Jimmy Smith Comments On WWE’s Sasha Banks And Naomi Statement
Jimmy Smith has officially weighed in on WWE's public statement about Sasha Banks and Naomi walking out of "WWE Raw".
Before the May 16 episode of "Monday Night Raw" was set to air, WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Sasha Banks and Naomi walked out of the arena due to a reported issue with their creative for the show.
Following Banks and Naomi's exit, WWE released a statement, stating that the now-former champions placed their titles on the desk of the company's Head of Talent Relations, John Laurinaitis, and walked out of the arena.
Monday Night RAW commentator Jimmy Smith addressed the company's decision to release a statement on the latest edition of his Unlocking The Cage with Jimmy Smith Podcast.
"The rumor I have heard is, in the days of social media, where the performers themselves can spin their own narrative," Smith stated. "Nowadays, if the Ultimate Warrior got cut and people know the story of at SummerSlam, he ran to the back and was immediately fired by Vince McMahon because he made all these demands and whatever, if you don't know the story, watch Dark Side of The Ring. But, Ultimate Warrior would've picked up his phone and recorded something on Instagram saying 'F Vince McMahon!' blah blah blah, whatever. The superstars themselves are able to get their own story out and get their own narrative out to the public in ways they couldn't 20, 10, or 15 years ago. So, what it feels like what the WWE is doing and I don't know, they haven't discussed it with me, they're getting ahead of the ability of Sasha Banks and Naomi to put out their own narrative. Right? If you don't say why they'll say why and it'll paint them in a different light than WWE and WWE wants their own perspective out there. Does that make sense? They're gonna come out and say something, so WWE wanted to get ahead of it first. Make sense?"
Before signing with WWE in May 2021, Smith was a professional MMA fighter, compiling a 5-1 record before retiring in 2006 after a three-year career to accept a role hosting the Discovery Channel's Fight Quest program. He stayed there for two seasons before getting an MMA play-by-play gig with M-1 Global.
Smith then become the host of American Ninja Warrior before transitioning back to the MMA world and becoming the voice of Bellator MMA. The 44-year-old departed with Bellator after a seven-year stint with the company and signed with the UFC. Smith left the promotion after just one year and would end his MMA commentating career with the all-women's Invicta FC promotion before signing with WWE.