During an interview on The Downside, Simone Johnson, better known as Ava to NXT fans, commented on her January 2026 departure from WWE, admitting that no single explosive incident triggered her exit, but rather a steady buildup of factors. Still, the fourth-generation performer and daughter of The Rock expressed gratitude for her six-year odyssey, which allowed her to live out her wildest childhood dream. This featured her going from stepping between the ropes to controlling NXT as its youngest General Manager.
“There wasn’t one particular thing, unfortunately. It was a lot of things and something that had been on my mind for a while. I am so grateful for my time in WWE. I wouldn’t change it for the world. I got to live out the dream. It was time for something new and different. I don’t regret leaving, and I’m really happy now.” – Simone Johnson
Simone Johnson burst onto NXT screens in October 2022 as the enigmatic Ava Raine in Joe Gacy’s Schism faction, making her in-ring debut at Stand and Deliver 2023. Yet she would wrestle only six matches, with it speculated that knee injuries prevented her from competing, and instead, she was first made Shawn Michaels’ assistant before becoming NXT’s youngest General Manager at just 22, overseeing weekly NXT events from a storyline perspective.
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