The worlds of Hollywood and WWE met at the 2025 Golden Globes, as WWE NXT General Manager Ava joined her iconic father, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The Rock presented the Best Supporting Female Actor award to Zoe Saldaña (Emilia Pérez) alongside Moana 2 co-star Auli’i Cravalho.

Later, Ava and The Rock mingled with the Emilia Pérez cast, including Saldaña, Selena Gomez, and Benny Blanco. Ava is no stranger to the Golden Globes, as she previously served as a Golden Globe Ambassador in 2018, well before her WWE career began. She later joined WWE in 2020 and is now a regular on NXT programming.

Though Moana 2 missed out on the Best Animated Movie award, The Rock’s presence left a lasting impression. WWE’s Final Boss got a huge laugh from the crowd as he joked that his chest hair was repurposed for Timothy Chalamet’s mustache.

After a successful outing at the Golden Globes, The Rock will be a part of this week’s Raw, the first episode of the red brand’s Netflix era. Ava will also have a busy week with NXT New Year Evil set to take place this Tuesday, January 7, featuring a stacked card from the silver brand.

Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on The Rock and Ava as the father-daughter duo continues to shine both in and outside of pro wrestling.

The main event of this week’s NXT between Trick Williams and Eddy Thorpe ended in chaos and things didn’t improve even after the show went off air.

Williams defended the NXT Championship against Thorpe during the December 17 show after the latter faked an attack and convinced General Manager Ava to give him a shot at the title.

The ending of the championship match then saw Thorpe failing to get the pin after hitting Manifest Destiny on Trick, as he also knocked out the referee in the process. Williams recovered by the time the new referee approached and the match continued.

After some more offense from Thorpe, the NXT Champion hit the Trick Shot and he went for a pin of his own. The problem occurred when the other referee also recovered and simultaneously made the count in favor of Thorpe as Williams’ shoulder was also down.

What Happened After NXT

WWE posted the video of NXT GM Ava coming out to sort the situation followed by Shawn Michaels after the show went off air. Aca declared that Trick Williams was the retaining champion on account of all four shoulders being on the mat during the pinfall.

Thorpe was not happy with this decision and he continued arguing with the NXT official. In his frustration, the NXT star shoved Michaels, causing more referees to come out to contain him.

Williams then took matters into his own hands. Shoving Thorpe back into the ring, he delivered another Trick Shot. The NXT champion then stood tall, as both Ava and Michaels retreated through the stage.

This is the second time Michaels has been involved in a physical confrontation with Thorpe in recent weeks. Seeing how the events unfolded tonight, it doesn’t appear that the storyline is over just yet.

• WWE NXT Spoilers: Taping Results Airing 12/24

The road to WWE NXT Deadline will begin in earnest on the upcoming episode of WWE NXT, with two Iron Survivor Challenge qualifying matches announced. On X, WWE NXT GM Ava shared that Wes Lee will face Cedric Alexander in a Men’s Qualifying match, while Cora Jade will take on Sol Ruca for a spot in the Women’s match.

The Iron Survivor Challenge

The Iron Survivor Challenge is a 25-minute match featuring five Superstars, two of which start the match. A new entrant enters every five minutes, with the winner being the Superstar who scores the most points, earned by pinfall or submission. While those entering the match later have less time to score points, they’re also considerably fresher than those who started the match.

Roxanne Perez and Grayson Waller won the inaugural matches in 2022, earning a shot at the NXT Women’s title and NXT title respectively. Perez’s victory would lead to her first reign as NXT Women’s Champion, ending the 413-day reign of Mandy Rose. Blair Davenport and Trick Williams on their matches in 2023.

WWE NXT – November 12

Here is the card as it stands for the November 12, edition of WWE NXT:

• Sol Ruca Vs. Cora Jade (Women’s Iron Survivor Challenge Qualifying match)
• Wes Lee Vs. Cedric Alexander (Men’s Iron Survivor Challenge match)
• Adriana Rizzo vs. Nikkita Lyons
• Ava meets with the tag team division to settle on a set of No. 1 contenders
• Shawn Spears guns for Tony D’Angelo

The Rock is not the most-loved WWE Superstar around right now. His presence in the WrestleMania main event is actually unwelcomed by a lot of fans, as they wanted Cody Rhodes to finish his story. Sadly, his daughter is taking fire due to this.

Death Threats Against The Rock’s Daughter

Ava is a fourth-generation Superstar in NXT, where she is currently the General Manager for the brand. This appointment came after the Schism faction’s breakup caused a need to find a new place for her.

can ya’ll just leave me out of this ffs i’m busy running a SHOW

The Rock’s daughter also let fans know that some are taking this way too far. She said, “death threats over a situation i have nothing to do with … bffr.”

Ava Leaves Twitter

The Rock’s daughter logged onto Twitter/X yesterday to explain her situation. She has nothing to do with her father’s booking at WrestleMania, but fans were still giving her a hard time. She was even receiving death threats due to this.

Now, it appears that Ava has decided to leave Twitter/X due to the toxicity. When fans try to find her on the Elon Musk owned platform, they are greeted with a screen saying that her profile does not exist.

More Backlash After The Rock’s Return

The Rock can’t post on Instagram without seeing his notifications flooded in the comments section with cries for him to give Cody his match back. Fans also berated RAW with “Rocky Sucks” chants in St. Louis.

We will have to see how the reception is in Las Vegas at the T-Mobile Arena. As I previously reported, The Rock vs Roman Reigns is happening. The only thing that could change it at this point is if Dwayne Johnson backs out of the match. Hopefully, fans will learn to re-direct their rage away from his family members.

Fans are not happy about The Rock taking Cody Rhodes’ spot at WrestleMania. Due to this, they are taking to social media and his daughter, Ava, is taking fire.

The Rock’s Daughter Ava Taking Fire From Angry Fans

Ava used to be a member of the Schism faction with Joe Gacy. The faction is now over, and she is onto her next assignment. Even though she is far away from her father’s match with Roman Reigns at WrestleMania, fans are still giving her a hard time.

The fan reaction over The Rock taking Cody’s spot at Mania has been immense. The company took fire from all over the place, mainstream outlets picked up the scent of a controversial story. Naturally, everyone is talking about The Rock, and it’s not in a great way.

Ava does not want anything to do with the controversy that her father is in. She logged onto Twitter/X to make it very clear that she just wants to be the General Manager of NXT, and do her job. 

can ya’ll just leave me out of this ffs i’m busy running a SHOW

can ya’ll just leave me out of this ffs i’m busy running a SHOW

— A V A (@avawwe_) February 5, 2024

The Rock’s daughter also replied to let fans know that some are taking this way too far. She said, “death threats over a situation i have nothing to do with … bffr.”

death threats over a situation i have nothing to do with … bffr

— A V A (@avawwe_) February 5, 2024

Backlash Over The Rock’s WWE Return

It’s hard to believe that fans are reacting this negatively toward The Rock’s WWE return, but this is where we find ourselves today. The circumstances for this match were not there, as many wanted to see Cody Rhodes finish his story.

A lot of pro Cody comments on social media are quite aggressive right now. The Rock can’t post on Instagram without seeing his notifications flooded in the comments section with cries for him to give Cody his match back.

After asking around, I was told by a source in WWE that there is, “No chance this changes unless The Rock backs out. This has been The Rock calling the shot since January 1st.” That is when Rock showed up on the Day 1 episode of RAW and made his first head of the table comment.

William Regal’s recent appearance on WWE NXT marks his first since returning to the company over a year ago and Shawn Michaels knows Regal is a fan favorite.

Speaking with the media on the NXT Vengeance Day media call, HBK was asked by Ella Jay of SEScoops if Regal’s passing of the torch to Ava Raine as the new NXT General Manager meant more things to come from the future WWE Hall of Famer.

“[Regal] is there for her counsel in any way he can help. So look, you know as well as I do here in NXT, when you have a staple and a foundational person like William Regal you gotta have more than just one shot with him here and there.

“I think everybody was extremely excited about his brief cameo on NXT television. I have no doubt that we will have some other cameos by William Regal in the future as well.”

Regal may have been off-television for an entire year since leaving AEW, but that was per stipulation of him exiting the company. A big reason for Regal wanting to return to WWE was that his son, Charlie Dempsey is a rising talent in NXT and he wanted to be part of his development.

Funny enough, Ava Raine is also following in her father’s footsteps as the very same week The Rock was announced as a member of the TKO Board Of Directors, Raine was appointed the new GM, a major role that she’s hoping to electrify in.

Please credit and h/t to SEScoops for the transcription.

This week’s episode of WWE NXT saw two huge developments, including the return of William Regal in his first role on TV in a very long time. 

Regal was released from WWE in January 2022, ending his over-two-decade tenure with the promotion. After joining AEW that same year, Regal was let out of his contract by Tony Khan so that he could return to WWE and be closer to his son Charlie Dempsey. 

William Regal and Ava

As part of his agreement with AEW that allowed for his release, Regal did not appear on WWE programming for the first year of his return. On this week’s show, the British veteran re-emerged and was seen to have had a producing meeting with WWE’s Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative Shawn Michaels. 

Regal appeared alongside Ava, who has been making matches and big decisions as of late. In their segment, Regal confirmed that not only is the fourth-generation wrestler officially the GM of NXT, but at 22 years old, she is the youngest General Manager in WWE history. 

Regal pleaded with Ava to take care of NXT, recalling his own role with the gold brand since the very start. The former Intercontinental Champion hardly sold the role, calling it a thankless job that means working long hours and juggling the egos of several Superstars. 

Ava admitted that she has big shoes to fill, but she is confident she can do it. Regal concluded the segment stating if she ever needs anything, she knows how to contact him. 

Welcome back, @RealKingRegal!!!

You have some big shoes to fill @avawwe_ ?#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/OLQt0DsY5F

— WWE (@WWE) January 24, 2024

Ava isn’t the only member of her family to recently be placed in a position of power… 

Ava Raine debuted in Joe Gacy’s Schism faction on a recent episode of NXT.

Ava stated that Schism is her family and posed with the group at the end of her debut. Raine cut a promo a WWE Live Event over the summer. She referred to herself as “The Final Girl” during the promo.

The 21-year-old began training at the WWE Performance Center in 2020. She is the daughter of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, the grandaughter of Rocky Johnson, and great granddaughter of Peter Maivia.

Jimmy Uso Praises Ava Raine

TMZ Sports recently caught up with The Bloodline’s Jimmy Uso and asked him about Ava Raine’s debut in NXT. Jimmy said that he is ready to see her “pop off and represent The Bloodline”.

Jimmy added that The Bloodline always looks out for each other and the whole family is behind her.

He said that the door is always open in The Bloodline for Ava Raine if she wants to join the group down the line and said the sky is the limit for her career.

The Rock’s daughter, Simone Johnson, has made her WWE NXT television debut as the newest member of Schism. 

Johnson, known as Ava Raine in NXT, took off her mask in a segment to reveal she is part of the faction led by Joe Gacy. In her promo, she talked about how love and acceptance that the Schism has given her defies any preconceived notions of who she’s supposed to be. 

She said this family completes her. The segment ended with her posing with the group, including Rip Fowler and Jagger Reid.

Ava Raine’s Journey

Raine made her WWE NXT live event debut in July by scouting talent and then cut her first promo the following night and called herself “The Final Girl.”

While speaking with Entertainment Tonight over the summer, The Rock talked about his daughter making her debut. 

“She’s made history. Very, very proud of her. She is fiercely independent. It’s very important for her to make her own way, blaze her own trail, blaze her own path. She doesn’t come to me looking for a lot, which I respect that. And I’m here watching and supporting.”

Raine has been with WWE for several years, although she has not wrestled in a sanctioned match as of this writing.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s daughter, Simone Johnson, is going under the Ava Raine name in WWE NXT after signing with the company in February 2020. She appeared at two live events this past weekend.

While speaking with Entertainment Tonight at the premiere of his latest movie, “DC League of Pets,” Johnson commented on Simone’s recent debut at a set of NXT live events.

“She’s made history. Very, very proud of her. She is fiercely independent. It’s very important for her to make her own way, blaze her own trail, blaze her own path. She doesn’t come to me looking for a lot, which I respect that. And I’m here watching and supporting.”

The Rock also praised Montez Ford in this interview by noting that he thinks the former WWE Tag Team Champion is the total package thanks to his charisma and athleticism. He also was asked about wrestling again, and Johnson said he is always open to that.

It’s still unclear when Raine will make her WWE NXT television debut. “DC League of Pets” will be released in theaters on July 29th. 

H/T to Joseph Currier of Wrestling Observer for the transcript

Ava Raine appeared at Saturday night’s NXT 2.0 live event from Orlando, Florida and cut her first promo in front of a live crowd.

Raine, the daughter of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, impressed fans who were in attendance for this historic moment in her young career.

Raine came to the ring exuding confidence and immediately put the NXT women’s roster on notice. She dubbed herself “The Final Girl” and ran down Cora Jade and the other female competitors in WWE’s developmental program.

Here are some photos from Ava Raine’s first live promo in NXT 2.0:

The Rock is considered one of the best trash talkers in wrestling history, so it should come as no surprise that Raine can hold her own on the mic.

We will update this article if video from Ava Raine’s first promo gets posted online.

In addition to cutting her first live promo on Saturday night, Raine also appeared at Friday’s NXT show from Citrus Springs, FL. She came down to ringside during one of the women’s matches, apparently scouting her competition.

Raine is a 4th generation Superstar and has big shoes to fill. It will be interesting to track her progress in the months ahead.

The debut of a long-awaited NXT wrestler was teased at the July 8 NXT house show.

Debut Teased

During Friday’s NXT live event, Ava Raine, aka Simone Johnson, daughter of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, made an appearance. The show took place in Citrus Springs, Florida.

Ava was spotted scouting out the talent during a women’s match. She emerged from the bak, walked around the ring, and promptly left. It wasn’t specified or revealed what match Raine was scouting or the talent involved.

Ava has not yet made her WWE in-ring debut. She received her new WWE ring name in late May. Last month, she showed off a new look that led to fans speculating about her wrestling debut.

Two women’s matches took place at the Citrus Springs live event. Tiffany Stratton defeated Amari Miller in a singles match. The NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Roxanne Perez & Cora Jade got a win over Jacy Jayne & Gigi Dolin of Toxic Attraction.

• Major NXT Championship Changes Hands at The Great American Bash

Live Event Results

Below, you can find the results from the house show:

• Joe Gacy def. Roderick Strong
• NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship Match: Roxanne Perez & Cora Jade (c) def. Jacy Jayne & Gigi Dolin 
• Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen def. Pretty Deadly
• NXT North American Championship Match: Carmelo Hayes(c) def. Ikemen Jiro and Wes Lee 
• Tiffany Stratton def. Amari Miller
• Apollo Crews def. Xyon Quinn
• Solo Sikoa def. Von Wagner
• NXT Championship Match: Bron Breakker (c) def. JD McDonagh

Ava Raine, aka Simone Johnson, has said she doesn’t understand why her new ring name is proving to be a heated topic with fans.

Recently, Johnson, the daughter of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, changed all her social media handles to use the Ava Raine name, which appears to be her ring name from now on.

The name has received criticism from fans who believe that there was nothing wrong with Johnson’s original name and that WWE is distancing her from her iconic father.

On Twitter, Johnson said that her new name does not diminish any of the success of her father or anyone in the legendary Samoan wrestling family founded by The Rock’s grandfather Peter Maivia.

She added that people could still bash her no matter what name she had, and thanked those fans who have supported her.

This name change has become the latest trope from WWE, which doesn’t want any wrestler to use any part of their real name.

WWE changes the name of Superstars to a name they can trademark, to prevent a Superstar from being able to use the name they made famous in WWE in another promotion.

Despite the significant star-power being a Johnson brings Raine, the daughter of The Rock is no exception to the rule.

Ironically, The Rock’s original WWE name ‘Rocky Maivia’ leaned heavily on his father and grandfather: Rocky Johnson and Peter Maivia.

It wouldn’t be until turning heel and making a name for himself as The Rock that fans were won over by the future Hollywood A-Lister.

Johnson signed with WWE in February 2020 but suffered a knee injury that required surgery that September.

She is yet to make her official NXT 2.0 debut but has been seen several times at the WWE Performance Center, in Orlando, Florida.

• Simone Johnso is Impressing People at the WWE Performance Center (May 2021)