Reason Behind Ava’s WWE Departure Revealed

Ava’s departure from WWE surprised fans, especially since she had just been featured in a major storyline on NXT. But as it turns out, the decision was entirely hers—and she didn’t need wrestling anymore.

On February 1, 2026, Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio dropped new details about her departure, confirming it wasn’t a release or a storyline decision—Ava simply didn’t want to continue. Dave Meltzer explained that he spoke with multiple people who all said the same thing: she chose to leave, with no outside pressure.

“I’ve talked to and heard from several people and the general thing was is just she didn’t want to do it anymore. There was no compelling reason,” Meltzer said. “It was just one of those things where her parents own a studio and they thought that she’s probably going to end up working there. She doesn’t have to do it.”

There’s also speculation that Ava’s girlfriend, Tatyanna Dumas—who was reportedly released by WWE just weeks ago—may have influenced her decision. But according to Meltzer, that connection is unclear. However, it’s to be mentioned that there were no previous reports about Dumas being cut and WWE never made an announcement of that fact either.

“One person had contacted me and mentioned Tatyanna Dumas, who is her girlfriend, was cut, which we didn’t hear just a couple of weeks ago. They weren’t quite saying that’s why she quit but it was something that people put one and one together that maybe that had something to do with it, maybe it didn’t, I don’t know.”

What caught fans off guard is that WWE never addressed her exit on TV. Bryan Alvarez pointed out that Ava had just been featured in an ongoing storyline on NXT.

“There was no mention on Tuesday’s episode of NXT that Ava could be leaving soon,” Alvarez noted.

Meltzer added that the company had no plans to cut her, made it very clear that the decision came entirely from her side: “It was her decision, it’s not like they were going to get rid of her or anything like that.”

Ava—real name Simone Johnson—announced her exit on January 30 and confirmed the January 27 episode of NXT was her final WWE appearance. WWE has since moved her profile to the alumni section of its website.

At just 24 years old, Ava had already made history as WWE’s youngest-ever General Manager and was part of a unique lineage as a fourth-generation wrestler. Whether she’s stepping away from wrestling for good or pivoting to something new remains to be seen.

Do you think Ava will return to wrestling someday—or is she ready to close that chapter for good? Let us know your thoughts and feedback in the comments below.