Naomi addresses she & Sasha Banks’ 2022 walkout on ‘WWE: Unreal’

One of the two primary focuses of the second episode of WWE: Unreal’s second season was the 2022 departure of Naomi and Sasha Banks and Naomi’s triumphant return, punctuated by her women’s Money in the Bank match win in 2025.

Naomi said she really didn’t want to talk about it, but then did, saying that “A lot that happened that day at work that led us to leave…like literally walk out.”

Footage of Banks, now Mercedes Mone in WWE, was shown on camera but was barely referred to by name with creative team member Ed Koskey calling Banks “her partner.” In discussing the situation, Koskey also said there was a “different head of creative and different head of talent relations” without mentioning the names Vince McMahon or John Laurinaitis.

Current head of creative Paul Levesque said that he wasn’t involved with main roster talent then and that “They had enough and they left.”

Then the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, the two left an episode of WWE Raw before the show after a creative disagreement. Both were eventually released with Naomi heading to TNA in a move that revived her career and eventually brought her back. Banks became Mone and eventually signed with AEW where she currently wrestles.

“I needed to stand up for myself not as Naomi but as Trinity,” Naomi said, adding that for the first time in her life and career, she was unemployed and unsure what to do next.

“It was a difficult and scary time for me,” she said.

Levesque later added that similar to the R-Truth situation that was also covered in the second episode, they never wanted Naomi gone from WWE and always felt like it was her home which was a “big driving force to get her to come back.”

Wrestling Observer Radio: Stephanie McMahon, Sasha Banks & Naomi

Dave Meltzer and I are back on Wrestling Observer Radio talking all the latest news in this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter including the latest on the Sasha Banks and Naomi situation within WWE as well as Stephanie McMahon taking a leave of absence. 

In addition, we talked about Raw and Dynamite’s competition when it comes to the NBA Playoffs as well as Valerie Loureda training for pro wrestling. 

Lastly we took a look at the current card for Double or Nothing.

Click below to listen.

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We’re Live, Pal: Sasha Banks & Naomi, Young Bucks vs. Hardy Boyz, Ric Flair’s return

It’s a brand new episode of We’re Live, Pal.

Andrew Zarian and I talk what everyone’s talking about: Sasha Banks and Naomi walking out of Monday’s WWE Raw. 

We wonder what WWE will do with no men’s World titles being defended on the upcoming Hell in a Cell show. 

We look at the current Hardy Boyz vs. Young Bucks situation before giving our thoughts about Ric Flair returning to the ring one more time.

Enjoy the latest We’re Live, Pal in podcast form below or on YouTube above.

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