WWE didn’t let SmackDown pass without mentioning Sasha Banks and Naomi walking out on Raw this past Monday.
Michael Cole spoke right before the night’s main event, a heavily promoted tag team unification bout between RK-Bro and The Usos, saying that Banks and Naomi had disappointed fans and their fellow Superstars by leaving the show instead of participating in the advertised main event: a six-person match for a women’s title shot.
Because of their actions, Cole said that the two women were suspended indefinitely, and that a tournament would be held to crown new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions.
(Insert your joke about whether WWE has enough women to fill a tournament bracket here.)
As another sign of the persona non grata status of Banks and Naomi, Daniel Yanofsky of The Sporting News noted that both have had their merchandise pulled from WWE Shop.
Following the news that Sasha Banks and Naomi have been suspended by #WWE, this is what you see when searching their names on the WWE Shop site. The image on the right is when you type Naomi's name. #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/3w1WKaYmZh
— Daniel Yanofsky (@DanYanofsky) May 21, 2022
It’s been reported by numerous outlets citing sources within WWE that Banks and Naomi aren’t expected to be fired, and Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful confirmed again tonight that they haven’t been released.
WWE confirmed to me Naomi and Sasha Banks have not been released despite being removed from WWEShop https://t.co/6xNJrfdj9Z
— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) May 21, 2022
If there’s one industry where actions that would normally torch bridges to the ground can be overcome, it’s pro wrestling. That said, while there has been plenty of support for their right to express displeasure with the way they are being booked, opinion has been more split on the timing — a question of whether departing in the middle of a show left their fellow talent in the lurch.
In its initial statement and tonight’s comments on the air from Cole, WWE has kept that part of the situation in sharp focus. But by keeping the walkout a talking point and continuing to blame the women for what happened Monday, the company is running the risk of losing the battle of public perception, if that hasn’t happened already.