“Is this for real?”
That’s a question that gets asked often by pro wrestling fans, such is the nature of this particular form of entertainment. But it rarely gets repeated with as much speed and intensity as it did the night of May 16, when Sasha Banks and Naomi walked out of Raw, despite being advertised while the show was already underway as part of a six-person match that would serve as the main event.
Thanks to well connected industry insiders like Mike Johnson of Pro Wrestling Illustrated and Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select, the broad strokes of what took place came into view pretty quickly. Banks and Naomi were unhappy with the creative direction of what was planned — even though it reportedly included Naomi winning the match, and thus getting a solo title shot against Bianca Belair at Hell in a Cell — and instead of participating, they left their titles at the arena and departed.
What happened next, including a hastily reworked main event and WWE talent making reference to the champs leaving the show on the air, shouldn’t have been surprising to anyone well versed in WWE history. When Stone Cold Steve Austin walked out in June 2002, the on-camera reactions included Vince McMahon drinking a beer to his memory and The Rock cutting a “get the ‘f’ out” promo. When these things happen, WWE doesn’t hide from them, it works them into the shows and moves on.
That’s why the “Is it a work?” question, while a natural one to ask, is moot in the end. Even if the issue at hand is very real, which was the case with Austin 20 years ago and seems to be with Banks and Naomi, WWE will incorporate it into what it’s doing. Then if cooler heads prevail, even if it takes some time, it has the same effect as if it was a story the company had written the entire time, at least in terms of how it’s presented on TV.
But what made this night different from similar situations in the past was the statement that WWE posted addressing Banks and Naomi leaving. On the surface, it confirms the earlier source reports, acknowledging that the tag team champs were unhappy with what was in store for them and decided they didn’t want to be part of it. There are natural elements of damage control too, some of which seem suspect. The line about the women feeling “uncomfortable in the ring with two of their opponents” is hard to swallow, since the other scheduled main event participants — Becky Lynch, Asuka, Nikki A.S.H. and Doudrop — are all competitors they’ve faced before.
What stands out more than anything, however, is this part:
And even though they had eight hours to rehearse and construct their match …
It’s no secret, and hasn’t been for years, that WWE matches are scripted in advance. Performers have talked about the creative process on numerous WWE programs in the past, often while speaking about memorable moments in company history and how they came together.
The difference this time around is WWE itself discussing how matches are constructed, and specifically how much time the people involved with a main event on Raw had to discuss and rehearse what would take place that night. It’s a rare, official behind the scenes peek at the process, and while it’s probably exaggerating to call it unprecedented, it’s definitely out of the ordinary.
While the eyes of the pro wrestling world will undoubtedly be on how the situation with Banks and Naomi plays out, this is another aspect of a fascinating night that bears watching in the long term. It could be WWE simply reacting in the moment to an extraordinary set of circumstances, but it may be a signal that the company is willing to take another step toward officially providing its fans with a full understanding of the time and effort it takes to lay out what unfolds on Raw and SmackDown every week.