Nia Jax is one of the most dominant and powerful women in WWE history. She has won the Raw Women’s Championship and the Women’s Tag Team Championship twice, and has competed in several historic matches. But did you know that she is also related to one of the biggest names in wrestling and Hollywood? Here’s everything you need to know about Nia Jax’s family ties and how they influenced her career.
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Nia Jax is the cousin of The Rock
Nia Jax was born as Savelina Fanene on May 29, 1984, in Sydney, Australia. She is of German and Samoan descent, and is a member of the Anoa’i family, a famous wrestling dynasty that includes legends like Rikishi, Umaga, Yokozuna, and The Usos. Her father, Joseph Fanene, is the first cousin of Peter Maivia, who was the grandfather of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. This makes Nia Jax and The Rock first cousins once removed.
According to Heavy.com, Nia Jax’s aunt is Ata Maivia-Johnson, who is The Rock’s mother. This means that Nia Jax grew up around The Rock and his family, and was inspired by his success in wrestling and entertainment. In fact, Nia Jax revealed in an interview with Talk is Jericho that she decided to pursue a wrestling career after watching The Rock vs. John Cena at WrestleMania 28 in 2012.
The Rock helped Nia Jax get into WWE
Nia Jax had no prior wrestling experience before joining WWE in 2014. She was working as a plus-size model and had a degree in marketing from Cal State San Marcos. However, she had a passion for wrestling and wanted to follow in the footsteps of her cousin. She told Talk is Jericho that The Rock was the one who suggested that she should try out for WWE and see if she liked it.
The Rock also helped Nia Jax get in touch with Triple H, who was impressed by her potential and offered her a contract. Nia Jax started training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, where she learned the ropes under the guidance of coaches like Sara Amato and Norman Smiley. She made her in-ring debut in May 2015 at an NXT live event under the name Zada, but later changed it to Nia Jax.
Nia Jax has other famous relatives in WWE
Nia Jax is not the only member of the Anoa’i family who has made a name for herself in WWE. She is also related to Roman Reigns, who is currently the Universal Champion and the leader of The Bloodline faction. Roman Reigns is the son of Sika Anoa’i, who was Peter Maivia’s nephew. This makes Roman Reigns and Nia Jax second cousins.
Nia Jax is also related to Jimmy and Jey Uso, who are the current SmackDown Tag Team Champions and part of The Bloodline with Roman Reigns. Jimmy and Jey Uso are the sons of Rikishi, who was also Peter Maivia’s nephew. This makes Jimmy and Jey Uso and Nia Jax second cousins as well.
Nia Jax has often expressed her pride and love for her family on social media and in interviews. She has also teamed up with some of her relatives in WWE, such as when she joined forces with Tamina Snuka (who is also part of the Anoa’i family) to challenge for the Women’s Tag Team Titles at WrestleMania 35.
Nia Jax recently returned to WWE after being released
Nia Jax was one of the many WWE superstars who were released from their contracts in November 2021 due to budget cuts. She had been out of action since August 2021 due to an elbow injury that required surgery. She had been part of the Raw brand since 2016, where she had memorable feuds with Alexa Bliss, Ronda Rousey, Asuka, Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Shayna Baszler, and Lana.
However, Nia Jax made a surprising comeback at the Royal Rumble 2023 event on January 29th. She entered as the number 30 entrant in the Women’s Royal Rumble match, where she eliminated several competitors before being eliminated herself by a group of women. It was later announced that Nia Jax had signed a new deal with WWE and would be part of the SmackDown brand going forward.
Nia Jax has a lot of potential to make an impact on SmackDown, where she could challenge for the SmackDown Women’s Championship or reunite with Shayna Baszler to go after the Women’s Tag Team Titles. She could also interact with her cousins Roman Reigns and The Usos, who are the top heels on the blue brand. Whatever the case, Nia Jax is back in WWE and ready to show the world why she is not like most girls.
