Former WWE NXT on-screen authority figure Ava, real name Simone Johnson, raised eyebrows last month when she announced her departure from NXT. Signed in 2020, Ava carried a unique spotlight from day one as the daughter of Dwayne Johnson. With that spotlight came the inevitable label: nepo baby.
In the weeks following her exit, criticism from veterans such as Stevie Richards and Dutch Mantell sparked debate. Now, Booker T has stepped in to defend her.
Speaking on his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker acknowledged the obvious while pushing back against the dismissal of her growth.
“The thing is, Ava, maybe she did get her job because of her dad,” Booker said. “But I watched Ava when she first started that job, and she wasn’t that good. I can attest to that. But I watched Ava grow in that job and I saw her get so much better at what she was doing.”
He argued that critics focus solely on her early struggles rather than the improvement she showed over time.
“People just want to knock on how bad she was, but not give her credit for how much better she had gotten. I think that’s what this business is about, growing.”
Booker also criticized what he described as “old heads” tearing down younger talent, emphasizing how difficult it is to succeed in professional wrestling regardless of lineage.
“It makes me hot when I hear these old heads, old heads that know better, know how hard it is in this business, to knock her just because her dad is who he is,” Booker said. “It’s ridiculous.”
The nepotism debate in wrestling is hardly new. Second- and third-generation stars have long benefited from family connections. The difference, as Booker frames it, lies in what happens after the opportunity is granted. Improvement and execution ultimately determine longevity.
Ava’s WWE future remains uncertain. But as Booker suggests, the question may not be how she got in the door, but what she did once she was inside.
