"There's so much pressure" - Ex-WWE writer on The Rock's daughter changing her name (Exclusive)
Brian Gewirtz has shared his thoughts on The Rock’s daughter becoming a WWE Superstar.
Simone Johnson signed with WWE in February 2020 and began training at the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. The 21-year-old changed her WWE name to Ava Raine in May 2022, which suggests that her on-screen persona will not revolve around her family legacy.
Gewirtz wrote for WWE between 1999 and 2015, and he now works for The Rock’s Seven Bucks Productions company. In an interview with Sportskeeda Wrestling’s Riju Dasgupta, he clarified that he was not technically The Rock’s personal writer in WWE:
“The Rock’s writer is one of those things that gets a little bit misinterpreted over the years,” Gewirtz said. “I collaborated with Dwayne a ton. We always wrote our promos together. It was never like, ‘Here’s this piece of paper.’ ‘Great, thanks Brian, I got it.’ It was always a back and forth.” [3:17-3:34]
Simone Johnson’s father is widely regarded as one of the greatest WWE Superstars of all time. For that reason, Gewirtz speculated that she may have changed her name to avoid comparisons to The Great One:
“It’s not my place as a writer to tell her, ‘You’re either gonna use your real name or use a new identity.’ It’s like, ‘What do you wanna do?’ What does she wanna do? What is she most comfortable with? I can’t imagine the pressure of having to live up and be a fourth-generation star. There’s so much pressure.” [3:37-3:55]
Watch the video above to hear Gewirtz’s thoughts on how the likes of Charlotte Flair and Curtis Axel handled their family’s wrestling legacies.
Brian Gewirtz is excited to see The Rock’s daughter in WWE
Performing as Ava Raine, Simone Johnson made her first appearance in front of a live crowd at an NXT live event in July. She cut a heel promo about Cora Jade, who was one of the women’s division’s top babyfaces at the time.
#NewProfilePic https://t.co/u6XGyphEsg
Brian Gewirtz thinks fans will be aware of Johnson’s family history even if WWE does not reference The Rock when she appears on television:
“There will be a lot of people, ‘Well, I know who that really is,’ and all that kind of thing,” Gewirtz stated. “This is her world now. This is her playground to explore and craft her own persona, so I think ultimately whatever decision she wants to make, that’s the right one. Ultimately, she knows this better than anyone.” [3:55-4:16]
Moving forward, Gewirtz said he expects Simone Johnson to prove herself without the help of her famous father:
“She can’t rely on her family and last name to succeed. She needs to succeed on her own, and that’s why she’s putting the work in and working her a** off. I’m truly excited to see how she progresses and how she introduces herself in whatever character in the near future.” [4:17-4:35]
The up-and-coming star has not yet competed in a WWE match. However, her in-ring debut is unlikely to be too far away based on her recent name change.
How do you think Simone Johnson will fare in WWE? Let us know in the comments section.
Brian Gewirtz’s book, “There's Just One Problem...: True Tales from the Former, One-Time, 7th Most Powerful Person in WWE,” is available to buy on Amazon.
Please credit Sportskeeda Wrestling and embed the video if you use quotes from this article.