The WWE has dealt with a lot of behind-the-scenes issues in the past year or so, paricularly when it comes to its female roster, but few have captured headlines as much as the walkout of Sasha Banks and Naomi. The former SmackDown tag-team champions reportedly walked out of the May 16 edition of Monday Night Raw, and the company announced during the following SmackDown that the duo are suspended indefinitely, and that their belts will be up for grabs in a tournament. Meanwhile, the conversation surrounding what’s going on with Naomi and Banks rages on, and the latest rumors don’t sound good for their futures.
Whenever controversy arises with wrestlers outside of the ring, there are always fans wondering just how real the drama is. Even when the WWE released an official statement on the incident that occurred on Monday Night Raw, some speculated this was all meant to set up a big storyline in the near future. According to WrestleVotes, however, everything is allegedly very real, and it's reported that while the fans might be supportive of Sasha Banks and Naomi for what they did, the WWE management is anything but.
After talking to a few people, I gather this Sasha / Naomi situation is going to get worse before it gets any better. While the majority of the support online is in their favor, its quite the opposite with management.May 22, 2022
If the statements made about Sasha Banks and Naomi on the latest SmackDown felt personal, it appears that it’s because there are people in WWE’s management who took the slight very seriously. It seems management isn’t happy about the actions taken by the former SmackDown women’s tag-team champions, and that the powers that be behind the scenes are legitimately put off by everything, which doesn't exactly bode well for the athletes' futures.
The latest news on the Naomi and Sasha Banks situation came as viewers and fans began to notice that Naomi, who has been a part of the main roster since 2012, removed all mentions of the WWE from her Twitter profile. It was a curious move, and her alleged strife with the WWE is made all the more tricky and touchy given that she's currently married to superstar Jimmy Uso, who can currently boast being an undisputed tag-team champions alongside his brother Jey.
As far as what’s going on with Sasha Banks, she apparently decided to enjoy some time off over the weekend. Videos surfaced on Twitter of her with Snoop Dogg’s son Calvin dancing behind Steve Aoki at a concert:
Sasha Banks seems to be doing great. Here she is last night hanging with Steve Aoki and Snoop Dogg’s son Calvin. pic.twitter.com/FjSxXDyeaOMay 22, 2022
Sasha Banks looks to be having a good time, and based on the rumors surrounding her and Naomi’s contract situation, it tracks that she wouldn’t be too worried about the WWE. The Masked Man Show reported both of their contracts will expire soon, and that both athletes were in negotiations over contract renewaals when the Monday Night Raw walkout happened. Provided that’s true, Banks and Naomi may be content with just waiting out the length of their contracts, so they can then legally attempt to find work somewhere else when the time comes.
It’s hard to believe the AEW wouldn’t fall over itself trying to grab a star like Sasha Banks, whom the WWE hasn’t utilized nearly as much as other top-tier female superstars like Becky Lynch in recent years. Meanwhile, Naomi is a veteran with a library of matches (viewable to anyone with a Peacock premium subscription) that prove she's a major draw within the pro wrestling world as well, so I’d agree there’s also much market value for her. Ultimately we’ll see where their cards fall in the coming days regarding their futures in the WWE, but based on the rumors, it doesn’t sound likely they’re setting up a happy-go-lucky return anytime soon.
Monday Night Raw airs on USA on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. The show feels like must-watch television with all the drama as of late, so make sure to tune in and see what might happen.
