[Mr. Nerfect]

Originally Posted by erickman 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.

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.

Originally Posted by Senpai Seph 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.

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.

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

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.

Originally Posted by Loose Cannon 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

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.

Originally Posted by Fignuts 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.

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.