For pro wrestling fans wondering where Trinity “Naomi” Fatu would land after her WWE walkout, the answer may be here.
According to PWInsider Elite, Fatu will debut as a “major surprise” at Friday’s Impact Wrestling taping in Chicago, with her arrival as the start of a longer run with the company — not just a one-off appearance, though there are no exact details on the length of her Impact contract. Episodes from the event will begin to air on Thursday, May 4.
This will mark Fatu’s first wrestling appearance in nearly a year, since her departure from WWE in May 2022 while holding the women’s tag team championship with Mercedes Moné, formerly Sasha Banks, who simultaneously left the company. They walked out in protest of WWE’s booking of their team in particular and the women’s division in general.
Since walking out from WWE in May 2022, Moné has dazzled in New Japan Pro Wrestling and Stardom, including a run with the IWGP Women’s Championship. Fatu’s status had been more under the radar since also departing WWE, however — only filing to trademark the name “Trinity Starr” and abandoning it weeks later. She also appeared backstage at Ring of Honor and NJPW events over the last few months.
Fatu reuniting with WWE once seemed likely, especially with her husband Jimmy Uso still with the company in a prominent role. Fightful even reported that a WWE source was “confident” in her return. Obviously, that won’t come to fruition in the near future barring something unforeseen.
Now, Fatu has the chance to make an impact outside of WWE, on her own in a fresh environment. It’s her first experience away from the company since signing a developmental contract in 2009, so fans will see how she succeeds in a different women’s division with a chance to enhance her own star power. If it’s similar to Moné, the future is bright.