The Real Reason The Rock’s Daughter Ava Raine Stepped Away From WWE — And What’s Next

If you have been wondering why The Rock's daughter stopped wrestling in NXT and suddenly started making matches instead of having them, you did not miss a scandal. You missed a job change.

Wait, where did Ava Raine go?

Up through NXT Heatwave 2023, Ava Raine — real name Simone Johnson, The Rock's eldest — was a focal point in NXT and made headlines as the first fourth-generation pro wrestler from the Anoa'i-Maivia-Johnson family. Then she basically vanished from in-ring action. The reason was not injury or demotion. WWE slid her into an on-screen executive gig: she is the general manager of NXT now, and the youngest person to hold that role on the brand once dubbed the black-and-gold show.

How the GM thing happened

Ava was introduced as the new NXT GM on the January 23, 2024 episode of NXT. William Regal announced her, and Shawn Michaels backed it up on-air that night. Since then, her on-screen persona has not been the classic hard-nosed authority figure. She is often portrayed as either leaning into the weekly chaos or getting swallowed by it — which WWE has used for comedy beats and some unconventional matchmaking and dispute-resolving setups.

The biggest move she has made so far

Her headline decision came at NXT Stand & Deliver 2024, where she rolled out the NXT Women's North American Championship. That title is the first-ever secondary championship for women in WWE history — a notable milestone the company has talked about for years and finally pulled the trigger on in NXT.

Why WWE is doing this with her

Behind the scenes, the thinking around Ava's GM run is pretty transparent: give her live-TV reps and promo time now so she can eventually slot into a bigger authority role on Raw or SmackDown later. In other words, developmental for a future authority figure, just executed in front of an audience.

• Up through NXT Heatwave 2023: Ava is featured as WWE's first fourth-generation wrestler.
• January 23, 2024: William Regal announces Ava as NXT GM on TV, with Shawn Michaels confirming it.
• April 2024 (NXT Stand & Deliver): She debuts the NXT Women's North American Championship, WWE's first secondary women's title.
• Ongoing: Her GM character plays with the chaos of NXT, often in comedic fashion.

The Rock's day job(s) and why this all tracks

Dwayne Johnson is not just the guy who left eyebrows permanently raised in WWE. He is also on the board of TKO Group, the company that owns WWE. So yes, while he is one of the most prolific performers in wrestling history, he is also literally in the boardroom now. His daughter moving from the ring into an on-screen executive spot is a very WWE move and, honestly, a smart way to build her presence.

The rest of the Johnson crew

A quick family update because the kids are popping up in other places too. Ava is Johnson's daughter with his first wife, Dany Garcia. With his wife Lauren Hashian, he has two younger daughters:

Jasmine Lia Johnson was born December 16, 2015. If you follow The Rock on Instagram, you have seen her — including a 2021 video where 5-year-old Jasmine gives him a manicure. Their youngest, Tiana Gia Johnson, arrived April 17, 2018 (she is seven now).

Both younger sisters recorded voice cameos in Moana 2. Their mom shared behind-the-scenes footage from Walt Disney Animation Studios of the girls and their dad laying down lines — a neat peek at the family punching into movie world while big sis holds it down in WWE's control booth (so to speak).

Big picture

Ava Raine stepping out of the ring to run NXT on camera is not a retreat — it is a pivot. She has already helped introduce a first-of-its-kind women's title and is getting valuable time to sharpen her live-TV presence. Whether she carves out her own legacy in WWE the way her dad did, just in a different lane, is the part worth watching.