Dwayne Johnson was introduced to the world of professional wrestling by his father, Rocky Johnson. Now he is passing on that family legacy. His daughter Simone revealed on Monday afternoon that she will be training to become a star in the WWE.
Simone posted a photo on Instagram that showed her posing in front of a video screen. She was wearing a “Property of WWE Performance Center” shirt. The caption revealed that this is not a simple matter of wearing a wrestling shirt; she was announcing her career move.
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“To the little girl who fell in love with wrestling & said ‘this will be my life one day’, this is for you. I’m humbled, grateful & ready to work. Let’s do this. [WWE, WWE NXT],” Simone wrote in the caption of her photo.
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“Congratulations Simone! This is your time to shine! So excited for your journey!” Tonai Reed, also known as Samoan Stuntman wrote on Instagram. Reed is the cousin and stunt double of Johnson.
Several other stars weighed in after hearing the news, offering their congratulations. The WWE Divas were particularly excited and showcased their anticipation through a variety of comments and emojis.
The signing was confirmed by WWE on Monday. A press release revealed that the 18-year-old Simone has an opportunity to become the first “fourth-generation Superstar in WWE history, coming from a line of legends that includes her great-grandfather and grandfather, WWE Hall of Famers ‘High Chief’ Peter Maivia and Rocky Johnson, and her father.”
Simone will be training in Orlando under the tutelage of Head Coach Matt Bloom and Assistant Head Coach Sara Amato. She will be joining other superstars at the Performance Center in order to maximize her potential and learn everything about the world of sports entertainment.
“It means the world to me,” Simone said in the press release from 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.”
Starting her training at the age of 18, Simone is getting an earlier start in her wrestling career than Johnson did. The former University of Miami football player graduated from college and attempted to pursue a football career before ultimately switching to professional wrestling. Johnson didn’t get his opportunity until 1996, 24 years after his birth, but Simone is getting a head start.
Photo Credit: Hubert Boesl/picture alliance via Getty Images