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.
