Aja Smith Biography – First Full-Time African-American WWE Referee

Referees have been the most fundamental part of any sort of game. WWE consists of more than 20 referees in RAW, SmackDown, NXT & NXT UK. Among them, Aja Smith is the first African-American full-time female referee signed to WWE. As a result, she has gained significant fame and popularity in her career.

Despite being well-known, Aja has not revealed any information regarding her personal life. Many might be curious to know about her. Thus, let’s take a look at Aja Smith’s biography consisting of some of the facts about her family, net worth, and many more.

Only Child Of Her Parents

The WWE referee was born on June 9, 1994, in Aracaju, Brazil, to Daphanie Smith and Michael Smith. Aja Smith’s parents have been married since July 18, 1987. Furthermore, her mom is the main inspiration behind her successful career.

In 2018, Aja Smith’s mother was hospitalized for over a week. One night, she had a match scheduled but refused to leave because she thought she would lose her mom. But, Aja’s mama insisted she should go, and she won the Championship. That was where her perspective changed. Since then, she has never looked back in her career.

Talking about her educational background, Aja has not revealed which college and high school she attended.

Also Read: Learn About 1994 PDC World Matchplay Winner, Larry Butler

Aja Smith Net Worth And Career

The sportsperson has been involved in WWE for many years now. Initially, she was a professional wrestler and later became a female referee. In all these years, she must have earned significantly. Hence, Aja Smith’s net worth is a substantial amount.

As mentioned earlier, Aja started out in WWE as a professional wrestler. She is a former SHINE Nova Champion and SHINE Tag Team Champion. She was looking forward to pursuing wrestling professionally. Smith also previously worked in the United States, Japan, and Mexico, under the ring name Aja Perera. Moreover, she also wrestled for EVOLVE and WSU. Her professional wrestling stint was from October 2013 to January 2020.

Furthermore, in February 2020, Smith was appointed as a WWE referee. She is the only two female referee after Jessika Carr. While Perera could not be the first female WWE referee, she made history by becoming the first African-American female referee in the brand. Since then, she has been seen weekly on NXT and has been working on both RAW and Smackdown.

In November 2021, the African-American referee received a new trademarked name Daphanie LaShaunn. She might have taken after her mom’s name, considering she also goes by Daphanie. Talking about Aja’s salary, it must be a considerable amount as her annual contract is worth $50,000. Furthermore, she receives $2,000 per main event and $500 per match. Hence, the WWE referee must have earned significantly in her career. Therefore, Aja Smith’s net worth must be huge.

Is Engaged To A Wrestler Boyfriend

Any sports celebrity dating their significant other from the same field is not a new thing. Likewise, the Brazil-born WWE referee is also in a relationship with a wrestler. She is currently dating former NXT Superstar Leon Ruff, aka Barnard Ruffin. The couple work in the same industry, so they might have met during their work.

Moreover, the pair started dating in June 2019, and in November, the referee shared their first picture on her social media. Since then, the couple has shared many adorable photos of themselves, and it is evident that Aja and Leon are madly in love with each other.

In November 2020, Aja Smith’s boyfriend popped the question, and she said Yes! She was the first one to break the news to fans. The engaged duo will tie the knot on September 4, 2022. The adorable pair do not shy away from sharing their goofy moments, and their wedding might also be a grand ceremony.

Nonetheless, we wish Aja all the very best as she enters a new phase in life with her soon-to-be husband. Furthermore, we hope she keeps on making historical achievements in her work. Lastly, her parents must be immensely proud of her achievements.

Trivia And Facts

• Aja is an advocate of having pineapple on pizza, and she regularly Instagrams and tweets about it.
• She and her fiancé own a dog named Juni.
• Aja’s Instagram followers count is 62.2K.

• Aja Perera Aja Smith Barnard Ruffin Celebrity Romance Daphanie LaShaunn Daphanie Smith Jessika Carr Leon Ruff Michael Smith Referee Sports Celebrity Biography