwing up the twos, uce, we throwing up the ones,” he said. 

“The sky is the limit,” Jimmy continued to say of Raine. “She’s got the workhorse in her like we all do. It runs deep in the blood, and I’m excited for her future. I can’t wait to see where this takes her.” 

Raine is part of the Anoaʻi family dynasty as her great-grandfather, Peter Maivia, was considered “blood brothers” with Amituana’i Anoaʻi, with their kids being considered cousins with one another. 

WWE NXT video highlights: Ava Raine debuts

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Last night’s NXT featured the WWE television debut of Simone Johnson.

Weeks of a mysterious hooded figure appearing led to Johnson being revealed as the newest member of the Schism last night. Johnson, who is going by the in-ring name “Ava Raine,” joins Joe Gacy, Rip Fowler, and Jagger Reid in the faction.

Simone is the eldest daughter of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. After unmasking last night, she cut the first televised promo of her career.

“The love and acceptance the Schism has given me defies any preconceived notions of who I’m supposed to be,” Simone said. “This family completes me.”

Simone is the first fourth-generation wrestler in WWE history. She joined the WWE Performance Center in February 2020.

Also on last night’s show, Ilja Dragunov and JD McDonagh faced off in the main event, two Tag Team title matches took place, and R-Truth stopped by NXT to set up a match with Grayson Waller for next week.

More coverage from last night —

WWE NXT video highlights —

Carter & Chance vs. Lyons & Stark for the NXT Women’s Tag Team titles

Video teases T-Bar’s return to NXT

R-Truth shows up late for Halloween Havoc

Shotzi vs. Lash Legend

Veer Mahaan & Sanga reunite, attack The Creed Brothers

Pretty Deadly vs. Edris Enofe & Malik Blade for the NXT Tag Team titles

Nikkita Lyons & Zoey Stark want another NXT Women’s Tag Team title shot

Ava Raine revealed as newest member of the Schism

Scrypts leaves a mysterious voicemail for NXT

Elektra Lopez attacks Indi Hartwell and Sol Ruca

Bodhi Hayward disappears from Chase U

Odyssey Jones returns

Ilja Dragunov vs. JD McDonagh

Ilja Dragunov gets stretchered out after main event

NXT fallout: Pretty Deadly celebrate retaining their titles

Speak Now: Simone Johnson debut, NXT recap

Posted on by Denise Salcedo

The fallout from NXT Halloween Havoc on today’s episode of Speak Now! 

We had a lot of stuff to talk about on tonight’s show including two tag team title matches, Wes Lee as new NXT North American Champion, Ava Raine joins The Schism, JD McDonagh vs. Ilja Dragunov in the main event, and more! 

Right Click Save As 

Ava Raine/Simone Johnson revealed as new Schism member on WWE NXT

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Ava Raine is the newest member of the Schism.

On Tuesday’s NXT, the hooded figure that had been seen in recent weeks with The Schism revealed themselves to be none other than The Rock’s daughter Simone Johnson, who is now going under the name Ava Raine. She cut a short promo saying that The Schism has removed any preconceived notions of who she is, and that this family completes her.

In recent weeks, a hooded figure had been seen with the Schism. At Halloween Havoc, Gacy asked the figure if they were ready to reveal themselves. They nodded, with Gacy saying it would go down on Tuesday.

Johnson joined the WWE Performance Center back in February of 2020. In September of that year, it was reported that she was undergoing knee surgery. In May, it was reported that Johnson had been given the Ava Raine name. She started to make appearances on NXT house shows starting in July.

The Rock comments on daughter Simone Johnson’s WWE NXT name

Posted on by Joseph Currier

While appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Wednesday night, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson continued to express his excitement for his daughter Simone’s pro wrestling career getting underway.

Simone Johnson (who is going by the name “Ava Raine” in WWE) made her first NXT house show appearance earlier this month and cut the first promo of her career. After her debut, The Rock told Entertainment Tonight that he’s “very, very proud” of Simone for making history by becoming WWE’s first fourth-generation wrestler.

The Rock was also asked about Simone’s debut by Jimmy Kimmel Live guest host Kerry Washington.

“Very proud of her. Simone Johnson, my oldest daughter, the daughter I have with Dany [Garcia], she made her debut in WWE, their smaller federation, NXT. She did so good. She went out there on the microphone. You’ve gotta be poised when you go out there. She has a cool wrestling name. It’s Ava Raine,” The Rock said.

Washington then asked The Rock how someone comes up with their wrestling name.

“It comes from all different areas. Usually, it’s probably a mix. What she wanted to do, what she wanted to be called. Ultimately, what the powers that be want her to be called too as well. She’s the first fourth-generation of pro wrestlers in WWE. I always like to say that name Ava Raine could mean a lot of things, but to me in my mind, it means she’s going to lay the smackdown on candy asses.”

Simone Johnson has yet to have her first match or make her first televised NXT appearance. Simone signed with WWE in February 2020 but had to undergo knee surgery later that year.

Johnson’s full appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live is available to watch below:

The Rock ‘very proud’ of daughter Simone for making WWE NXT house show debut

Posted on by Joseph Currier

While speaking to Entertainment Tonight at the premiere of his latest movie, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson commented on his daughter Simone making her NXT house show debut.

Simone Johnson (going by the in-ring name Ava Raine) appeared at an NXT house show in Citrus Springs, Florida last Friday. The next night at a house show in Orlando, she cut the first promo of her career.

“She’s made history [becoming WWE’s first fourth-generation wrestler]. Very, very proud of her,” The Rock told Entertainment Tonight. “She is fiercely independent. It’s very important for her to make her own way, blaze her own trail, blaze her own path. She doesn’t come to me looking for a lot, which I respect that. And I’m here watching and supporting.”

Simone revealed “Ava Raine” as her official NXT in-ring name this March. She’s also using the nickname “The Final Girl.”

Simone has yet to have her first match for NXT or make her first televised appearance.

Also during his interview with Entertainment Tonight, The Rock was asked if we could ever see him back in a WWE ring. “Of course,” he said. “Yeah, always open to that. For sure.”

“DC League of Super-Pets,” which stars The Rock in a voice-acting role, will be released in theaters on July 29.

Simone Johnson appears, cuts promo at NXT house show

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Simone Johnson, under her new name Ava Raine, cut a live promo during tonight’s NXT house show.

Raine cut a promo at tonight’s show in Orlando and referred to herself as “The Final Girl”, which can also be seen in her Twitter profile. She also appeared during the Friday house show in Citrus Springs, Florida.

Johnson, 20, joined the WWE Performance Center back in 2020. She is the daughter of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. In September of 2020, she wrote on Twitter that she was undergoing her third knee surgery. In May, she changed her account name to Ava Raine, which WWE filed a trademark for on May 13.

Top matches from tonight’s house show had The Creed Brothers retain the NXT Tag Team titles over Joe Gacy and a member of the Dyad, Mandy Rose retaining the NXT Women’s title over Ivy Nile after interference from the rest of Toxic Attraction, and Bron Breakker retaining the NXT Championship over Tony D’Angelo.

Simone Johnson, daughter of The Rock, gets new WWE in-ring name

Posted on by Joseph Currier

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.