SEScoops

Tag: Ava

  • Booker T Reacts To Ava\’s Mysterious NXT Exit

    Booker T believes there\’s layers to Ava\’s WWE departure.

    The former NXT General Manager announced her sudden exit from the company on social media last week. A lot of people have been speculating about the reason behind her decision, as the daughter of The Rock did not even receive any kind of farewell on her way out.

    The WWE Hall of Famer addressed the whole thing on the latest episode of his podcast. Booker T, who is part of the brand\’s broadcast team mentioned how nobody knew that the January 28 NXT would be Ava\’s last appearance. He suspected that there are layers to the whole thing that we don\’t know about:

    “It’s definitely out of the blue. It definitely got a lot of layers there that you could peel back and say, man, was it this? What is that? Or the other? But, I left work last week and I didn’t know anything about it. I didn’t hear any rumors, I didn’t feel any rumblings or anything like that as far as, hey, maybe Ava’s gonna take a step back and move on into a different direction.\”

    Booker T later mentioned that wrestling is a very unpredictable business where anyone who is in the company can be gone tomorrow. The wrestling veteran claimed that even though he did not see Ava\’s exit coming, he still understands it.

    The former NXT star posted an anti-ICE message on her X account after her exit, suggesting that it was something she couldn\’t do while signed to the company. Though she has since deactivated her account, and there is no word on what the former Authority Figure is planning next.

  • Robert Stone Becomes Interim NXT GM After Ava\’s Exit

    Robert Stone has been named the interim General Manager of WWE NXT following the unexpected departure of Ava. Shawn Michaels made the announcement during the February 3 episode of NXT on The CW.

    Stone, a multi-role performer who has served as a manager, commentator, and backstage official, now transitions to on-air authority figure. He promised to maintain the brand\’s momentum and not let Michaels down in this interim role.

    His history with the brand, including managing talents like Chelsea Green and Riddick Moss and serving in various on-air capacities, positions him as a trusted internal candidate with a strategic understanding of NXT\’s ecosystem.

    As interim GM, Stone will oversee NXT on a week-to-week basis in what is his most significant role to date in WWE.

  • Ava Blasts Trump and ICE in First Post-WWE Statement

    Ava, real name Simone Johnson, took to Twitter with a pointed message the day after announcing her departure from WWE. The daughter of Dwayne \”The Rock\” Johnson served as NXT general manager since January 2024. She chose not to renew her contract, which expired on January 30, 2026.

    This marks her first public statement since leaving WWE, where she apparently held back such comments while under contract.

    Ava posted on X, \”and now that i can say this with my full chest, [middle finger emoji] ice and that entire administration.\”

    The tweet has since been deleted.

    Johnson made her WWE in-ring debut in 2020 and transitioned to the NXT front office role nearly two years ago.

  • WWE Comments On Ava\’s Abrupt Departure

    WWE has reacted to Ava\’s departure.

    The NXT General Manager surprisingly announced her departure from the company this Friday. She confirmed that her appearance on this Tuesday\’s NXT was the final one in a social media post. The promotion released a statement on her exit afterward. They thanked Ava, real name Simone Johnson, for her work with the company, claiming that her impact was felt across the WWE community:

    \”WWE thanks and applauds Simone Garcia Johnson for her stellar work as Ava and beyond. Her passion, dedication, and impact were felt across the entire NXT and WWE community. We wish her the very best in all future endeavors.\”

    Daughter of WWE board member Dwayne \’The Rock\’ Johnson, Ava began her wrestling training at the Performance Center in 2020. Though she only had six matches for NXT after her 2023 debut, before being moved into an authority figure role with the brand.

    The abrupt departure of Ava without any kind of on-screen farewell has raised questions. The WWE statement only adds to the speculations, as the company had ceased the practice of wishing people the best in their future endeavors for a while. Recent releases such as Tommaso Ciampa and Karrion Kross have not been acknowledged by the company, except for moving them to the alumni section on their website.

  • Ava Announces WWE Exit: \”Thank You\”

    NXT General Manager Ava announced on Instagram that she is not renewing her WWE contract and has exited the company. This past Tuesday was her final appearance. In her Instagram post, Ava expressed gratitude to her supporters.

    \”This past Tuesday was my last appearance on NXT & subsequently WWE. Thank you to all who have cheered, watched, and supported me through my journey. While my decision to not renew my contract was very difficult, it’s also new turning point in my life. It has been an honor & a privilege to be Ava.\”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/DUJjZSmkii0/

    Ava joined WWE\’s Performance Center six years ago and debuted on NXT television in October 2022 as Ava Raine.

    During her time in NXT, she was a member of The Schism faction and made her in-ring debut at Stand & Deliver in April 2023. Ava wrestled only six matches total, with her last bout in August 2023, before transitioning to an authority role as NXT General Manager in January 2024.

    As the daughter of Dwayne \”The Rock\” Johnson, Ava carried high expectations into WWE. Her departure leaves questions about her future in wrestling or entertainment.

  • Ava Reveals Fate of NXT Championship After Oba Femi

    An exciting way to determine the new NXT Champion.

    NXT General Manager Ava had the responsibility to figure out a way to crown the new NXT Champion after Oba Femi relinquished the title on the way to the main roster.

    After asking fans for unique ideas to solve this problem, the WWE authority figure settled on the time-tested method of a ladder match scheduled for the February 3 episode of the show.

    Ava confirmed that the ladder match will feature 6 contestants with qualifying matches starting next week. Later in the night, the company announced Sean Legacy vs. Eli Knight and Josh Briggs vs. Shiloh Hill as the first two qualifying bouts taking place on January 20.

    Ricky Saints, the man who had defeated Oba Femi for the NXT title before dropping it back to him, interestingly announced that he did not need to qualify and that he will be part of the title match.

    NXT has used ladder matches in the past to settle championship questions. This includes the famous 2018 match, which saw Adam Cole defeating the likes of Ricochet and Velveteen Dream to become the inaugural North American Champion.

    The brand also announced several new signings during the latest episode, and it\’s possible that some of those names will be in the race for the title opportunity too. You can check out the full list of new NXT signings here.

  • Blake Monroe Deletes Tweet Referencing The Rock After New Year\’s Evil

    Blake Monroe might have gone too far.

    Tensions grew between the female star and the NXT General Manager, Ava after Monroe attacked Thea Hail before their scheduled North American Championship match at New Year\’s Evil this Tuesday. The two continued fighting on X after Ava threw the former AEW star out of the building for her conduct.

    It was during this exchange that the former champion made the now deleted comment. Referencing Ava\’s father and WWE board member The Rock, Blake Monroe wrote: “Don’t make me call daddy, you power-tripping nepo baby bitch.”

    Thea Hail would go on to conduct an open challenge in the absence of her expected opponent. Izzi Dame managed to snatch the opportunity with help from her partners of The Culling, and she walked out of the show with the North American title.

    This might be the beginning of the end of Monroe\’s development run. Reports suggest that the company changed plans for her after she accidentally lost the NA title last month, and there has been talk of fast-tracking her main roster call-up alongside other recent debuts.

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