The wrestling world was set ablaze on September 13, 2025, when WWE announced the immediate termination of Ava Raine, the 23-year-old General Manager of NXT and daughter of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, following her controversial Instagram Story about the late Charlie Kirk. The post, a pointed remark shared just days after Kirk’s assassination on September 10 at Utah Valley University, read: “If you want people to have kind words when you pass, you should say kind words while you’re alive.” The fallout was swift and merciless, culminating in a scathing rebuke from WWE Chief Revenue Officer Nick Khan, who branded Raine an “ignorant fool” in a leaked internal memo that left her father, a global icon, reportedly stunned into silence.
The saga began in the wake of Kirk’s death, a tragedy that shook the nation. The 31-year-old Turning Point USA co-founder, known for his fiery conservative rhetoric, was shot mid-speech, sparking a maelstrom of grief, rage, and division. His widow, Erika, called him a “patriot who died for truth,” while President Donald Trump honored him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. But Kirk’s polarizing legacy—marked by attacks on everything from immigration to Taylor Swift’s cultural influence—also drew venom from detractors. Ava’s post, shared from her verified Instagram account to her 1.2 million followers, was seen by many as a thinly veiled swipe at Kirk’s divisive rhetoric. Within hours, screenshots flooded X, igniting a firestorm of hashtags like #FireAva and #CancelWWE, with over 200,000 mentions by September 12.
Raine, who had risen to prominence as NXT’s youngest-ever General Manager since her debut in 2020, was no stranger to scrutiny. As The Rock’s daughter, she carried the weight of a legacy that spans wrestling rings and Hollywood blockbusters. Her role on NXT, managing storylines and talent with a cool-headed authority, earned her praise for her poise under pressure. But her foray into real-world commentary proved catastrophic. The Instagram Story, deleted within an hour but preserved in countless reposts, was interpreted by Kirk’s supporters as a callous jab at a man gunned down for his beliefs. “She’s spitting on a martyr’s grave,” one X user raged, while others demanded WWE sever ties with the “nepo baby” who, they claimed, leveraged her father’s fame to skirt accountability.
Nick Khan’s response was a guillotine. In a memo to WWE’s executive board, later leaked to wrestling news outlet Fightful, Khan didn’t mince words: “Ava Raine’s actions reflect an ignorant fool who disrespects our values and our audience. Effective immediately, she is relieved of her duties.” The statement, dripping with corporate venom, sent shockwaves through the industry. Sources close to WWE headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, report that Khan’s decision was unilateral, bypassing even Triple H, NXT’s creative head. The move stunned fans and insiders alike, given Raine’s familial ties and her father’s looming influence as a TKO Group Holdings board member. The Rock, fresh off promoting Black Adam 2, has yet to comment publicly, but sources say he was “blindsided” by the firing, retreating to his Miami estate for crisis talks with his daughter.
The wrestling community fractured along familiar fault lines. NXT stars like Bron Breakker and Carmelo Hayes expressed private support for Raine, while veterans like John Cena urged unity, tweeting, “Respect the ring, respect each other.” Fans, however, were less forgiving. Nielsen reported a 15% drop in NXT viewership for the September 14 taping, with boycotts fueled by conservative outlets framing Raine’s post as anti-American. Progressive fans, meanwhile, rallied behind her, citing Kirk’s history of inflammatory remarks—calling abortion “evil” and Pride flags “an abomination”—as justification for her stance. “Ava spoke facts,” one supporter posted, “Kirk built his brand on hate; she called it out.”
The timing couldn’t be worse for WWE. With NXT’s Deadline event slated for December, the absence of Raine’s steady hand leaves a void. Her tenure, though brief, had stabilized NXT’s post-2.0 era, blending gritty storytelling with fresh talent like Giulia and Stephanie Vaquer. Now, speculation swirls about her replacement—Shawn Michaels is a rumored interim pick—while Raine’s future hangs in limbo. Will she pivot to acting, following her father’s path, or seek redemption in another promotion like AEW? Her cryptic X post on September 14—”The show goes on. So do I”—hints at defiance, not defeat.
This debacle exposes the tightrope walked by public figures in a polarized age. Raine’s comment, philosophical to some, incendiary to others, underscores the peril of social media’s unscripted stage. For WWE, a brand built on kayfabe drama, the real-world stakes are higher than any Hell in a Cell match. As Kirk’s alleged killer, Tyler Robinson, faces trial, and Erika Kirk vows to amplify her husband’s mission, Raine’s firing serves as a stark reminder: words in the digital age are weapons, and even a People’s Champion’s daughter isn’t bulletproof. The Rock’s silence speaks volumes, but the wrestling world waits for his next move—because in this ring, the bell never stops ringing.
