Since Sasha Banks joined New Japan Pro-Wrestling, changed her identity to Mercedes Mone, and won the IWGP Women’s Championship, the question of “what’s going on with Sasha Banks?” has been clarified; nevertheless, the enigma surrounding her old tag team teammate Naomi has only gotten stranger.
Unlike Mone, Naomi’s future has been mostly out in the air since she and Mone left WWE almost a year ago. With the new announcement, it will look much more dubious. The weekend of WrestleMania will indeed see Naomi in attendance, it was revealed on Friday. Nevertheless, it won’t be for WWE, since the WrestleCon conference tweeted that the celebrity would be there on March 31.
Although Naomi’s appearance at WrestleCon would seem to indicate that she and WWE are no longer on speaking terms, it is important to remember that other WWE-related celebrities will also be there, including Kurt Angle, Mick Foley, Ric Flair, and most notably Lita, who is currently a member of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions.
A number of noteworthy performers from AEW, Impact Wrestling, AAA, and New Japan will also be present at the convention, and Naomi will probably catch up with her former tag team colleagues Mone and Arianne Andrews (WWE’s Cameron), who will also be there. But, as previously mentioned, the WrestleCon visit will mostly act as a final piece in the jigsaw for fans hoping to see the former WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion back in action.
Naomi’s walkout
Although Naomi hasn’t spoken out on the subject, recent sources indicate that she and WWE are still in favourable talks about a comeback. Last week, Andrews also disclosed that Naomi was out of commission as she recovered from shoulder surgery. Naomi reportedly has “maintained positive contact” with WWE since her departure from the company on May 16, 2022, and a WWE executive reportedly told a news outlet that they are “confident” she will eventually make a comeback.
The report also stated that at the time of Naomi’s walkout, her contract was “close to expiring” and that “both sides appeared excited” about reaching a long-term deal. Before she and Sasha Banks abruptly left the negotiations, Naomi was reportedly on her way to “the biggest money contract of her career.” To be fair, Rhea Ripley confronted The Bloodline onWWE Raw, and on Tuesday, she even went so far as to mock Solo Sikoa on social media.
