A new report sheds light on WWE’s internal handling of the recent controversy surrounding NXT General Manager Ava. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE officials are unwilling to instruct Ava, the daughter of TKO Board member The Rock, to remove a contentious social media post—a directive that would typically be given to other talent in a similar situation.
The backlash stems from an Instagram story posted by Ava last week, shortly after the news broke of conservative figure Charlie Kirk’s m—rder. The post featured a quote stating, “If you want people to have kind words when you pass, you should say kind things when you’re alive.”
Amid an immediate online firestorm, Ava doubled down, adding a follow-up message: “And I’ll stand behind this. Be kind, now more than ever.” This second post only intensified the negative reaction.
Critics quickly accused the NXT GM of celebrating Kirk’s d—th and virtue signaling, with screenshots of the posts circulating rapidly online and leading to d—th threats. However, some fans defended her, arguing the message was a poorly-timed but general call for kindness, not a direct comment on Kirk.
The controversy places WWE in a delicate position. With her father, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, holding a significant seat on the TKO Board of Directors, the situation highlights a unique power dynamic, leaving the company reportedly hesitant to enforce its standard social media protocols.