wrestling / News
More Behind the Scenes Rumors on What Took Place at Last Night’s WWE Raw with Sasha Banks & Naomi
– PWInsider has an update with additional details on the Sasha Banks and Naomi situation that saw them walk out of WWE Raw while the show was going on last night. As noted, Naomi was originally expected to win the previously announced Six-Pack Challenge and go on to face Bianca Belair for the Raw Women’s Championship at Hell in a Cell. According to the new report, the show would’ve ended with both Naomi and Banks celebrating that Naomi would face Belair for the title at the event.
The pitched storyline was reportedly going to see Sasha Banks wrestle Ronda Rousey in a losing effort for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at the event. In short, the Hell in a Cell show would’ve had both the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions losing their respective title matchups.
One account says that earlier in the day, after Banks and Naomi raised their initial concerns about the booking, an idea was reportedly set up to have Banks and Naomi in a short tag team match on Raw, where they would’ve been subjected to a beat down to set up a new program. While this hasn’t been confirmed, one source claimed that Banks and Naomi’s opponents at one point were going to be Nikki ASH and Doudrop.
Before the Raw broadcast began, Banks and Naomi were reportedly told by WWE Producer and Hall of Famer Molly Holly that WWE moving forward with the Six-Pack Challenge Match, and Naomi would go over. A short time later, they told John Laurinaitis that they were leaving, and they left their women’s tag team titles behind. This is referenced in WWE’s official statement on the matter that was released last night.
WWE Chairman Vince McMahon was reportedly sitting at the gorilla position when he was informed that Banks and Naomi left, which the report notes took place either just as or right after the USA Network broadcast began. The segment between Becky Lynch and Adam Pearce, which mentioned Banks and Naomi leaving the building, that set up Lynch vs. Asuka in a No. 1 contender’s match was said to have been booked on the spot. One source for PWInsider said the segment was Lynch’s idea.
After the Lynch-Pearce segment was pitched on the spot, McMahon then ordered it to be filmed and placed into the show to explain the change after the Six-Pack Challenge had been announced at the top of the show.
PWInsider’s report notes that there is a belief that Banks and Naomi were concerned with how the two would be portrayed after the next several weeks, especially after putting a lot of time into building up their tag team. They were concerned about where their tag team duo would be left after they were booked against each other in a Six-Pack Challenge, and they would both later lose separate title matches at Hell in a Cell, where they would be putting over other talents.
Also, the WWE plan is rumored to have had the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship downplayed until they were booked in their next tag team program after Hell in a Cell. As of now, Sasha Banks and Naomi are still listed on WWE’s internal active roster.
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