Dwayne Johnson’s Daughter Reveals Her Biggest Inspiration, and It’s Not Her Father

Following the footsteps of your idols and succeeding in it is an amazing achievement, and The Rock’s daughter, Simone Johnson, aka Ava Raine, just might achieve it. But she’s not hoping to follow Dwayne Johnson. It’s the youngest Divas Champion, Paige, who she idolizes.

Being the greatest WWE wrestler’s daughter might be a burden, but Simone Johnson just might pull it off. With amazing remarks from her coaches at Performance Center and a hyped-up debut, Ava Raine might be the star power NXT 2.0 is looking for.

Dwayne Johnson’s daughter Simone Johnson praises Paige on Twitter

A few days earlier, Paige announced her retirement through Twitter. In a screenshot of her memo, Paige revealed that she is grateful to get her start at WWE and might return to wrestling if the stars align.

Many WWE superstars, legends, and even ex-WWE superstars have commented on her post, but Simone Johnson’s comment was an eye-popping one. She cites Paige as a major influence in building her own image of a WWE female superstar. Unlike Simone’s father, Dwayne Johnson, the most celebrated WWE Champion, Paige was always an outlier in the company.

The legacy of Paige in WWE

WWE loves to portray Trish Stratus, Lita, Beth Phoenix, and The Four Horsewomen as the leading forces of the women’s revolution, but we cannot understate the contribution of the Divas era. The women made gold with what they were given, whether it be 2 min matches or no TV time at all. And one of the brightest stars in this period was Paige.

READ MORE: Paige Then and Now: The Most Shocking Transformation in WWE History

Her feuds with AJ Lee and Nikki Bella pushed the idea of women’s wrestling changing from models to wrestlers. ‘The Anti-Diva’ brought technique and skill to the ring along with others like Natalya, Naomi and others. She was also instrumental in building up the NXT brand, as she was the first-ever NXT Women’s Champion.

Even after being medically unclear to wrestle, she helped young wrestlers start their career in the main roster. She has come a long way from re-entering the ring with new superstars like Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville as the Absolution to managing the Kabuki Warriors. Paige also worked as the General Manager for Raw and became a host on WWE Backstage with CM Punk.

WATCH THIS STORY: From WWE to AEW: Moments When Women Made History Inside the Ring

Paige was a trailblazer in WWE. Being a wrestler of the indies, Paige was an outlier in the company. In the Divas era, WWE preferred models and attractive gymnasts and athletes rather than female wrestlers. Vince McMahon bet on Paige to bring a new era of women’s wrestling in WWE. And the NXT champ went with it and made history.

Tell us about your favorite Paige moments in the comments below.