WWE NXT drops Ava Raine’s last name

The Rock’s daughter is the latest WWE talent to undergo a name change. 

Ava Raine will now be known simply as “Ava” going forward, according to the NXT star’s WWE.com profile page. 

Raine appeared on this week’s NXT program during the Thea Hail vs. Tiffany Stratton bout, and was referred to only as “Ava” on commentary. All references to the Raine name have been dropped from her WWE.com biography. 

Ava, real name Simone Johnson, made her NXT debut on a live event in July 2022, cutting an in-ring promo at the house show. Her television debut as the mouthpiece for The Schism faction came during the October 25, 2022 episode of NXT. 

WWE announced in February 2020 that Johnson, now 21 years old, had begun her training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. 

The Rock commented on his daughter’s Ava Raine ring name and on her debut in a Jimmy Kimmel live appearance in July 2022.