Dwayne Johnson Talks Having His Daughter Follow His Path Into Wrestling

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson put in an appearance on Hart to Heart recently and shared some details about how his daughter Simone followed in his footsteps to join the industry (via Fightful). Johnson expressed his pride in her accompishments at NXT where she wrestles as Ava Raine and offered some commentary on the changes in the industry since his era. You can find a few highlights from the interview below.

On being a parent to an industry wrestler: “That was a special moment when my daughter Simone said, ‘I want to get in the business.’ Much like I said that years before her. ‘What business?’ ‘The wrestling business.’ I said, ‘I love it.’ Immediately, I loved it, it was a great sense of pride as a father, but then, of course, as a parent you start to think about all the pitfalls, all the hardships, all that she’s going to go through because I’ve lived that business. There is the pomp and circumstance of pro wrestling; the pageantry, WrestleMania, the bright lights, big contracts, global company, but then there is that underbelly in the world of pro wrestling. All that shit you have to deal with, the backstage politics, all of that. I start thinking about all of that for her. At the same time, as her father, I have enough confidence to know that I have instilled in her, from what I knew, values, philosophy, and work ethic. I am so proud. She made that decision when she was 16. She was ready to go. For someone to say, ‘here’s what I believe my life path is and my journey, it’s in the world of pro wrestling, that my great grandfather was in, my grandfather was in, my dad was in.’ She’s the first fourth-generation wrestler. Not only is that business difficult because you’re on the road 24/7, 365 days a year, but the pressure of who you are. She’s stepping up and working hard.”

On the differences for women in the wrestling industry currently: “20 years ago we were there when we were on top with the Attitude Era. The role of a female wrestler at that time in that business, at that time, was hard. It was hard. That world today is much more inclusive, much more respectful, much more really creating and delivering efforts to make sure that all the females…they are aware.”