Sasha Banks and Naomi indefinitely suspended by WWE
 

PWInsider and Fightful both reporting Sasha Banks has walked out of RAW following a fight backstage with Vince McMahon over creative. Naomi left with her.

Sasha/Naomi were scheduled to be in the main-event of RAW at the start of the show but that has now been changed.


https://www.pwinsider.com/ViewArticle.php?id=158986

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We've confirmed with our sources at Raw that Sasha Banks and Naomi did actually leave tonight. We've got a lot more details coming to <a href="https://t.co/jy8u4a7WDa">https://t.co/jy8u4a7WDa</a> soon <a href="https://t.co/136KLfscio">pic.twitter.com/136KLfscio</a></p>&mdash; Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) <a href="https://twitter.com/SeanRossSapp/status/1526376858308300800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The most gangster walkout story I've ever heard is when someone got yelled at by Vince, and they walked over, shook his hand and said &quot;I hope you learn something today,&quot; and hit the bricks.</p>&mdash; Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) <a href="https://twitter.com/SeanRossSapp/status/1526385208550891520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The report of Sasha Banks &amp; Naomi leaving <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WWERAW?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WWERAW</a> seems to be legit - and now Fightful is reporting NAOMI was scheduled to win ��</p>&mdash; Female Locker Room (@femalelroom) <a href="https://twitter.com/femalelroom/status/1526378656884457475?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Oh my! This is very juicy gossip.

But her husband was still there? Call me skeptical

I turned on RAW and they had Corey Graves bury them on TV saying they unprofessionally walked out and the main-event was changed as a result.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">WWE's statement on Sasha Banks and Naomi <a href="https://t.co/DrNS84QfxX">pic.twitter.com/DrNS84QfxX</a></p>&mdash; Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) <a href="https://twitter.com/SeanRossSapp/status/1526389791784321028?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Didn't AJ Lee keep working with WWE even after Punk left / got terminated?

Facts be dammed.

Sasha, I’m not surprised at all. She was on the brink of quitting before and this isn’t the first time she’s been unhappy with creative. Especially as a tag champ. She hits the open market and she’s going to be the top free agent woman’s wrestler. Easily, IMO.

Naomi surprises me more. But good for her for backing her partner. She’s very talented and seeing outside the WWE style of wrestling is interesting, if this does lead to their release.

Of course Graves was gonna bury them. He’s got a job to do.

Yeah she came back a few months later, but it wasn't a heat of the moment thing. This seems sudden and a more fair comparison would be when Austin walked out and Debra went with him, or when Miss Kitty was suddenly fired and Lawler left with her.

That's why I am skeptical, but you are right, there are certainly examples going the other way.

That is 2 more factors, they can play up the Mania 35 aftermath to make this more believable, and I think if it was just a disagreement they wouldn't bury them on commentary instantly, not before seeing if they can move on from it.

Triple A probably asleep from eating too much GUAC and unable to update the homepage of tpww dot net with all this

Unfollowed over the past few days, not after finding out creative was bad. She unfollowed her partners husband, and her supposed best friend?? LOL come on

Seems odd that WWE put out that statement when usually "card subject to change" is their go-to reason. Who knows if we'll find out the details here but this is way more interesting than pretty much anything the women's tag team division has done on TV.

Supposedly this guy is friends with Naomi...but who knows so emphasis on 'supposedly'...


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">You are approached in February as being put in a tag team, after both being promised big feuds at WM.<br><br>You bite the bullet and put everything you got into being a tag team. It works, you get over, win the titles at WM and become merch pushers.</p>&mdash; Security at Joseline's Cabaret (@Adidas_Head88) <a href="https://twitter.com/Adidas_Head88/status/1526398107105230850?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">You request a meeting with your boss to discuss it. Your boss takes the meeting and everything is actually going well. He understands your concerns.<br><br>The meeting ends well and the match is told to be reconstructed. For some reason producers get mad about it.</p>&mdash; Security at Joseline's Cabaret (@Adidas_Head88) <a href="https://twitter.com/Adidas_Head88/status/1526398109177286659?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Neither one of you will win the solo titles, and you won't defend your tag titles until MITB.<br><br>You ask for another meeting with your boss, but this time you are being called spoiled. A producer walks away screaming.<br><br>He comes back and tell both of you to fix your attitudes.</p>&mdash; Security at Joseline's Cabaret (@Adidas_Head88) <a href="https://twitter.com/Adidas_Head88/status/1526398111354081282?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Again you are met with fix your attitudes.<br><br>So after one final meeting with yourselves and asking others, you make the ultimate decision as a team.<br><br>It's sad how oneside is trying to create a fucked up narrative.</p>&mdash; Security at Joseline's Cabaret (@Adidas_Head88) <a href="https://twitter.com/Adidas_Head88/status/1526398113153425413?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

i dunno *IF* that account is to be believed (and it shouldnt be unless substantiated elsewhere) i agree with the office based soley on that side of the story alone *IF* thats true theyre spoiled and need to fix their attitudes

Should have gone out there and walked out mid-match Jeff Hardy style. Make a statement. Missed opportunity.

That account is making it sound like Shane McMahon from the Royal Rumble is back :rofl:

Gail Kim did it first by eliminating herself from the battle royale. Don't forget the OG.

WWE put the statement on dot com as well


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Official WWE statement on Sasha Banks &amp; Naomi <a href="https://t.co/TbehKPdAfD">https://t.co/TbehKPdAfD</a></p>&mdash; WWE (@WWE) <a href="https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1526420278489776129?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

I dunno man, I see where you're coming from, but maybe the undercard titles would be worth a damn if more people stood up like this.

*IF* This account of the events is true.

Does this have anything to do with Alexa Bliss?

No but they changed Alexa's entrance to really generic music for some reason

I mean...

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">alexa bliss new theme <a href="https://t.co/LoiNgWHzyy">pic.twitter.com/LoiNgWHzyy</a></p>&mdash; BlissBlissVids (@BlissBlissVids) <a href="https://twitter.com/BlissBlissVids/status/1526383752515145729?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Whom did they not want to work with? It's so confusing

WWE is such a bonehead company.

The other 4 people in the match were Becky, Doudrop, Nikki A.S.H. and Asuka so I think that sounds suspect they wouldn't want to work with people they've both wrestled many times before.

It is not great optics that if this were say Randy Orton or Charlotte Flair they would likely be given a 'vacation' for arguing with Vince or it'd be forgiven a week later but two black women are called 'unprofessional' on air and then a Press Release immediately goes out saying they have a 'bad attitude'

I mean, someone didn't think that one through...

I understand where you're coming from.

Team B.A.D.

Charlotte purposely tanked a segment with Becky Lynch. Did anything happen to her after that? Serious question.

I’m so sick of Sasha by this point.

The statement WWE put out has me convinced this is a work. Extremely off brand for them. Also I'd believe it 100x more if it was just Sasha walking out.

Lol what? Naomis husband has gotten more chances than Jeff Hardy. Come on now.

anyway it gets rid of the womans tag titles work or shoot. vince hates tag teams he is also not much into womans wrestling.

I mean if that one account is true, they didn't really want the tag titles in the first place even though I guess they made it work. But how many teams are there for them to feud with that arent just utter ass? -2, maybe. So for them to get upset that they are being put into 2 main event tier title programs while they wait for something to develop in the tag scene seems....really weird to me. Feuding with Bianca/Ronda is a way bigger spotlight on both of them than languishing in the tag scene with nothing to do.

no ammount of unprofessionalism is going to solve the issue that there simply arent enough tv ready women's wrestlers to have 2 divisions on 2 brands.

this is what raised my eyebrow. creative came back with something for you. high profile angles. and you walk? so in this tweets scenrio you're throwing a fit because youre working the top talent? *if* thats true your on an hbk level ego trip with an 1/8th of the barganing power.

Sasha will be back by the end of the year and Naomi will be jobbing on main event before you know it

i don't know why naomi was not part of the bloodline story line anyway. the last year she should have been heeling it up with them.

It sounds like a really, really shitty place to work, and I'm glad they stood up for themselves.

The statement put out by WWE is the weirdest part of this. One, they never put out a statement like this ever. And two, this company does public relations as well as anyone. They are so protective of their image and brand. And yet that’s the statement they put out? It looks like it was written in about 3 minutes and publicly calls out their own employees while breaking kayfabe. It’s so sloppy and really out of character for a company that tries to keep such a polished image.

@Supreme—Well it’s similar to what happened when Austin walked out and how they had themselves a little tantrum about it. Different company now of course but they still made sure to bring in the Rock to bury Steve on live tv. That’s after he was basically the sole reason they “won the war.”

I’m surprised the statement didn’t have something about Sasha and Naomi taking their ball and going home.

Eh, anyways, not a huge fan of Sasha based on what I know about her as a person but I’m all for talents giving the office a headache.

Also, my interpretation of that message is, "we asked them to do the same horrible, rote bullshit we ask them to do every week, and suddenly there's a problem?"

It's a cool story. But it's not like they are gonna be able to just "hope over to Dynamite" in a few weeks if they want.

Even if they could AEW is so packed as is.

Nah. But Sasha DOES have other options because she's been doing the acting and John Favreau is a huge fan. She's not limited to wrestling like the rest of the schmucks. Naomi is also with one of the Usos, so she has leverage just the same. It's not about turning up on Dynamite, it's about saying, "fuck you, we don't need this bullshit. Up your game."

Don't get me wrong, wouldn't fault the WWE for firing them, but they don't have the cajones. They'd prefer to just bury them as much as they can get away with until welcoming them back with open arms.

yeah women and tag team they would have to pop out at impact

I don't know, I love a good walk out story, but it's Sasha Banks and Naomi. I'm sure the company could really give a shit lol

yeah they should have let banks go a few years ago

The women's tag titles are not high profile. They are an afterthought. For reasons you just listed. And sure, you can say well now is your chance to be part of elevating these titles...but by that account, they were planning on making them even more irrelevant, despite Sasha and Naomi bringing up their concerns in a professional manner several times.

So the question is, how much shit are you going to eat, before you say go fuck yourself? And keep in mind this is not a young wrestler who has yet to make it big, where said shit eating is expected. Its two people who have been at the top as champions for years now, and then they're told they're going to essentialy be enhancement talent for the singles champions and then theyre going to disappear for no reason.

ftr, it was still unprofessional, I'm just saying I get why they felt they needed to walk out.

Pretty much. Giving them the belts, only to have them plugged into separate feuds, doesn’t elevate the tag belts. They’re being put into a position to join in the main event scene for 2 months only to come back later and try to pretend their tag belts are still worth something, allegedly. That’s chicken shit and it’s a complaint other talents have had.

I don’t blame them. They’re standing up for themselves, they’re demanding what they’re being booked in stories that make the titles matter. And it’s Sasha going thru more booking issues around the tag titles as she was unhappy when her abs Bailey dropped them to a comedy team after working hard to get the titles over.

Unprofessional or not, I don’t see why anyone would back wwe here. More wrestlers should say something instead of taking shitty gimmicks and angles. It would help the product.

I’m pretty sure they want Naomi to be a babyface role-model. I’m a shitty world where kayfabe is dead, she can be inspirational as a heel, but eh. I don’t know how captivating her performances as a heel would be either. Then you’ve got to dedicate a certain amount of time to that specific part of the Bloodline angle, which could drag it down.

Their statement completely shatters kayfabe and really has tones of “ungrateful little marks for themselves.” It did give me pause that apparently Russo was sniffing around for a job and then this happens, because this is exactly the sort of shit he would try to pull in fiction — but I think the most likely explanation is simply that it’s a hot-headed response to bury the women’s disposition of “this is about respect” before the company decides to bury them.

The thought occurred to me that WWE could just come out and deny those belts ever existed, lol. How’s that for putting respect onto them? But I don’t know where this idea that Vince isn’t keen on women’s wrestling comes from. I mean, sure — modern society ties his hands a little bit, but he’s pushed the women hard even when he hasn’t “had to.”

I also think the tag team thing is a myth that is perpetuated by internet lore. There’s probably validity to the claim that he sees more star value in individuals when they are truly over, and that makes sense. But it’s blown way out of proportion when you consider the function tag team wrestling plays and how some of the biggest acts he’s had over the past 6 years have been tag teams.

I think this is what rubs me the wrong way about it if it is a shoot. I can totally imagine Sasha overrating her star power and Naomi thinking she can pull whatever because she married in. There’s still undercurrent of “we’re so important” when they’re realistically not, lol.

You’re making valid points, but it all carries a tone of being a bit of mark for yourself and the belts. It’s such an internet smark thing to do to count up the number of tag teams and try to work out the average amount of ring time and Dave Meltzer stars associated with a division to determine its worth.

I was a critic of the tag belts in the first place, but the reason they are there is for the optics of equality and as a functional tool to throw a bouy to four or more women that aren’t involved in the big singles matches on that side of things. They’re busy pushing Bianca, Becky, Charlotte and Ronda? Throw the tag belts on Sasha & Naomi for a few months. Then they can split and go for the singles belts when there’s an opening. That’s literally what they’re there for, and the whole “well, we don’t have feuds and a plethora of future challengers” reeks of “bitches, it’s fucking fake and know the spot you’re in it.”

The belts have been around for a number of years now. They do what they want them to do just fine. Sometimes they are on an act they want to keep together, sometimes they go to women that are using it as a pit stop. If they want to push a team for an extended period, that opportunity will be there for them. If they never find that team? Who fucking cares? Throwing your second hissy fit (in Sasha’s case) kind of just makes you look like a mark who thinks you need to have 8 teams in a tag division that all dress like their partners to have a successful one.

As a fan of wrestling, I agree with you. I wish every wrestling company would make every single championship title and the feuds and wrestlers highlighting them seem important.

As a realist though in 2022, I don't think the WWE (i.e. Vince) really cares about secondary things like belts and storylines anymore. He knows the same people will watch no matter what's on tv these days. Maybe with the exception of Brock, I'd argue there's not one "entertainer" that's over anymore. And I don't even think Brock is as valuable as he was. WWE could just plug anyone in and get the same or even an increase in revenue in their product. They seem to be breaking records every year. And that's exactly what they want. They don't want guys like Rock or Austin (i.e. a few people carrying the load).

So that's my point on them caring less if Sasha or Naomi walked out. they'll just plug in two other people to fill that role and it'll be business as usual

It's terrible for wrestlers, but great for the company

After all these years, Sasha Banks finally had the balls to do it.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gj2iGAifSNI" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I mean, it started off hot, with her and Bayley as The Boss and Hug Connection becoming the inaugural champions of the current version. But because Vince says we're not allowed to have nice things anymore, instead of having them retain at WrestleMania 35, as they should have, nope they had them drop the belts to The Iiconics. That was when I stopped caring about the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship.

(’Taker voice) YOU THINK THIS IS FAKE?!

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sasha Banks tried to warn us all. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WWERaw?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WWERaw</a> <a href="https://t.co/es3vgeyayz">pic.twitter.com/es3vgeyayz</a></p>&mdash; ChanMan (@ChandranTheMan) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChandranTheMan/status/1526423256927940608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Naomi's husband is a black woman?

Also, WWE didn't release that kind of statement when Jeff walked out or her husband got another DUI
It's a really strange press release

Rumor going around is Molly Holly was one of the producers Sasha got in an argument with

they look like trannies

Even when Austin walked out, they didn't instantly put out a statement. They didn't call him out on the same episode. It just seems if it were real WWE wouldnt have reported it so quickly.

Nah, they just fired Jeff on the spot and told everyones its because he wouldn't go to rehab, knowing the implication is that this means he's on drugs again. Let me know when someone else has to do the whole piss test angle. They shat all over Jeff. For YEARS.

And Jeff walked out of a house show, not the main event of RAW.

I agree it's a strange release, but basically claiming this is racism/sexism is a hell of a reach at this point with what is actually known, which is basically next to nothing.

This is gonna end with something stupid where they "walked out on RAW" and show up on SD instead.

...But I didn't claim that

I said it was bad optics because it will be perceived as that, and I can tell you plenty of people on twitter have already viewed the situation that way

They did the same segment with Shawn Michaels, almost word for word :rofl:

Meltzer weighs in:

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:lol:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This would never happen in aew? The Vp basically walked out lol ��</p>&mdash; Jennifer P (@JP121469) <a href="https://twitter.com/JP121469/status/1526638435871731713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Their hottest story is about whether or not their rising star is going to leave when his deal is up to go to greener pastures…

Of course DBag Phil would try to virtue stan about this on Twitter and act tough to Matt Cardona since Phil doesn't have to worry about running into the Broski at AEW and taking another L in a real fight.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">If you’d go back in time to stand up for yourself, you should stand up the workers now. <a href="https://t.co/Hh0zA7nsid">https://t.co/Hh0zA7nsid</a></p>&mdash; player/coach (@CMPunk) <a href="https://twitter.com/CMPunk/status/1526605270616625154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Didn’t Cody stay and make a couple appearances AFTER his contract was up? How was that “walking out”? Lol

Is that cumdorx’s handle?

You see, the problem here is logic is being applied and there’s no place for that

Yeah, im on Twitter like the Padres are World Series Champions :rofl:

you missunderstand. i didnt claim the tag belts were high profile i claimed a singles fued with rousey was. fuck the tag belts. theyre arent half enough women to have that token title. they came back offered sasha the highest profile program they have. and she walked.

should be noted that austin views this as a mistake in hindsight

Walking out was a mistake, but he was 100% correct, you dont waste Austin vs Lesnar unannounced on free tv. I still have no idea what they were thinking with that one.

that sounds like a really exciting episode to me. its good every few years to do something major on free tv.

Imagine rebranding Alexa Bliss but still wanting to make money from the merchant of her last gimmick, so you send her out with new music, old Alexa look, but MAKE HER CARRY HER MERCH DOLL!!

This is today's WWE.

good for bliss. she stands to make more off that doll than her salary if she's over enough

So its subjective

stretch... your mouth out and gum their cocks, then, stu

They update things fast these days!

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no time for losers, cause he is the campion's

In the case of Sasha, it seems like a "Fool me once..." kind of situation.

Remember, she was unhappy before (as was Bailey) and they threw them together as a tag team, presented them with the championships, and supposedly promised this huge rollout for the ladies tag team division that they were going to be the crowns for. However, aside from pushing the collective breasts of the IIconics and eventually kinda just saddling Asuka and Karie Sane with the belts when there was no real division to battle, they just became afterthought props.

Now, here we are again, and she just kinda has a championship that the company themselves don't give a shit about, and the (again) promised divisional build never happens. In fact, they set up the champs to take individual losses to one another for pretty much no reason.

Sounds less to me like spoiled attitude and more like not going through with eating the same lie twice.

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Yep. I was referring to the WWE's statement. Obviously, Sasha is just trying to maintain her onscreen credibility and is sick of being booked like a nothing act.

WWE is well within their rights to fire her, but she is using her leverage, simple as that. I think it's more of a business decision than it is anything spoiled. But try to tell that to some of the bootlickers here.

Bootlickers he says as he shares his Tony Khan erotic fan fictions with me on facebook. Stop being so transparent with your bias sir!

I will say the one where TK and Bret Hart go to Venice for a romantic escape is some really exceptional writing, though. The impromptu oil match in a gondola was sheer brilliance.

I believe my tony khan erotic fanfic involved the physical act of licking boots, so I at least kept it true to life.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sasha Banks and Naomi have been suspended indefinitely. There will be a future tournament to crown the new WWE Women's Tag Team Champions. <a href="https://t.co/8xhJe0l5bV">pic.twitter.com/8xhJe0l5bV</a></p>&mdash; WWE (@WWE) <a href="https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1527827899113414656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 21, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

What’s their contract status?

Some sites are reporting Sasha's is up in a few months, IDK about Naomi

WWE has removed all Sasha/Naomi items from WWEShop

Dubbalos already going hard hyping up how Mercedes is the greatest and will be a massive game changer in the Dub :rofl:

This is so weird. I don’t think this is a work, but with rumors of Russo digging for a job, this does have weird tones of what someone imitating his booking style would do. I only say this because they’re trying SO HARD to fill people in on details that don’t make WWE look too good.

I actually get management’s perspective. You’ve got token mid-card belts that are there to keep some women visible when not in main programs. They insert you into a main program and it can bring more emphasis to your act. Naomi pinning Sasha, for example, is tension that can be used to build drama to their inevitable break-up. It’s not sterling booking, but it’s not “disrespecting” them in the sense that they’re in the main events, which is what talent is supposed to value.

I think they’re being marks for themselves, and maybe get out of having to put over a fresher black women’s athlete getting more PR than they are right now. I do like the idea of talent looking after themselves. But this is just…a weird hill to die on.

Naomi has a husband that is family to their biggest star. Dragging her under publicly, heat or not, just seems…weird. I totally get stripping them of the belts and the public reason being as contracted athletes they backed out of a match. It’s like forfeiting. You say that, they (in kayfabe) look a bit cowardly. But drilling in “they let millions of fans down.” Just don’t go that extra mile in speaking for people.

It reeks of Montreal in the sense that it’s making the company look worse than the performers, which if it is a shoot, shouldn’t be their intent. I get not cowtowing to them, but strip them and make it look like their fault and don’t represent their disposition so much.

WWE just WWEing, I guess. But you could be more cerebral in driving a wedge between them and audiences by just moving past it. If Sasha’s contract is actually up and Naomi’s isn’t, use that to remind her that Sasha isn’t thinking about her because she’s got to stick around. Turn them against each other instead of trying to make it them vs. the world.

I dunno. If this were a shoot, I would handle the tone differently. That being said, I don’t disagree that they’re possibly letting their egos fly way too close to the sun on this one.

Yeah, I’ve definitely settled on this being a work. If not, it’s VERY stupid on WWE’s part. Here is my reasoning:

Creative differences are subjective. Naomi & Sasha being annoyed with their roles is someone’s vindicated disposition and another person’s bratty. You can deal with that. Dragging someone on the air publicly is just too close to being objectively damaging to their credibility as people. If I were Jimmy Uso or even an outside connection like Snoop Dogg, I would pissed this wasn’t handled internally. This is like a Bash at the Beach 2000 promo.

Michael Cole delivered the lines. McAfee is pretty stoic. He’s not nodding along or shaking his head in disappointment. They’re keeping him clean. Asking talent to do this is just such an imposition on their professional and personal relationships. If it were a shoot.

They’re going to have a tournament? It could be a “haha, fuck you,” but they’re going to need to put focus into the actual division itself (which I would argue it didn’t need), which sets up an actual fucking division for them to play in. As I said — might just be petty (which isn’t how to handle it) — but they’re basically setting up at least four teams (if it’s small) or eight teams for them to wrestle as “rightful” champs.

If you’re going to do a Russo angle, the women who can float make sense. You’re not going to do it with a main event male guy. In the men’s mid-card it falls flat when they actually return. This is in its own bubble, which heats that up.

There may have been elements of truth to this. This isn’t what they usually do. But it would not surprise me to see Sasha & Naomi jump the barricade and attack the news champs at all.

They queued up the graphic from Raw. They didn’t need to do that. “Indefinitely suspended?” I’m not a lawyer, but can you suspend someone “indefinitely?” As a shoot, that would need to be worked out. Why not just posture to the talent that they aren’t going to tolerate it? They are positioning the fans to subliminally be in their corner by keeping them as a unit. And why not just fire them?

They walked into John Laurinaitis’ office? Why bring up Johnny Ace at all, since he’s mainly remembered as being a heel suit. They’ve given too much detail away and aren’t going “whole company in” enough for it to really strike me as an actual thing. It’s like Montreal, but there’s no specific on-air heel authority figure they’re manufacturing from it and the talent are remaining in the company.

They’re winking. It’s hard to see because they’ve dressed it up in ideas that the internet believe. But if this were a shoot they would be quieter with sending them off. They’re being too loud and giving too many reverse psychology indicators to support these women.

Now I’m back on it being a shoot, lol.

As soon as they come back, what’s the game? “Oh, we got worked.” They could have just had Sasha & Naomi announce a tournament to get new contenders. The Johnny Ace thing and their fixation on it makes me think it’s a story, but it’s got no endgame. Dunno.

I think it’s about as likely Sasha & Naomi blitz the new champs as it is Naomi retires and Sasha goes to AEW and nobody cares.

I was leaning towards this being a work until last night.

Now I'm convinced of it.