Simone Johnson, better known as “WWE NXT” General Manager Ava Raine, is the first fourth-generation star signed to the company — and she comes from one of the most historic families to set foot in the ring. Raine is the daughter of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, granddaughter of Rocky Johnson, and the great-granddaughter of “High Chief” Peter Maivia. Her road to the ring wasn’t as complicated as other generational stars within the company, and she hasn’t relied heavily on the fame of her father to rise within the ranks. In fact, Raine doesn’t even credit her father for getting her interested in wrestling, but rather, her grandmother, Ata Maivia Johnson.
Ava is just 23 years old, making her the youngest General Manager in WWE history, and her road into wrestling is an interesting one. She was born in Davie, Florida, on August 14, 2001 to The Rock and Dany Garcia, a Cuban-American business woman and professional bodybuilder who still works in various business ventures alongside her ex-husband. Raine graduated from a private high school in Florida in May 2019 and initially planned to go to college at New York University that August. Unfortunately, she suffered a knee injury a month prior to leaving for school, and decided to stay in Florida, going to Orlando to pursue her professional wrestling career at the WWE Performance Center.Â
Raine had previously expressed her interest in becoming a WWE star back in 2017, but made the decision official in 2020 despite her knee injury — something that would continue to plague her for years. With that in mind, let’s explore her journey to the world’s largest sports entertainment promotion.