Sasha Banks and Naomi are paying the price for leaving “Monday Night Raw” earlier this week.
WWE announced on “Friday Night SmackDown” that the Women’s Tag Team Champions have been “indefinitely suspended” and stripped of their titles after refusing to wrestle in the main event’s six-pack challenge match and that a tournament will be held to crown new champions. WWE had announced on Raw that the two women had gone out before changing the main event and opted to directly address the situation again on the show.
Banks and Naomi Merchandise Pages had also been removed from WWE Shop at the time of publication.
“Sasha Banks and Naomi let us all down,” Michael Cole said on SmackDown on Friday. “The WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions left the show and exited the building during Monday Night Raw.”
He then went to specifics of the WWE side of Monday’s events, saying the two women took their tag team championships to Talent Relations Manager John Laurinaitis’ office, left them there and left. ‘arena.
“Their actions have disappointed millions of WWE fans and fellow Superstars,” Cole said before announcing the suspension.
Banks and Naomi, according to WWE’s statement on Monday, left Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va. and declined to be part of the match with Becky Lynch, Asuka, Doudrop and Niki ASH to determine the No. 1 contender for Women’s Champion. of Raw Bianca Belair at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view on June 5. Asuka defeated Lynch to earn the spot in a singles match in her place.
Naomi, according to Fightful Select, was supposed to win the match and face Belair and Banks would enter a singles program with SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey, leaving their tag team gold and the division in potential limbo. Banks addressed the issues directly with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon that day, according to reports.
WWE’s statement regarding the events also said that Banks and Naomi – who have yet to personally give their side of the story – did not feel respected as tag team champions and “were uncomfortable in the ring with two of their opponents”. Fightful Select reported that Banks and Naomi’s issues centered on the direction of the women’s tag team division and did not concern themselves with women in the match.
If WWE holds a scripted tournament, they will likely have to create new women’s teams as there are technically only three other known teams aside from Banks and Naomi currently on the roster.