Naomi has looked back on the night when she walked out of a live WWE taping back in 2022.
Three years ago, Naomi and Sasha Banks, who were reigning as the Women’s Tag Team Champions at the time, walked out of a Raw taping as the show was being broadcast live. Frustrated with the creative plans, both women left their titles on the desk of then Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis, causing the company to change plans for the main event. Commentary spoke to the camera to address what happened and described the move as unprofessional, which was heavily criticised by fans.
Both women were suspended and later released. Banks made her debut at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom the following year as Mercedes Mone, and has since gone on to sign with AEW while winning championships in multiple independent promotions around the world. Naomi went on to join TNA before making her return to WWE in the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble match. Turning heel at the start of the year, Naomi went on to win Money in the Bank and cash in her contract successfully at Evolution, winning the Women’s World Championship and still reigning with the title to this day.
Appearing on Stephanie McMahon’s What’s Your Story podcast alongside her husband Jimmy Uso, the Women’s World Champion first admitted that there was a point where she did not want to wrestle anymore:
“I think when the walkout and all of that happened, I think that was the first time honestly, in my adult life, where I had the chance to stop, rethink, redefine, and figure out what I really wanted next, how I wanted my life to move forward from this. And I really, in the beginning, struggled trying to process that. I thought I didn’t want to wrestle anymore. I thought I was done. [Jimmy] was also in a different point in his career. He was in the thick of Bloodline life,” Naomi said.
Continuing, Naomi spoke about the support from her husband and how she became more motivated upon returning:
“He did such a great job, but also, I had to go through a lot emotionally and mentally on my own because he had his own stuff going on. And that was the first time where I just had to do the work on myself. And it was, I think it was great. It made me stronger. It relit a fire in me. I became a lot more confident in myself because I didn’t have him to reassure me on things about work. And I just thought I grew so much through that and through that time period when I was gone. So when I came back, I was ready. I was refreshed. And I was intentional on what I wanted this time to be like. And I just — I focused, I locked in, and I worked hard on it. And it paid off.”
Is Naomi About To Relinquish WWE Championship
The WWE star was initially set to put her title on the line against IYO SKY on the August 11 Raw, and go on to Clash in Paris to defend the championship against Stephanie Vaquer if she won the first match. However, the match was pulled from the show on short notice and the Vaquer match remains up in the air. With there being no updates on Naomi, there has been heavy speculation that her time as champion may be coming to a premature end.
H/t to F4WOnline for the use of transcriptions.
Featured image: WWE
