Ava Announces Exit From WWE, Decided Not To Renew Contract

Ava is leaving WWE, announcing on Friday that she has decided not to renew her contract with the company. The WWE NXT General Manager posted to her Instagram account on Friday and announced that this past Tuesday’s episode of WWE NXT was her final appearance for the company.

Ava wrote:

“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.”

WWE issued a statement to Fightful about Ava’s exit which reads:

“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.”

Ava, real name Simone Johnson, is the daughter of The Rock. She joined WWE in February of 2020 and began training at the WWE Performance Center at that time as the first-ever fourth-generation talent to sign with the company. She made her debut as Ave Raine in October of 2022 as a member of Joe Gacy’s Schism faction and had her in-ring debut at on the NXT Stand & Deliver 2023 kickoff show, teaming with Schism in a loss to Chase U and Tyler Bate.

Ava only worked a handful of matches in WWE, and when Schism disbanded in October 2023 she became the on-screen assistant to Shawn Michaels. She was promoted to NXT’s General Manager in January of 2024 and had held that position ever since. During her time as GM, she oversaw (in storyline, obviously) WWE Drafts, the institution of the NXT Women’s North American Championship and oversaw WWE EVOLVE, which for a while had Stevie Turner operating under Ava as that developmental show’s GM. She was also involved in the storyline built around the WWE NXT and TNA partnership, often working with Santino Marella in segments.

Ava has announced her departure from #WWE. pic.twitter.com/H67992gSKu

— sagesurge (@sagesurge) January 30, 2026