Sasha Banks and Naomi’s Walkout Raises Questions About Their WWE Futures

[Liz]

Sasha Banks and Naomi are the reigning WWE women's tag-team champions.

But, it appears, that will not be the case for much longer.

Banks and Naomi walked out of Raw on Monday over a creative dispute that included the direction of that night's show, as well as their future together. After receiving assurances from Vince McMahon over the past few months that there would be a renewed focus on the women's tag-team titles—which should be the case when someone with the star power of Banks is involved—that has yet to happen since the duo won the belts over a month ago at WrestleMania 38.

With frustration mounting, Monday's Raw served as the breaking point. Banks and Naomi ultimately returned their tag titles to John Laurinaitis, who is head of talent relations, then walked out.

So how, exactly, did this happen?

The plan for Raw was a six-pack challenge match that would have ended with Naomi winning, including pinning Banks, and becoming the No. 1 contender for the Raw women's title. She would have then challenged Bianca Belair for the title at Hell in a Cell on June 5, a match where all signs pointed to Belair winning.

A pay-per-view match against Belair, even if it ended in defeat, could have been a major moment for Naomi. But she and Banks are taking a long-term risk by walking out, which is viewed as one of the biggest sins in pro wrestling.

McMahon & Co. were quick to react—and did so publicly. WWE released a statement and had Corey Graves criticize their walk-out on the air during Raw. WWE's official statement was undoubtedly designed to damage the reputations of Banks and Naomi, especially when stating Banks and Naomi "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." Out of a half-dozen members of the WWE roster who spoke to Sports Illustrated for this story, no one believed that Banks and Naomi felt unsafe with any of their opponents in the match. But all those who spoke with SI agreed that walking out comes with negative consequences, and that neither Banks nor Naomi endeared themselves to the locker room with their decision.

Walking out is an absolute last resort. Typically, it comes with negative consequences. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin walked out on a Raw in 2002, and it took him a long time before he returned to McMahon's good graces. To this day, Austin still refers to that decision as a critical mistake.

But this isn't 2002, and Austin isn't involved. There are options available now that others simply didn't have in the past when walking out. And for those who have followed Banks for the duration of her career, it is a wise policy to never, ever bet against her.

Banks met with Vince McMahon before returning her title, sources close to the situation confirmed to SI. Walking out closes this particular chapter of Banks's career, but she is simply too big of a draw for WWE to lose. While it is within the realm of possibility that McMahon could cut Banks and Naomi, it remains an unlikely proposition. As proven by her work in The Mandalorian, Banks is a star with or without WWE, a fact that undoubtedly is not lost on McMahon.

The view of this writer is that Banks will be back by the fall with a raise. WWE may try to replace her, but that will prove to be an unattainable pursuit.

Naomi, meanwhile, is in a difficult position. She is the wife of Jimmy Uso, who is part of the famed Bloodline—WWE's most influential group behind the scenes, led by Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman. The potential exists that McMahon will treat her similarly to the way Paul "Triple H" Levesque was punished following his involvement in the "Curtain Call" from May of '96. McMahon couldn't make an example of his champion, Shawn Michaels, who was also involved in the infamous moment, so Triple H was the one who lost his push. He eventually overcame that obstacle, but there is no guarantee that the same will ultimately be said for Naomi—an extremely talented performer who would benefit tremendously from a consistent push from McMahon and his team.

If anyone can turn this into an even bigger moment, it is Banks. In time, hopefully the same will be said for Naomi.