WWE Makes Big Decision on Sasha Banks and Naomi’s Future Following Walkout

WWE has made a decision on Sasha Banks and Naomi following their walkout on WWE Raw. On Friday during WWE SmackDown, announcer Michael Cole announced that Banks and Naomi have been suspended indefinitely. Before WWE Raw, Banks and Naomi laid their Women’s Tag Team Championship belts on the title and walked out of the arena. Cole said their actions led to the suspension, and WWE will hold a tournament to crown new champions. 

As mentioned by ComicBook.com, Cole said that Banks and Naomi “Let us all down.  The WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions walked out.” He then said, “Their actions disappointed millions of WWE fans and their fellow superstars.” Multiple reports said Banks and Naomi had a disagreement with Vince McMahon and neither would budge. The two former WWE Women’s Tag Team champions were to be part of a six-pack challenge match with Asuka, Nikki ASH Doudrop and Becky Lynch, and the winner would face Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair at Hell in a Cell.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, Naomi was supposed to win the match after pinning Banks. And while Naomi was set to face Belair, Banks would have eventually taken on SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey in a future match. But the issue was Banks and Naomi wouldn’t defend the tag team titles until Money in the Bank on July 2. A Twitter account labeled “Security at Joseline’s Cabaret” laid out the situation which explains Banks and Naomi’s side of the story. The start of the thread said both were “promised big feuds at WrestleMania” but were then put together for a tag team run. 

Along with being suspended, WWE has pulled the team’s merchandise for WWE Shop and has deleted its Facebook pages. One Twitter user also pointed out that Banks and Naomi are no longer on the “Then. Now. Forever.” graphic before the start of the show. According to Wreslting Inc., a former WWE writer said Banks and Naomi have limited time on their contracts. Banks’ contract status is unknown, but Naomi was negotiating a new deal. 

“They claimed they weren’t respected enough as tag team champions,” WWE said in its statement on Monday. “And even though they had eight hours to rehearse and construct their match, they claimed they were uncomfortable in the ring with two of their opponents even though they’d had matches with those individuals in the past with no consequence. Monday Night Raw is a scripted live TV show, whose characters are expected to perform the requirements of their contract.”